Nutritionists have advised Nigerians to turn to more affordable alternatives, such as crayfish, beans, and edible insects, as the soaring prices of animal protein continue to strain household budgets.
They explained that while fish, meat, and eggs are becoming unaffordable for many families, locally available options can provide similar nutritional benefits at lower costs.
They stressed that incorporating affordable protein substitutes into daily meals could help prevent malnutrition and other diet-related illnesses.
The experts suggested the alternatives, as many families are cutting down on meat, fish, and eggs due to rising costs and food inflation. Findings by PUNCH Healthwise show that a kilogram of cow meat now costs between N7,000 to N8,000, while goat meat goes for N9,000 to N10,000 depending on the area.
Also, a crate of eggs sells around N6,000 to N6,500, while prices of fish range from N3,000 to N7,000 depending on the type per kilogram. Also, several types of chicken and turkey are sold from N3,000 to N8,000 per kilogram.
However, with the shrinking purchasing power of Nigerians, the nutritionists urged Nigerians to embrace traditional food sources that are rich in protein but often overlooked.
They noted that with proper awareness and dietary education, families can maintain healthy diets without being crippled by the high cost of conventional animal protein.
Speaking in an interview with PUNCH Healthwise, a former President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Prof. Wasiu Afolabi, urged Nigerians to adopt cheaper but highly nutritious alternatives to animal protein to maintain healthy diets despite economic challenges.
The nutrition expert noted that while many households now struggle to afford conventional protein sources like beef, chicken, or fish, there are accessible and affordable substitutes that can help prevent malnutrition.
According to him, Nigerians have a long history of consuming certain insects that are rich in protein, although such practices are fading with younger generations.
“Now, as for cooking, there are alternatives. These include beans, soybeans—which can be processed—and also some unconventional protein sources, such as edible insects.
“There are several insects we used to consume that are rich in protein. There are also toads, which are edible proteins, though I don’t know if they are still easily available because some of them have become expensive. People can also eat snails and other small protein sources,” he said.
Afolabi also highlighted mushrooms as another valuable option, describing them as both nutritious and culturally familiar in many Nigerian communities.
“Mushrooms are another good option. They are a delicacy, and they provide protein along with fibre. Soybean is especially important because in advanced countries it is used to produce what we call meat analogues—texturised soy products that look and taste like meat but are plant-based. Soybeans are very beneficial and versatile,” he explained.
The professor added that lentils and other less common legumes can play a role in diversifying diets.
“In addition, lentils and some other less common legumes can also be consumed. Traditionally, we also ate crickets, termites, and other edible insects. These are very good protein sources, though the younger generation may not be as familiar with them,” he noted.
He further recommended locust beans, particularly when combined with crayfish, as a suitable protein substitute in soups and stews.
“Other alternatives include locust beans, especially when fermented and processed. Locust beans, when combined with ground crayfish, can serve as a meat replacement in soups. These traditional foods are highly nutritious, though many children today are no longer accustomed to them,” Afolabi said.
He also recommended crayfish as an alternative, but maintained that its rising cost could limit access for many families.
“Crayfish can be adopted, but they are also becoming very expensive. However, they remain a good protein source, particularly when ground and added to soups and stews,” he added.
The don stressed that returning to traditional food habits and embracing alternative protein sources would help Nigerians cope better with the realities of food inflation, while ensuring families still meet their nutritional needs.
A Professor of Public Health Nutrition, Ignatius Onimawo, said Nigerians can explore alternative foods that are cheaper and still give the body the same nutrients to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
According to the don, Nigerians should be educated on how to eat healthy in a cheaper way.
“Well, a healthy diet does not have to be expensive. The question of nutrition knowledge will come into play here. There are a lot of alternatives that can give the nutrients that make up for a healthy diet,” Onimawo said.
Onimawo, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of Ave Maria University, Abuja, stressed that the citizens should explore several alternatives that would give the same results.
He said, “Things are expensive, but you can make it less expensive for yourself by choosing the best or cheaper alternatives. It is a question of nutritional education to understand what those alternative foods are that can give you what you really want.
“There are groups of foods that have the same nutrients, including energy, minerals, and proteins. There are always different and cheaper alternatives. With adequate information on nutrients, Nigerians can prepare cheaper meals and still eat healthily.
“If you do not eat meat, chicken, or fish on a particular day but you eat beans, groundnuts, or bambara nuts (okpa), you still have taken protein for that day; it’s just that one type of protein is animal-based while the other is plant-based. Though one is a superior protein, it does not mean the body won’t survive without it.”
PUNCH Healthwise reports that the Federal Government had, in August, said Nigeria was facing a triple burden of undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiency.
The Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, noted that malnutrition undermines the health, productivity, and economic potential of our citizens, especially women and children.
“Nigeria is facing a triple burden of malnutrition: Undernutrition, Overnutrition, and Micronutrient Deficiency, also called ‘Hidden Hunger’. Micronutrient deficiencies impair cognitive development, reduce productivity, and increase maternal and child mortality. Our diets, dominated by calorie-dense but nutrient-poor staples like maize, cassava, and rice, leave millions without the essential vitamins and minerals needed to thrive.
“According to the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, stunting is 40 per cent, wasting is eight per cent, while underweight is 27 per cent among children six to 59 months old. Likewise, the 2021 National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey showed that Micronutrient inadequacy among key population groups is very high, coupled with 79 per cent of the population being food insecure.
“Consequently, among children aged six–59 months, one in three is vitamin A deficient, more than one in three is zinc deficient, and over 20 per cent suffer from iron deficiency. Furthermore, adolescent girls and pregnant women face alarming rates of vitamin A and iron deficiency, directly threatening maternal health and the survival of newborns,” Kachollom, who was represented by the Director of the Department of Nutrition at the FMOH&SW, Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, said at the nutrition roundtable organised by the Nigeria Health Watch. https://punchng.com/beef-price-hike-embrace-crayfish-edible-insects-nutritionists-tell-nigerians/
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