Popular Nigerian Foods That Are Dangerous To Your Health

Nigerians prepare their meals in a manner that makes them taste nice. There are many popular Nigerian foods that you probably grew up eating and are still prepared by your family today.

One of the advantages of Nigerian cuisine is that you don’t need an expensive ingredient to prepare a very delicious meal.

However, not all Nigerian cuisines are good for your health so here are 7 popular Nigerian foods that can have a negative impact on your body.

Popular Nigerian Foods That Are Dangerous To Your Health - Fried Plantain

1.   Fried Plantain

Fried plantain tastes great and is one of the favourites for all ages in Nigeria.

It can be used as a component for dozen of dishes such as rice, beans, indomie, potato, and many others.

However, frying plantain in a great quantity of oil makes it a far less healthy dish than it should be.

This is because Plantain has a large amount of sugar that can result in more serious side effects.

In a healthy way, use plantain in your cooking by boiling it or grilling it with little oil.

2.  White Rice

Everybody in Nigeria loves eating rice, in fact, is considered one of the common staples in Nigerian cuisine.

White Rice can be served with all kinds of sauces and it’s the major component of another Nigerian classic, Jollof rice, and fried rice.

Generally, Rice can be good in moderation, but consuming it every day means you are storing your body with refined carbohydrates which are not really good for your health and can lead to unwanted weight gain.

Popular Nigerian Foods That Are Dangerous To Your Health - Cassava
3.   Cassava

Cassava has become a daily meal for Nigeria households.

I don’t think there is a family that doesn’t consume cassava regularly.

The two major well-known cassava dishes in Nigeria are garri and fufu.

Cassava dishes can have severe negative effects on your body because they are rich in both starch and calories, which is bad for anyone watching his or her weight.

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Not only that, but it also contains a dangerous chemical called linamarin, which can only be destroyed with a long cooking process.

4.    Soft Drinks

Soft drinks can be found in most Nigerian households even though they are not Nigerian meals.

Soft beverages have a strong flavour and a sweet taste that can make you demand more on a hot day.

However, soft drinks are very high in sugar, which is dangerous to your body for obvious reasons.

Even if you consider going for a drink with a sugar substitute, it will still be lower in calories but even more bad for your health.

If you must take a soft drink, please ensure you don’t consume it on a regular basis.

Popular Nigerian Foods That Are Dangerous To Your Health - Pounded Yam
5.   Pounded Yam

Pounded yam is a common food that can be eaten with any meat and vegetable-based soups and it’s also dominant in South-West states of Nigeria.

This popular household food has certain health benefits – for example, it’s high in dietary fiber.

It also contains a large number of calories per serving and a lot of starch.

However, if you are a diabetic patient, you should stop consuming pounded yam and everyone else should also try to eat it in moderation.

6.   Palm Oil

There is no household that doesn’t use palm oil to cook, in fact, it’s one of the most popular ingredients in Nigeria. It can be used for deep-frying and is mostly added to soups and sauces.

Palm oil is known for its health benefits, including its antioxidant effect.

At the same time, palm oil also contains a large number of saturated fats. In fact, Experts say 50% of palm oil is saturated fats.

Saturated fats can cause rapid weight gain and heart conditions, so you can be using vegetable oil instead of palm oil.

7.    Suya And Kilishi

Suya and Kilishi are some of the popular Nigerian foods you can get on the street but they are still cooked daily at home.

There are few reasons why you need to reduce the intake of both Suya and Kilishi.

First, they are made from red meat which is linked with certain types of cancer. Second is the way they are processed and cooked makes them even less healthy.

Suya is covered in oil and charred which can also have a cancerogenic effect while Kilishi uses a lot of salt and is smoked, which is not the healthiest cooking method.

NOTE: We don’t condemn you for eating any of the above popular foods but what we are saying in excess is that try to reduce the way you take them for a better healthy living.

Don’t forget too much of everything is bad!

 

 

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