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iPhone To Detect Bacteria That Cause Food Poisoning?

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 15 December, 2015
1 Comment on iPhone To Detect Bacteria That Cause Food Poisoning?

The next impressive medical application on the iPhone could be a be a $250 organic chemistry laboratory. Yes, that is like having a food analytical laboratory in your pocket. This is very interesting and to those who might be doubting the possibility, I have this to tell you. Applications like this have been developed in the past.

There have been medical applications used to screen for skin cancer, manage diabetes, prevent blindness, provide eye examinations. We have seen applications on iPhones used to diagnose sleep apnea and even bipolar episodes. Isn’t this cool?

So, What’s Up With iPhone Being Able To Prevent Food Poisoning?

It will interest you to know that 6SensorLabs already has a device that can detect whether a food is truly gluten-free. This you can do using a smartphone.

The Nima from 6SensorLabs is an organic-chemistry lab small enough to carry in your pocket. Right now it is only good for one thing: detecting gluten in foods at minuscule concentrations, as little as 20 parts per million, the FDA’s threshold for declaring a food “gluten-free.”

The company says that this could be just the start, with future versions able to detect the bacteria that cause food poisoning.

In the future, says 6SensorLabs co-founder and Chief Executive Shireen Yates, it could be adapted to recognize all manner of proteins—including ones that would allow it to recognize bacterial contaminants such as E. coli and salmonella.

SCiO from Consumer Physics of Israel says that it’s possible that its camera-based technology – used to identify substances by measuring the spectrum of light they reflect – could even be built into future smartphones. Via: [9to5Mac]

So, would you pay to get this application?

Knowledgebase

Tips For Keeping Tomatoes Fresh For Longer

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 14 December, 2015
No Comments on Tips For Keeping Tomatoes Fresh For Longer

Some people don’t like buying tomatoes and keeping because of the damages they are susceptible to. Yes, when you buy almost or fully ripe tomatoes, they will get spoilt in no time if you don’t keep them appropriately. So, how do you keep your tomatoes to keep them fresh for a longer period?

How To Store Tomatoes To Keep Them Fresh

At this point, I know some people would say, “just keep it in the refrigerator”. No! In fact, I would say that is one of the worst ways to store ripe tomatoes. Remember that we also mention them as one of the foods you should not keep in the freezer.

You should only store tomatoes that are not ripe (green) in the refrigerator. When you keep tomatoes that are ripe in there, the low temperature halts tomatoes’ flavor-producing enzyme activity. Tomatoes stored in the refrigerator also end up with poor flavor development, coloration, and mealy texture.

RECOMMENDED : How Deteriorating Tomatoes Can Land You In The Hospital

Tomatoes need to stay at room temperature (even the almost ripe ones), out of direct sunlight. It is also advised that you should store them stem side down while for a number of reasons.

Why Should You Store Tomatoes Stem End Down?

Simple, to make them last longer. Storing a tomato stem-end down (room temperature is best) prevents air from entering and moisture from exiting its scar, prolonging shelf life. So, now you know. Share this with your friends on Social Media.

ALSO SEE: How To Make A Delicious / Nutritious Tomato Bread

Tags Tomato

Food & Health

Why Shawarma Is One Of The Most Nutritious Snacks And Yet Shouldn’t Indulge In It

Post author By Oladipupo Abioye
Post date 14 December, 2015
No Comments on Why Shawarma Is One Of The Most Nutritious Snacks And Yet Shouldn’t Indulge In It

The sales of Shawarma has taken over most of the streets within Lagos, Abuja, Port Hacourt and some other state capitals within Nigeria. At first the consumption of Shawarma was commonly observed among the elites but at the moment, you can easily find Shawarma sales outlets very close to you even in places you least expect. Guess what? They can be deliciously made any where. What determines how tasty it is are the ingredients and the culinary skills of the chef. The major types of Shawarma are the beef and chicken.

Nigerians love snacking and while we were in the hunt for a major snack that we can enjoy any day and any time, the ones we see on daily basis like meat pie, scotch egg, sausage and others do not seem to appeal to us again. Immediately the Shawarma snack was introduce to us, particularly those of us who fall slightly above the low income earners, the acceptance could not but grow exponentially because it is the exact form of snack Nigerians have been craving for.

The ingredients used in making Shawarma are not only numerous but are also of good sources of nutrients. For a lot of people, Shawarma provides the opportunity for them to consume some amount of vegetables which had been embedded in the snack.

In the context of a snack that contains adequate amount of protein (beef or chicken), fats ( The oil used), carbohydrates ( pita bread), vitamins and minerals (carrot , lettuce, onions etc) among other food items, one can confidently say there are only few snacks that can stand the nutrition that Shawarma has in stock.

Having said that, it is quite important to note that anyone who indulges excessively in Shawarma consumption stands a chance to become overweight or even obese as the snack is of high calorie based on the ingredients and the average size of one serving. With this high calorie value, it could also spike sugar level.

One of such ways to enjoy the snack without the fear of high calorie is to share with a friend or your siblings. That way, you have avoided funneling about 1000kcal out of the recommended 1900-2000kcal/day for an adult. Remember, it is meant to be a snack and most likely, you will be consuming other meals that will add to your calorie and eventually increase your weight wish if not properly controlled might result into serious health conditions.

Food Recipes

How To Make Tiger Nut Milk

Post author By Oladipupo Abioye
Post date 12 December, 2015
No Comments on How To Make Tiger Nut Milk

Just recently I wrote on the health and nutritional benefits of consuming tiger nut as a snack. When I share the article with some of my friends, a few of them complained that they do not like the tiger tubers because of the chaff. Having heard this from them, this prompted to write on how to make tiger nut milk; an alternative which helps you benefit from the nuts…I mean tubers.

Tiger nut milk is a healthy non dairy alternative for vegetarians. Many of them stick with soy milk and coconut milk not knowing that tiger nut milk even possess more nutritional benefits. Asides being healthy, the drink is also delicious. In this short post, you will see simple steps on how to make tiger nut milk in your kitchen.

Equipments Needed For Making Tiger Nut Milk

A powerful blender
Muslin clothe
A plastic container with lid

Instructions For Preparing Tiger Nut

Properly wash the raw tiger nuts in running water until very clean. 1kg of the tubers will be enough to make tiger nut milk for a family of five.
Pour the clean tiger nuts into a plastic container and add enough water to cover the tubers up and place the lid over it.
Place the container in a refrigerator for 48hrs. You could decide to keep it for 72hours. The longer you allowed the tubers absolve water and soften, the better. The reason for keeping in the refrigerator is to avoid fermentation of the tubers which will alter the taste.
After 48hrs, collect the container, strain water away and remove the deteriorated tubers. Wash properly again under running water.
Pour the tiger nuts into a powerful blender and add enough water that will allow the blades to move and blend the tubers. You could add more water in this process to obtain your preferred consistency.
Pour the thick solution over a muslin clothe and completely strain out the milk. You could add more water to the chaff in order to strain out more milk.
Add other ingredients to it based on your preference. I personally love to enjoy the natural and refreshing taste. Keep in the refrigerator or add some ice and enjoy.

If you do try this recipe, please do not forget to share with us the outcome. We would be glad to hear from you.

Tags Tiger Nut

Food Recipes

Learn How To Make Spicy Banana Chips At Home

Post author By Oladipupo Abioye
Post date 10 December, 2015
No Comments on Learn How To Make Spicy Banana Chips At Home

I have always supported the idea of home made snacks more than the regular processed snacks sold in many grocery stores. One of such snacks is banana chips especially when it is well made. Children and middle aged people would love it. Plantain chips seem to be more common here in Nigeria but the very first time I tasted banana chip, it became love at first bite.

Ingredients For Making Spicy Banana Chips

Three big size, semi ripe fingers of banana
A table spoon of lemon juice
Water
Salt ( Optional)
Butter or non sticky cooking spray

Equipment Needed

Knife
Oven
Foil paper

Instructions For Making Baked Banana Chips Is Made

The process involved is quite simple and you could involve your teenage children in the process of making banana chips. It is as follows;

Peel you banana fingers one after the other. Mean while, as you are performing this activity, pull out the tray in the oven and set it to a temperature of between 180-200F.
Slice them into tiny pieces (1/8inch) in a slanting vertical version and set aside.
Pour a table spoon of lemon juice into about 50cl of water, add a dash of salt, mix well and submerge the sliced banana into the solution and take out immediately. Do not do all at once, do it in batches and set aside
Cover the tray with a foil paper and rub slightly with butter or spray with a non sticky cooking spray to avoid sticking.
Carefully place the sliced banana on it one after the other and return to the heated oven.
Keep in the oven for 80mins and check. Turn slices, once they are in your preferred baked colour and place in oven for another 30mins. Do not forget to check at 20 min mark to avoid over burnt bananas.
Fetch them out of the oven once they are ready and air dry. The longer you air dry them, the crispier they are.
Once they are dry enough, keep in air dry container.

Your crispy baked banana chips are ready for consumption. The good thing about this is that they can be included and portioned out as snacks for your children when going to school. It is healthier than the sweetened ones sold in supermarkets and not difficult to make.

When you do try this, do not forget to get back to us.

Tags Baking, Banana

Food & Nutrition

Debunking The Myth On Catfish: Good Source Of Healthy Protein

Post author By Oluwafemi Ajayi
Post date 8 December, 2015
No Comments on Debunking The Myth On Catfish: Good Source Of Healthy Protein

At a time in Nigeria, the consumption of fish was generally low as people will prefer to eat meat products. Gradually, as the proliferation of the production of fresh fish began to find its way into the economy of our nation, we started to witness geometric growth in the consumption of fresh fish and an obvious decline in the number of those who patronize imported frozen fish based on the many options of freshly processed fish that stare the consumers in the face.

In the light of meat consumption causing increase in many diseases particularly those that concerns the heart, it remains quite a healthy choice to substitute meat for fish in some our meals.

Catfish and Its Nutritional Benefits

Catfish is a group of slippery skinned fish usually with large head. In Nigeria, the very common type is Clarias gariepinus which is sold in all popular joints and food outlets within major cities in Nigeria. It has become a delicious meal for people who are lovers of fish.

One interesting attribute of catfish is that it supplies enough amino acid and helps in developing your muscles. According to some authors, the protein in catfish is described as complete protein. Also, there is no better and easier way to boost your intake of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acid; a combination of nutrients that boost your heart condition and play an important part in your body’s health.

Asides the high protein content, catfish supplies good amount of vitamin B12 which is a critical for improved health. It is also low in mercury; a mineral that affect the nervous system and had been found to cause birth defect in some pregnant women at child birth.

Why Would Catfish Be Labelled Toxic?

In some articles, the consumption of catfish and other farm raised fish have been labelled toxic due to the pesticides and antibiotics levels but this is completely untrue as the quantity of these items used during the raising of the fish is completely negligible and have not been found to cause any health damage. The recent report spreading through the internet, claiming catfish is unhealthy and toxic is very laughable and holds no water.

The proponents of this claim are propagating this information based on researched carried out on fish reared in the US. Although, I still have some doubts on their claims but it is outrightly erroneous to conclude that all cat fish raised in other parts of the world are toxic based on those raised in the US.

Also, some food and nutrition writers have have condemned consumption of farm-raised catfish and have reported that the farm raised catfish have no nutrient compared to those caught in natural waters. While this can be true in a way, the argument is not enough reason to label them toxic as most meat products are farm raised and not caught in the wild.

Catfish pepper soup is a sure healthy food to eat any day, any time especially when garnished with ginger, garlic, onions and other natural ingredients that will improve not just the taste and flavour but the nutrient level. In this December period, do not forget to get some servings of home made catfish pepper soup.

Tags Catfish, Omega-3

Food & Body Food & Nutrition

The Way Tangerine Benefits Our Body May Surprise You

Post author By Oladipupo Abioye
Post date 7 December, 2015
No Comments on The Way Tangerine Benefits Our Body May Surprise You

I cannot but remember those days as a primary school pupil, most of my friends would always preferred tangerines over the regular oranges because it can be easily shared among friends. We all loved to consume the seeded fruit without knowing the benefits.

When the season of tangerine is here, you start seeing every road side fruit seller displaying some of this nutrient loaded fruit that has the capacity to put you on the path of good living. Although, tangerine and the common orange have similarities in shape and size, it is important to note that they have some differences in their nutrition profile.

In this short post, I will be sharing with you some of the two major reasons you should consume adequate amount of this juicy fruit this season.

FIBRE:

While many families place emphasis on consuming adequate amount of protein and carbohydrate, very few individuals have deemed it healthy to consume some servings of fibre on daily basis. Tangerine is one of those fruits that is rich in fibre; a special type of carbohydrate that is not converted to sugar.

Fibre helps you avoid constipation, can be used in weight management and reduces cholesterol levels. What makes tangerine a healthy choice for me is that I find it easier to consume the whole fruit with the fibre than the common oranges. It also has the advantage of being easy to consume by children.

NEXP PAGE [2] : Tangerine and Skin Beauty…

Food & Health

Is Consuming Noodles Really Unhealthy As Portrayed? See The Truth In Black And White

Post author By Oladipupo Abioye
Post date 7 December, 2015
No Comments on Is Consuming Noodles Really Unhealthy As Portrayed? See The Truth In Black And White

A lady recently asked me a question about noodles and how healthy it is to be consumed by children and pregnant women. She further stressed that everyone around her feels she is doing herself a great harm anytime they see her eat the spiral tangled looking food. This is definitely not the first time I am hearing this information. It is gradually crippling into family discussions and the argument had always been whether it is a good food to eat without causing any major health damage to our body system.

In fact, last week, a colleague of mine who just returned from a symposium informed me that one of the speakers who is a health expert claimed that noodles should not be served to children with special needs as it causes major health complications from indigestion to poor memory. Many of these labelings are out there on the internet and spreading like wide fire.

The real questions are; Are noodles actually in the fore front of causing cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity as people have painted it to look like? or Is this just a plot from business killer within Nigerian to damage the reputation of the leading noodles manufacturing company? or is the information just a regular rumour without a substantial fact to buttress it? These I gave a deep thought and I have decided to unravel the real truth.

It is a known fact that noodles are a group of highly processed foods, containing high amount of sodium and due to its processing levels; contains low amount of nutrients. However, it is completely untrue and there are no known establish facts on how consumption of this type of food had single handedly caused ill medical conditions in human. My questions to the proponent of “Noodles is harmful” is what level of health damage has consumption of noodles caused in countries such as China and Korea where it is highest.

The Argument That Noodles Is A Top Concern In Obesity

The argument that Noodles is also a leading cause of obesity does not hold waters. In Nigeria and anywhere around the world, Obesity is usually caused due to consistent and sometimes glutonic consumption of foods high carbohydrate and fat without caution except in the cases of those who are genetically obese. In this scenario, if you are of the opinion that Noodle causes Obesity…..then you should probably stop consuming spaghetti, wheat and other high carbohydrate products.

I rarely consume Noodles because it is a processed food but I have never tried picking out this “quick to prepare food” as the only bad egg amidst plenty rotten ones. Consumption of noodles is not as bad as many articles portray it. Including some amount of noodles into your weekly diet will definitely not do you any harm. If you feel noodle will make you obese, it is better you start portion control and stop eating the family size quantity and if you feel noodles are void of nutrients based on its processing level, you should consider adding some vegetables to it during cooking to raise the nutrient level. I bet you would enjoy it even more

Just like any other food products; even fruits and vegetables, consistent excessive consumption will definitely harm your body. Its is advisable to limit your consumption of noodles to acceptable levels.

I work with children with special needs and the nutrition team which I belong to, over the years had occasionally included noodles into the diets of some of our children without noticing any ill health change. In fact there had been improvement which can only be attributed to the collection of foods included in their diets.

If we must label any food as completely unhealthy…….we must present scientific facts from trusted sources to establish our claims.

Who Dished It Best

Cooked Spaghetti: Who Dished It Best?

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 3 December, 2015
1 Comment on Cooked Spaghetti: Who Dished It Best?

Spaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical, solid pasta. Just like other pasta, spaghetti is made of milled wheat and water. Italian spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina, but elsewhere it may be made with other kinds of flour.

Cooked Spaghetti: Who Dished It Best?

So here are some pictures of prepared and dished Spaghetti by @helenaoflydia , @nurarifah_asuan, @insta__sai and @binemut.

Who dished it best? Which one would you like to eat?

Knowledgebase

4 Foods You Should Not Keep In The Freezer

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 24 November, 2015
1 Comment on 4 Foods You Should Not Keep In The Freezer

There are just some foods you should not keep in the freezer. I have friends that think the only way to keep the leftover of foods is by putting them in the freezer. God, this always makes me sick and I try every time to correct them but it just keeps repeating itself.

From bread to fruits, vegetables, and soups, they keep anything that remains of those foods in the freezer. Yes, I know cold storage is an effective way to keep and preserve foods to last longer but I can tell you it is not suitable for every type of food.

In this article, you will see some food materials you should not freeze or even refrigerate. You will also get to know the reasons why you should not freeze them.

Foods You Should Not Keep In The Freezer And Why

Onions:

Placing uncut onions in the refrigerator makes them mushy and soggy by the time you take them out. When you remove the peel, you see that there is only one thing such onion is good for — bleeding with other types of foods.

You can no longer slice and dice such onions into foods because they would have lost their traditional colour (they have different colours). So, it’s best to keep your onions in an open, cool and dry place.

Watermelon:

It’s really an unpleasant sight when you bring a frozen watermelon out of the freezer. Apart from the fact that it no longer looks good, the flesh becomes fibrous and not easy to bite.

If you have ever tried eating a frozen watermelon that was thawed, you would know that such watermelon loses its kind of crunchy texture. They become fibrous and tough in the mouth. Also, research has shown that keeping them at room temperature might even help preserve the antioxidants present.

Tomatoes:

One of the things freezing does to your tomatoes is to damage its tissues — just like it does to many other foods. The only way most foods can be kept frozen is by using a rapid and uninterrupted freezing process.

When you freeze your whole tomatoes and bring it outside, what you have is nothing more than the juice and flesh of the tomatoes with the skin peeling off. You can no longer slice this kind of tomatoes. All you can now do is to blend with other foods.

Potatoes:

You cannot put potatoes in the freezer for more than one reason. You should not even refrigerate your potatoes because the cold temperature makes them develop a sweet taste to the level that it becomes unpleasant.

This happens due to the conversion of starch in the potatoes to sugar. This increase in sugar will cause potatoes to darken when cooked. It is usually recommended to let your refrigerated potatoes cool totally — if you refrigerate them before you cook them. This will help reduce the level of discolouration.

Even though freezing damages some food materials, its benefits outweighs those damages caused. If you still want your food to remain safe to eat over a long period, then freezing is a very good option.

Tags Onions, Potatoes, Tomato, Watermelon

Food & Nutrition

Unbelievable Nutritional Benefits Of Eating Tiger Nuts (Ofio)

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 23 November, 2015
7 Comments on Unbelievable Nutritional Benefits Of Eating Tiger Nuts (Ofio)

Popularly called ‘Ofio’ by the Yorubas, ‘Aya’ by the Hausas; and Imumu by the Igbos, this Nigerian snack has not been seen as a highly nutritious food item and so had been abandoned only to be consumed by the locals. In fact, in my societies in Nigeria, tiger nut is only seen as snacks for the northerners, they do not have any believe that the small round shape tuber could be loaded with health benefits.

The consumption of this tuber is not only peculiar to Nigeria or West Africa. Tiger nuts tubers constitute diets of many people in North Africa and Spain. It is know to be eaten in its natural form in North Africa while the tubers are consumed as a drink called chufa in Spain.

Nutritional Benefits Of Tiger Nuts

Very few snacks are loaded with higher amount of fibre as much as tiger nuts. The nutritional benefits of tiger nut include a higher fibre content than even that of carrots, oat bran, cabbage and Chia seeds. You all know why we need to include a good and healthy amount of fibre in our daily diet. In serious cases of constipation, fibre helps on easing up stooling. Also, because fibre helps in filling one’s stomach quickly, this snack can be used in weight management.

There is wide spread believe and some forms of evidence that the consumption of tiger nuts by nursing mothers can actually boost the production of breast milk which can help in feeding their babies. In some communities, the tiger nut is used in the production of a local drink called kunun Aya, which can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of your age bracket including nursing mums. The milk-like drink also contains Vitamin E which is critical for improved fertility in both Men and Women. The vitamin is also used in cosmetic industry has it has the capacity to prevent ageing.

More Health & Nutritional Benefits of Tiger Nut

Bananas and potatoes had always been seen as the almighty foods in the supply of high amount of potassium to the body. It will surprise you to know that tiger nuts supply more potassium than banana. Consuming about 25 pieces of the nuts gives the body 139 mg of potassium which is at the same level as a potato or an avocado.

The tuber also play an important role in the lives of the Chinese. Tiger nut milk is used as a liver tonic, heart stimulant. The milk is consumed to heal serious stomach pain, to promote normal menstruation, to heal mouth and gum ulcer and is a powerful aphrodisiac (s£xual stimulant).

Protein is usually known to be high in animal food sources. However, tiger nuts supply an impressive non animal protein which can be used as a good substitute particularly for those who do not have access to animal protein. Protein is essential for the proper growth, repair and development of the entire body. It is also important to note that the tubers contains numerous antioxidants that help fight free radicals

We can keep on enumerating the numerous nutritional benefits of this tiger nut tuber. Tiger nuts are healthy to consume.

How To

How To Make Crystal-Clear Ice Cubes At Home

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 23 November, 2015
No Comments on How To Make Crystal-Clear Ice Cubes At Home

Making ice cubes that are crystal clear is just a matter of fun. There is nothing wrong with cloudy or opaque ice cubes and they both achieve the same purposes. This post is just for your information and if you run a bar and use ice cubes, you could use this to mesmerize your customers.

This article is not going to be long because the process is not long and there is no big deal in making clear ice cubes. We will only explain why some ice cubes are clear and why many are usually cloudy. Then we share with you the steps for making clear Ice cubes.

I’ve been at some expensive bars where they use clear ice cubes. I once asked one of them and they told me they use an ice-making machine. I knew this machine works using a principle and this might be applicable. I started asking questions and I got this very simple answer.

Why Many Ice Cubes Are Cloudy And Whitish

When you make ice cubes from tap water, they come out opaque. This is because you are using water that contains dissolved gases and minerals. When you use bottled water that had been purified using reverse osmosis or distillation, you can get clear ice cubes.

But it doesn’t have to be this complicated. Simple boiling can help achieve that.

Trick For Making Clear Ice Cubes

To make crystal-clear ice cubes with tap water, boil the water to remove most of the dissolved air. Let the water cool in the boiler and then heat it over again to boiling point.

After boiling the second time, let the water cool slightly, then pour it into your ice cube tray and put it in my freezer. Allow it to freeze.

You should get your ice cubes clear, just the way you want it.

You can try it out and share your them with us in pictures.

Kitchen

5 Must-Have Kitchen Appliances And Utensils

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 22 November, 2015
No Comments on 5 Must-Have Kitchen Appliances And Utensils

I called this kitchen utensils and appliances must-have because I believe your kitchen is not complete and modern without them. There are several unit operations we perform in the kitchen that waste our time in the kitchen and also make the cooking process tedious and monotonous. This is the reason many people often run away from cooking.

Imagine that you feel like eating fresh fries or potato chips with tomato ketchup after a hard day’s work. The thought of having to peel and slice tomatoes into fingers alone can put you off and settle for garri and groundnut. This does not have to be so, having a kitchen “tool” like this Potato Chipper (pictured below) can make life easier.

It gives you the chips from a potato root all at once. You don’t have to use your knife to start slicing. This will take a lot of your time. You will see utensils and appliances like this in this article.

Kitchen Appliances And Utensils You Must Have

Here are all the appliances and utensils I believe every kitchen should have. If your kitchen is missing one, you should find a way to get it.

1. Cutting/Dicing Board

In one of our articles in the past, we gave reasons why we feel you should stop slicing your vegetables in the market. Apart from the fact that it is unhygienic, you lose some of the nutrients before you get home. Getting your own cutting board is the best practice.

I did a search on JUMIA and KONGA looking for cutting boards that I can recommend but The prices I saw was surprising. I saw boards costing N4,500 upwards. I kept searching and eventually got a relatively very cheap wooden one. You can check it out right here. Plastic ones are cheaper.

2. Rice Cooker

Rice cooker is a must-have for every modern kitchen. With a rice cooker, you can cook rice in minutes lesser than that you would normally spend using a stove and pot. I don’t know if my next point is applicable to all rice cookers but I know of a Phillips Rice Cooker that switches automatically to a “keep warm” mode to keep your rice warm for another 12 hours. isn’t that cool?

The Phillips Rice Cooker I mentioned above can be found here. You can check it out there. It is more expensive than brands such as Binatone and AKAI Rice Cooker. You can click on their respective links to check them out. Check their volume to know the quantity of rice they will contain before buying them. Don’t just look at price alone.

3. Digital Air Fryer

I spoke to some people about this recently and I was surprised many had not heard about the Air Fryer until that point. What does this kitchen appliance do? Simple! It uses 80% less oil compared to normal and deep-fat frying, thereby producing a healthier fried food.

If you have read our article on dangers of Trans Fats and foods you would find trans fats in, we mentioned deep-fat fried foods. Apart from the fact that you use way less oil every time you need to fry, it also provides you with healthy fried foods.

You can check out some of the popular brands of Air Food Fryers below;

4. Food Processors

One cannot overemphasize the importance the importance of Food Processors in a modern kitchen. I followed the instructions in an article on how to use blender to make Poudo yam at home and got a nice Poudo yam. I got an even better Poudo yam when a Food Processor was used.

You can use food processors for several foods and to prepare several ingredients in your kitchen. For example, if you want to make Kuli-kuli, you need a processor to make the groundnuts into paste. Food processors are also used to grind meat, make flour from whole grains and many more.

You can get some of the cheapest food processors by clicking here.

5. Microwave Oven

Someone argued with me that he could always reheat or warm his foods the old way of using a pot and a stove and enjoy it. he even said the like the flavor that comes with it because the bottom of the food gets burnt. Well, making food burn has health implications.

After he said this, I asked him asked him a question he was never able to answer. What if one needs to make his bread hot or warm to make margarine or butter melt on it? Do you use your conventional pot and stove?

What if you bought a food in a pack and it gets cold before you got home? Some of us don’t like food turned inside a pot and mix everything together while heating it. A microwave lets you heat your food in the microwavable plastic container.

You can get some good deals on microwave ovens here. You can get really cheap ones. I bought my microwave oven last year on Black Friday on Jumia. Konga.com also has launched their page for the 2015 Black Friday Yakata Sales. You can get up to 90% discount on various products (not just kitchen appliances) on that day.

Make your kitchen modern and make life easier for yourself by getting some of these appliances and utensils if you don’t have them in your kitchen.

Knowledgebase

6 Food Ingredients That Will Never Get Spoilt

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 22 November, 2015
No Comments on 6 Food Ingredients That Will Never Get Spoilt

I am one of those people that always say “Never Say Never”. So, let me do a little adjustment to the title of that post right here. Let’s just call it a list of foods that almost never get spoilt. Many of them will last forever if you leave for that long. The list contains some obvious ones to some that you will find unbelievable.

6 Food Ingredients That Almost Never Get Spoilt

Okay now, let us get to business and share some of these with you. Of course, the list is not exhaustive, so you can share anyone you know with us using the comment box below.

1. White Rice

We cook white rice as it is and eat with several sauces and stews. We also cook food such as Jollof Rice, Fried Rice and many more, using white rice as the major ingredient. It might interest you to know that this white rice might never ever get spoilt.

If you keep white rice in an in a sealed container kept in a cool, dry place, it will not get spoilt. This is unlike brown rice that can go rancid because of the fat content.

2. Vinegar

When the idea of Vinegar came to my mind, I did some search about it and I saw an article that wrote about Vinegar. Somewhere on the page, the author wrote — Vinegar Expiry Date: Never.

Well, this is true because it has been reported that white distilled vinegar won’t taste any different on the first day of production or 7-10 years from now. Other kinds of Vinegar last a long long time too but often lose some of their taste after a few years.

3. Wine & Alcohol

Yeah, that sounds a bit more like repetition because wine contains alcohol. I did this just to separate them because the foods people add the wine and pure alcohol to are different. There are several soups people add wine to just to improve the taste.

Most strong alcohol like vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, tequila will remain drinkable forever, even after they have been opened. I found a bottle of Vodka that has been in my apartment for over 5 years when packing out of the apartment. Those that tasted it said it tasted just like new.

4. Pure Vanilla Extract

This is a very common baking ingredient. Pure vanilla is a baking ingredient that does not get spoilt. The secret to the longevity of pure Vanilla extract is that it contains a considerable amount of alcohol. And did I mention why alcohol is used as preservatives for foods? No!

Alcohol makes any environment inhabitable for most spoilage microorganisms and many microorganisms in general. Often, it kills them. It’s the reason the nurse wipes the area they want to inject before injecting you — to get rid of microbes around.

5. Honey

Yes, the same honey that you are thinking about. So honey doesn’t get spoilt? Experts say even thousands-of-years-old honey found in ancient Egyptian ruins is still edible.

If honey is left somewhere untouched, after a while, it dries out and crystallizes. When you need to eat this honey or use it as an ingredient in a food, all you have to do is reheat to restore its viscous liquid consistency.

Finally, let us share this note of caution. This post is just for your information and does not recommend that you consume a product after years of keeping it. You might think you have a similar pure product but the manufacturers might have added some other ingredients.

For example, your honey might be fake or adulterated. See how to detect fake and adulterated honey here.

So, the best thing to do is to check the expire date printed on the label by the manufacturer. They probably already added something and also considered that you might not store those food ingredients properly. These factors and more con contribute to food spoilage.

ALSO SEE: Differences Between Expiry Date and Best Before Date

General

Trans Fats, Foods High In Them And Their Dangers

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 22 November, 2015
No Comments on Trans Fats, Foods High In Them And Their Dangers

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.

Food & Body

List of Some High-Antioxidant Healthy Foods

Post author By Ahmed Ogundimu
Post date 19 November, 2015
1 Comment on List of Some High-Antioxidant Healthy Foods

If you care about your health and watch what you eat, you definitely must have heard about Antioxidant-rich foods before. If you have never hear about this, you will know what Antioxidant foods are by the time you are done reading this article.

What Is Antioxidant?

Antioxidants help our body by protecting against the damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals. Free radicals enter our body every day as by-products of normal metabolic processes in our body, through pollutants from the environment and when the body breaks down some drugs in our body.

The damages cause by these free radicals are believed to lead to the development of such conditions as blood vessel disease (atherosclerosis), cancer, and some other conditions.

Now that you know what antioxidant is, how our body gets free radicals every day and the dangers of free radicals, doesn’t it make sense for you to want to know about “antioxidant foods” and add them to your diet?

List of Foods High In Antioxidant

A research carried out by USDA scientists analyzed the antioxidant levels in more than 100 different foods. The foods under consideration were tested for antioxidant concentration and their antioxidant capacity per serving size. They foods were then ranked in the order of antioxidant capacity per serving size as follows.

Rank	Food item	Serving size	Total antioxidant capacity per serving size
1	Small Red Bean (dried)	Half cup	13,727
2	Wild blueberry	1 cup	13,427
3	Red kidney bean (dried)	Half cup	13,259
4	Pinto bean	Half cup	11,864
5	Blueberry (cultivated)	1 cup	9,019
6	Cranberry	1 cup (whole)	8,983
7	Artichoke (cooked)	1 cup (hearts)	7,904
8	Blackberry	1 cup	7,701
9	Prune	Half cup	7,291
10	Raspberry	1 cup	6,058
11	Strawberry	1 cup	5,938
12	Red Delicious apple	1 whole	5,900
13	Granny Smith apple	1 whole	5,381
14	Pecan	1 ounce	5,095
15	Sweet cherry	1 cup	4,873
16	Black plum	1 whole	4,844
17	Russet potato (cooked)	1 whole	4,649
18	Black bean (dried)	Half cup	4,181
19	Plum	1 whole	4,118
20	Gala apple	1 whole	3,903

Table Source: WebMD

The result of the research also correlates with the work of Researchers at the University of Oslo, which tested 1,113 common foods for their antioxidant concentrations. They basically have about the same foods in their top 20. In their own result, One cup of blackberries contained the most antioxidants of all the berries tested.

This table does not necessarily mean that you will get the most antioxidants from dried Small Red Bean and the least from Gala Apple. No. This is because, the amount of the antioxidants useful to your body depends on how the food’s antioxidants are absorbed by the body.

Conclusively, this table will be very useful for anyone who wants to increase their antioxidant intake. Adding any or some of these high-antioxidant foods on the list to your diet will help you achieve that.

Tags Antioxidants