Nigerian meals that are rich in Carbohydrates are one of the most important parts of our diet. They are energy-giving and are very essential to the entire body. Although, they have been recently vilified in recent times because they are thought to be the biggest cause of weight gain and a leading cause of diabetes.
At some point in their lives, most Nigerians have been told to cut down on carbs or stick with foods that are ridiculously low in carbohydrates. However, the truth is that there is nothing wrong with eating carbohydrates as far as you eat them in the right proportions. Portion control is a very important part of healthy eating and should be practised for all classes of food.
Too much of everything no matter how healthy can be bad. Let us check out five Nigerian meals that are healthy and very rich in carbohydrates.
Rice
Rice is as Nigerian as it can get. We have so many different ways to eat it and almost everyone does. In most Nigerian homes, it is eaten at least once a week, usually on Sundays. Because of the many ways in which you can make it, rice is one of those carbohydrates that can be very healthy and contain other nutrients depending on the type of rice that is being cooked.
There’s Jollof rice, Coconut rice, Ofada Rice, Fried Rice, Banga Rice and even Tuwo Shinkafa is a rice-based swallow. A cup of rice contains over 52g of carbohydrates while a serving of Homemade’s plain white rice contains 76.5g of carbohydrates and 28% of your daily required carbohydrate consumption.
Semolina
Fondly called “Semo” by most Nigerians, semolina is a widely enjoyed delicacy across the country once it has been paired with a good soup.
Semolina is quite healthy and rich in carbohydrates and other nutrients like protein and fibre.
Semolina is made by mixing the processed flour into hot water till it forms a thick mould. A serving of Semo at Homemade contains 108.9g of carbohydrates and makes up about 40% of the daily requirement.
Pasta
Also known as the favourite food of Lagos women, pasta is a popular meal in Nigeria that is rich in carbohydrates. It isn’t a Nigerian meal but Nigerians have adopted two specific ones as their favourites: Spaghetti and Macaroni.
When most Nigerians talk about pasta, this is what they mean. Although, just like rice, pasta can be made very healthy depending on how and what you eat it with. It can be made plain, stir-fried, creamy, jollof and many other ways. Homemade’s spaghetti pasta contains 35.2g of carbohydrates and makes up about 13% of your daily carbohydrate requirement.
Yam
Whether it’s pounded, fried, boiled or roasted, yam is a very good source of carbohydrates. It is a food loved by most Nigerians and can be eaten in so many different ways. It can be eaten alone like fried yam, with soup as pounded yam or can be made into a porridge depending on preference.
Nigeria is the largest producer of yams in the world and accounts for about 70% of the global supply. Our boiled yam has 85.8g of carbohydrates and carries 31% of your daily carb requirement.
Garri
It would be criminal to mention carbohydrates peculiar to Nigerians and not mention garri since it is the cheapest and most affordable source of carbohydrates to Nigerians.
Garri is eaten in many forms; soaked, dry, as eba, sprinkled into other foods and fried as snacks. It is popular across the country and can be gotten anywhere. A Nigerian that doesn’t like garri in any of its forms should be stripped of their citizenship. Homemade serves garri as eba and it contains 56g of carbohydrates and 20% of the daily carb requirement.
Knowing the right proportion of carbohydrates to eat is very important. This will determine if you’re eating healthily or not.
At Homemade, our in-house nutritionists check and verify every meal to make sure they contain the right amount of nutrients and are also in the correct proportions. Every meal is tasty, nutritious and healthy.
If you plan to eat carbs healthily, then we’re your best bet.
Why spend time gauging the number of calories and carbs in your food when we can easily do that for you? We make sure all our meals are in the right quantity and contain the optimal amount of nutrients.
Order something delicious from Homemade today.