I have been trying to eat healthy for a little bit and I'm always up for switching calorie-dense Nigerian staples for healthier alternatives.

One nice substitute is using spaghetti squash instead of Abacha (shredded cassava) in preparing African salad.

African Salad with Abacha:

[img]http://1.bp..com/-2u0P36p9WYA/T3oC64NNtuI/AAAAAAAAADQ/HzyCGiErtzg/s1600/abacha.jpg[/img]


Spaghetti Squash:

[img]http://sweetlyvegan.files./2012/01/baked-spaghetti-squash-garlic-butter-4564.jpg[/img]


Spaghetti Squash (cooked and scraped):





1 cup of cassava (in our case, Abacha) runs high at about 330 calories. 1 cup of spaghetti squash on the other hand is only 40 calories. A whole squash has only 160 calories and is very filling. It has a slightly nutty taste and is somewhat starchy/crunchy. It also absorbs the flavors and aromas that you mix so people may not tell the difference when your salad is ready.

This may not be widely available in Nigeria but for those in the diaspora this is a good catch.

I cook mine in two ways. I either boil the whole fruit for an hour(after making one or two piercings past the skin to give it air). Or, I split the fruit in half, scrape off the seeds, and bake in an oven for 1 1/2 hours.

This recipe is also a nice alternative to spaghetti.

For "fufu" sides I am yet to find anything less caloric than plantain fufu.

I mean pounded plantain in this instance (i.e. not from the flour).

This is more of a Ghanaian staple than Nigerian, but I think that Nigerians should include this more often as a side dish if their health (and waste lines) are of concern.

It is rich in potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C.

It also has about 230 calories a cup (pounded), much lower than any cassava/yam equivalent.

Please feel free to add any healthy alternatives that you know of.

I substitute Oatfufu for all kinds of "fufu". Blend 2-3 containers of raw oats in a dry blender and set aside. When I'm ready to eat, sometimes I mix a little 100% wheat semolina or dry pounded yam or nothing with the blended oats and stir. It's way healthier and less caloric than eating a bowl of "fufu". Pounded yam leaves me tired and sleepy! Haha.

Another substitute for red oil is tatashe. Palm Oils contain crazy calories. I learned from my Ex-boss's wife that she uses red bell pepper to make brown beans, okro and egusi without oil. I tried it and found it manageable too especially forthose on a strict diet.

The plantain dish is a good one. The best way to go about this is to use unriped plantain (green plantain).

First boil the plantain.
Secondly, blend the plantain, make it's as smooth as possible.
Thirdly, pour it in a pot and put the pot on the stove/burner.
Stir with a wooden spoon till it's got the "fufu" texture.

Hi
I would like you to please take the time to complete this Consumer Assessment Questionnaire on a South-Eastern originated meal, Abacha (African Salad). If you would like to, please click the link below. It is a secure google link and so you don't have to worry about it being an internet risk.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ucJQr9GTTikm7ewQQilBOrAGlSuO7Z3Ed4C0VV9K6Uw/viewform?usp=send_form

This questionnaire is conducted as part of a wider research. All responses are confidential and all respondents are kept anonymous. The feedback from this research shall not be disclosed to any third party but for the specific purpose of this research work.

Thank you.