Category: General

As a young boy, I was always careless about what kinds of foods I funnel into my tummy. I really could not determine why this was so because my brothers were completely different from me. They were more like proper and calm children. I was a bit weird. However, I do not regret some of my actions as they bring laughable memories to mind.

One of such memories of my escapades is how I ate foods that were tagged weird by many observers……for me…I was just enjoying myself. Lets checkout the top three of the food combination that made my weirdest list.

Yam Flour:

Garri has always been one of my favourite foods even till this very moment. In the early 90s, my mum had a padlock to the cupboard where Garri was kept but no padlock to the cupboard of yam flour (popularly called Elubo Isu among Yorubas). In the evening when I had nothing to eat, I took some portion of the flour, added some water and drank it all. I later fell ill not too long from that time and my mum discovered what I took. Thanks to some portions of palm oil that was given to me. I almost vomited my heart out.

Garri and Palm oil:

I bet, very few Lagos born children can eat this now. They will probably describe it as “Abasha”. However, a mixture of some portion of Palm oil and Garri which was usually called “Epo Obo” was quite nice to eat. Although, many other young children like me wonder why I love to eat this weird food combo.

Bread and Tooth paste:

I remember the first time I had the rare opportunity to brush my teeth by myself, I was quick to take more than usual portion of Maclean tooth paste because I love licking it. On days we have Agege bread on our food menu, I stylishly and secretly find my way to the bath room to pick the paste and use as spread over my bread. Yummy isnt it? Always laughing when I remember these actions of mine

Anyways, these are my top three weirdest food combination, if you think you have got other food combination as weird or more weird than mine, I put you to a challenge to share them. Waiting to get your responses. LoL

Trans fatty acids (TFA) commonly called trans fats, are fats present in small amounts in a considerable wide range of foods. There are a lot of concerns on the adverse effect they have on the health of human begins. It is however, quite not straightforward to know which foods contain trans fats.

There are artificial and natural trans fats. This means that some trans fats occur naturally in foods but in small amounts. Naturally-occurring trans fats are found in small amounts in dairy products such as example cheese and cream but often in amounts that are not significantly harmful to the body.

Artificial trans fats are produced when vegetable oils are hydrogenated. This is the process that produces margarine and increased awareness on the dangers of TFAs has prompted manufacturers of margarine to improve processing methods to reduce level of trans fats.

Dangers of Trans Fats And How To Know Which Food Has It

Trans fats raise the blood cholesterol levels, especially the levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. They also reduce the level of the good cholesterol in the blood. These adverse effects of trans fats in the blood can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

If you fry food a lot or buy fried foods, you are exposed to trans fats. Trans fats are usually produced when ordinary vegetable oils are heated to fry foods at very high temperatures. Using the oil over and over again increases the level of trans fats and that is why we advised using frying oil many times in this post.

Also, margarines that contain hydrogenated vegetable oil as an ingredient will normally contain some trans fats. So, if you want to know if hydrogenated fats are present in a particular food, here is what you need to do to check.

Take a look at the ingredient list on the food label and check if hydrogenated fats or hydrogenated vegetable oils are present. Since there are no regulatory requirement that manufacturers must declare the presence of trans fats in their foods, it will not be present on the food package or label.

Here are some foods you should watch out for trans fats in them – animal fat, microwave popcorn, crackers, biscuits, creamy frozen drinks, deep-fried foods, shortenings and margarines.

Children definitely will grow into adults and it happens very quickly. This is the prayer of all parents.

Children learn to pick up habits and behaviors of their parents most times hook, line, and sinker. This is not only common in how they respond to issues of life but also how they make food choices for themselves as an adult and their own very children.

The need to teach children about food and nutrition at an early age is quite important if truly we are serious about making the world a healthier place in years to come.

So, who is best to help make this world safer health-wise? Parents are sure at the forefront of the battle.

It has now become a norm among parents and guidance to brag and publicly say how their children love chocolates, sweets, chewing gums, and many other sugar-coated food items as such.

ALSO SEE: Foods That Help You Succeed In Your Exam.

This trend must be quickly tackled as many health conditions not common among children are now resurfacing at an alarming rate. Examples are Type I and Type II Diabetes and Childhood Obesity. 

In this post, I will be sharing with you three main steps to follow to ensure your children pick up the right habit to make healthier food choices now and in the future without necessarily excluding all of the processed snacks usually consumed by children while keeping them healthy.

1. Let the children take part in home cooking:

Cooking can be really fun to children and that’s if you make it look fun.

From age three and above, children can be engaged in simple errands like asking them to pick up something from the fridge, etc.

Engage them when cooking a favorite meal like fried rice garnished with plenty of vegetables while introducing them to the reasons they should eat veggies.

As your children sight you performing activities like slicing and cutting of ingredients used in a healthy meal, they are learning and will inculcate such skills and food habits.

2. Lead by example:

Many adults have not outgrown their childhood days. They still love lollipops, chocolates, and other sugary food items usually consumed by children.

In doing this in the presence of their own children, they transfer the same habit of perpetual unhealthy eating to them.

Imagine each day you come back from work and you go straight to the refrigerator to pick a serving of fruits like watermelon or apple for a bite, your children might just say “Mummy I want one too”.

There should be a conscious effort to lead by example in order to help your child make healthier choices.

3. Include fruits in their snacks:

Snacks have now been seen as processed foods in the forms of confectioneries and baked foods only. In truth, they are not. Children can be taught to snack on fruits even at school once in a while.

Children love it sweet, creamy and sometimes crunchy. You can include fruits like banana, apple and golden melon as snacks for them.

You will be surprised they will love it and inculcate the habit of consuming such meals in the future.

Parents, you will be doing a lot of good for your children if you teach them about the need to consume healthier food options rather than indulging them in soft drinks and the likes all the time.

I am not saying children should not some baked snacks and the rest, however, there is a need to introduce to them healthier food options.

I know I am going to receive some bashing for this but I still want to write about this. I have seen people eat a lot of things in Nigeria, things that I sometimes cannot even touch with my hand. This is especially true when it comes to meat; Nigerians that eat them would tell you  “meat na meat” (meat is meat irrespective of the source). People eat pigeon all over the  world and I can’t even imagine eating birds like that. I’m not saying it’s bad but I just can’t eat it.

Unusual Things Eaten By Nigerians as Food

I thought long about these things that we eat in this part of the world but may be strange to people from other parts of the world – unless those in the farm settlements over there. Finally, I came up with this simple list of some foods that I think are really unconventional as foods but when I talked to some people, I deduced that unusual might end up being a matter of where you have lived and what you have been exposed to in life.

1. Snakes

Even the sight of these crawling creatures can make me come out of my skin. I simply don’t like seeing them and this makes me wonder why someone would eat snakes. Often when I see people go through a lot of trouble to kill a snake (mostly venomous), it just get me thinking – “what if they get bitten by this snake?”, “how big is even this snake?”. The stress is not just worth it.

In this world where everyone is very busy with work, it’s often very hard to make preparations for food at home. If you are fortunate enough to work in companies where lunch and tea breaks are traditions, you are very lucky. If you live in a place like Lagos where you have to wake up very early, leave for work around 5am and get back home around 10pm or late because of traffic jam, planning for your meals may really be a nightmare. But I am tell you this doesn’t have to be anymore.

In Nigeria today, a lot of startups are springing up to catter for many needs that we have in Nigeria. All we have to is just support them and help them grow in order to be able to take care of more people’s needs. A number of my friedns now have foods delivered to their offices and even homes to take care of their food needs. You don’t have to feed on the street foods and junks on your way to and from work while in traffic.

Websites You Can Order Food From In Nigeria

The rest of this post is going to be talking about online portals that provide the platform for you to find restaurants very close to you, to order foods that you want. You would be amazed that we have more than 5 of them now. When I had this discussion with someone, we actually counted 11.

In no particular order, the following are some of the websites where you can go to make food (and groceries) orders and have them delivered to your doorstep;

1. HelloFood

You can order food from HelloFood in many African countries, including Nigeria. All you need to do is to go online and find restaurants that deliver to your area and order your food. It is that simple. Hellofood is an online ordering marketplace where people can discover, choose and order from the widest gastronomic range available around their neighbourhood – online or from the mobile app.

You can visit their website by clicking on their name (used as title above).

2. Easy Appetite

Easy Appetite is integrated into the operations of all the restaurants who sign up to their service, allowing for a seamless order-to-delivery process. For the Easy Appetite user, it is a breezy Four-step system. You only have to follow those four steps in order to get the food delivered to you;

Go to their website, select your location. This is the location where you want the food delivered to and not where you are ordering from. You should see a list of restaurants now and you can make your choice from there. Order your meal and choose to pay either by card or cash.

The last step is for the food to be delivered to you. Just wait!

3. For Food Only – Online Food Delivery In Nigeria

The name reminds me of what we call someone that liked food too much back then in high school. “For Food Only” is not just an online food (groceries) delivery service in Nigeria. For Food Only offers mouthwatering and farm fresh Nigeria recipes and food of different varieties to customers looking for added benefits besides doorstep shipping facility.

If you are very busy and have no time to prepare food, they offer ready-made recipe with ingredients and products that you can cook in just a few minutes.

4. The Kitchen

The kitchen is an online food store that is dedicated to bringing awesome, delicious and well prepared meals on the go tailored to suit every individuals need. You can order various foods such as peppersoups, salads, sauces, soups, smoothies, etc. That is to tell you that you can get even the not-so-common foods there.

You can go to their website and see what they have got there.

5. CityChops.com

CityChops.com is a free online food ordering service that allows customers to choose from a variety of restaurants in Lagos and order meals for pick up or delivery. With times changing and the need for quick and simple solutions for the average Nigerian, CityChops.com allows you to order food from wherever you are.

From the comfort of your home, office or back seat of your car, 1) select a restaurant, 2) choose your meal, 3) decide whether you want it to be delivered or picked up and let CityChops do the rest! Users can search by location, cuisine, restaurant name or food item and they will filter your options for you. They allow you the flexibility to pay online or when your food arrives.

Here is a compilation of some foods. If you have eaten or seen any of the foods live before, you are probably around 28 years of age and that means you are already getting old. You don’t believe me? Try applying for the Nigerian Navy Direct Short Service Commission Course (DSSC).

1. Planta Margarine:

Just like many Nigerians would call every toothpaste Close-Up and every noodles Indomie, I still know of an elderly person that calls every margarine Planta. It’s really very funny how brands come and go into extinction when you consider the fact they dominated the market so much in their time. Now we have Blue Ban by Unilever dominating the market.

Other brands of margarines you can find in the Nigerian market are include Costa margarine, Moore margarine, Star margarine, and Topper margarine.

If you have ever seen this Planta margarine in real life or you have even tasted it before, you should consider leaving your father’s house. You are NO LONGER A KID.

2. Oxford Cabin Family Biscuit

Biscuit has never been something I would consider eating even when I am hungry but I know I have seen this pack before. This box usually contains 100 pcs of biscuit or thereabout. In primary school, it was what my classmates would bring to class with some drinks that you would seen on the next pages of this article. They wrap them in twos or more in paper and share in the class.

I never took one to school, not because I did not like biscuit but because my birthday always fell on a public holiday. It may continue to be a public holiday anyway.

It’s not just you – if you have you have eaten this before (just like me), you are already old. I hate to admit it too.

3. Krest Bitter Lemon – a soft drink

Krest bitter lemon is or was a carbonated soft drink flavoured with quinine and lemon. What did it taste like? Have you ever tasted Schweppes? If yes, then you know what Krest Bitter Lemon tasted like. I was even confusing it with the tonic water while putting this article together. What I am however sure of is that the signature bitter taste is produced by a combination of the quinine and the lemon pith used in manufacturing the drink.

The main difference between tonic water and bitter lemon is the addition of lemon juice and rind. If I got the comparison between the Krest bitter lemon and Schweppes wrong, then maybe I am not very old then.

You are very sure of what each tasted like? How is your last born doing?

4. Bongo Tea

I can’t remember if Bongo was a Cocoa beverage or Tea but I can remember it as a cocoa drink. Please correct me if I am wrong our older folks.

[Update] Orugert from the comment section said; Bongo is definitely not a chocolate beverage it’s a form of tea without the teabag, I think it’s more of tea leaves, you cut the satchet [sic], pour into a teapot and boil, and when pouring the tea you have to be careful so as not to pour it with dregs.

To tell you how long this product had gone into extinction, I could not find a picture for it. It was the best in its days with a very pleasant aroma and superb taste. This tea was popular in Nigeria and even beyond the shores of the country. It just did not stand the test of time and competition.

If I had a wish now, it would be that a pack of Bongo appears on my table for me to take the picture. That would be like stumbling upon an antique. It’s gonna be really expensive at the auction because I would make a big picture of it into a frame. Why am I writing all these? I hope it’s not old age.

Older folks who knew what was actually happening the said that importation of Bongo was halted due to what the importers called excessive import duties by the Nigerian government.

5. Robot and Bubble Chewing Gum

I ate a lot of chewing growing up. It’s probably one the reasons I have very bad teeth. Robot chewing gum and one called “Sprint” or “Spirit” were my favourites back then. I knew footballers chew gum when they played so I started chewing gum whenever I played football too.

There is this one that always came with questions inside the wrap of the gum. They were very interesting because they came with answers too. Funny how I knew this many chewing gums from back in the days but don’t know a single one in the market today. If you ate any of these back then, you are probably dyeing your hair to black now. Just kidding.

By the way, if any one still sees these chewing gums (Robot, Sprint or Spirit, Jenka and Bubble) in the market, please let me know.

6. Okin Biscuit (Coaster and Shortcake)

There are so many biscuits that have gone into extinction really. I can name a hundred of them that were so popular then but are not around any more. Okay, that was an “over exaggeration” but I can name 10 for you if you ask me. There was this Fishly, Alata, Malt n Milk, Okin Coaster, Shortcake, Paco biscuit, Glucose, and so on.

Kids of these days don’t even take biscuits to school any more. There are so many replacements. Many even just take money to school and buy whatever they want.

There are still so many foods that I can remember but don’t want to add because I don’t have pictures for them. There was pronto, Dr. Pepper, Tandi, Gold spot, Treebor, etc.

Whenever I stumble upon any of the relics, I promise to add them to this list and maybe one day, this would become a gigantic list of antiques.