₦airaland Forum

ogaprime:
What about adding original honey to the garri instead of sugar?

Pls any response to this?

mobi5592:
Egg is the best bet. But the quality of egg is another danger that we are not yet ready to tackle.

Egg, meat, and beans is still your best bet. I don't trust all these ice fishes and they're very expensive.

Pls say something about the quality of eggs

You've got it all wrong.
Amino acids are the building block of protein and they are divided into two - the essential amino acid and the non-essential. Essential amino acids are those that the body cannot produce so you have to supply it through your diet. Most animal-derived protein includes all of the essential proteins, but plant-based do not have complete proteins.
Legumes such as beans are rich in lysine (an essential amino acid) but low in another one (methionine), but the opposite is true for grains, which are rich in methionine and low in lysine. So when you eat legumes with grains (rice and beans) in this example, you get an adequate supply of all the essential amino acids 😁

Dear Op, there's no food on earth that is 100% protein; and no living animal (including humans) need 100% protein for their sustenance.

The reason beans and other legumes are classified as protein-rich foods is because the dry forms of rice, maize, yam, potatoes, etc contain about 5-11% crude protein; while beans, soya, groundnut, etc can contain up to 20-40% CP.

These numbers change substantially when we're talking about the cooked forms of these staple foods.

Cooked rice, maize, yam, etc. generally contain about 1–4% crude protein (CP), while cooked beans can contain around 8–9% CP, and groundnut can contain about 25–30% CP.

There’s one tiny secret sha... If you cook your beans till the water “dry”, the CP per 100g will be higher than if you cook it with plenty of water.

Eggs (raw and boiled) contain 12-13% CP, while fried eggs contain 13-14% CP. That's because frying the egg reduces the moisture content, there by increasing the percentage of crude protein relative to the total weight.

Why is this so?
Crude protein is calculated as a percentage of the total weight of the food. So, if two portions contain the same amount of protein but one contains more water, that portion will have a lower protein percentage.

Dry fish explains this further... Some dried fish can contain up to around 70–80% crude protein, making them one of the most protein-dense foods available. But let's say the truth: how many people can afford to eat significant amounts of dry fish regularly?

So babe, when we talk about nutrition, we shouldn't only ask “which food has the highest protein”; we also have to ask: which protein source is most readily affordable, accessible and practical for the average household? Also... How the food is prepared is very important. Roasted g/nut has about 30%CP

TheStoriesOfMan:
The eggs nowadays are laced with chemicals given as medicine to chickens. Examples are antibiotics.

That's why it's not only good to eat food, but also eat food YOU HAVE 100% CONTROL OF. And that's why being a farmer now is a huge boost to good health and healthy foods.

The biggest winners now are family who can cultivate their own food. Unfortunately Urban life does not make this possible for most

DrAda:
In a country with very poor food security, this may be targeted at the wrong audience.

Also, there is quite a bit of misinformation in this post, so I took the liberty of asking ChatGPT to address some of the claims, particularly within the context of our local environment.

1. “Beans is more carbohydrate than protein, therefore it isn't really a healthy source of protein.” — FALSE
A food does not have to contain more protein than carbohydrate to qualify as a good protein source. Beans are widely recognised as an important plant-based protein source. They also provide complex carbohydrates, fibre, folate, iron, potassium and other nutrients.


2. “Beans contains little protein.” — MISLEADING
Cooked beans typically provide about 7–9 g of protein per 100 g, depending on the variety. A normal serving can therefore contribute a meaningful amount of protein to the diet.


3. “Healthy proteins are found in eggs, fish and meats.” — INCORRECT
Eggs, fish and meat are excellent sources of high-quality protein, but healthy protein is not limited to animal protein. Beans, lentils, peas, nuts and seeds are also recognised sources of healthy plant protein.


4. “Rice + beans = carbohydrate + carbohydrate with fibre and little protein.” — MISLEADING
Rice and beans actually make a useful nutritional combination because their proteins complement each other. Legumes are relatively rich in lysine but lower in methionine, while cereals such as rice have the opposite pattern. Eating them together therefore improves the overall amino-acid profile of the meal.


5. “The ratio of beans should be higher than rice.” — THERE IS NO SUCH UNIVERSAL RULE
There is no scientifically established beans-to-rice ratio that everyone should follow. Appropriate portions depend on age, energy requirements, activity level, nutritional status, health conditions and the overall diet.


6. “Rice has a high glycaemic index and digests very fast.” — OVERGENERALISATION
The glycaemic index of rice varies considerably according to the type of rice, processing and method of preparation. Not every type of rice has the same glycaemic index, and eating rice as part of a mixed meal can also alter the glycaemic response.


7. “Garri has a high GI and breaks down carbohydrates very fast.” — OVERSIMPLIFIED
The glycaemic response to garri can vary according to processing, preparation, quantity consumed and what it is eaten with. Glycaemic index should not simply be interpreted as how quickly a food “breaks down carbohydrates.”


8. “Carbohydrates are converted to glucose and can spike blood sugar, so carbohydrate intake should be limited.” — MISLEADING
Conversion of digestible carbohydrate to glucose is normal physiology. Carbohydrates are an important source of energy. What matters is the type and quantity of carbohydrate, portion size, overall dietary pattern and the individual's metabolic health.


9. “Beans doesn't really spike sugar on its own; what you pair it with is the problem.” — NOT QUITE CORRECT
Beans contain carbohydrates and therefore can raise blood glucose. However, because they contain fibre, resistant starch and protein and generally have a low glycaemic index, they tend to produce a slower and more gradual rise in blood glucose than many refined carbohydrate foods.


10. “The best pairing with beans is eggs, fish, meat, plantain, vegetables and fruits.” — NO SINGLE ‘BEST’ PAIRING EXISTS
Beans can form part of many nutritionally balanced meals. Interestingly, plantain is also predominantly a carbohydrate food, so recommending beans with plantain while describing beans with rice as “carbohydrate + carbohydrate” is inconsistent.



Most importantly in the Nigerian context

In a country where food insecurity and affordability of animal-source foods are significant concerns, describing beans as containing “little protein” or suggesting that only eggs, fish and meat provide “healthy protein” is particularly problematic. Beans are an affordable, culturally acceptable and valuable source of plant protein, in addition to providing fibre, complex carbohydrates and important micronutrients.

The appropriate public-health message should therefore be dietary diversity, appropriate portions and balanced meals—not that beans are “not really a healthy source of protein.”

Nothing to add... the informative post is was hoping to see. Thank you.

If it were to be a couple of years back, I would have believed all that he wrote but no more, knowledge is a force of freedom

GreatrAnalyst:
Nothing to add... the informative post is was hoping to see. Thank you.

If it were to be a couple of years back, I would have believed all that he wrote but no more, knowledge is a force of freedom

Uwc.

DrAda:
In a country with very poor food security, this may be targeted at the wrong audience.

Also, there is quite a bit of misinformation in this post, so I took the liberty of asking ChatGPT to address some of the claims, particularly within the context of our local environment.

1. “Beans is more carbohydrate than protein, therefore it isn't really a healthy source of protein.” — FALSE
A food does not have to contain more protein than carbohydrate to qualify as a good protein source. Beans are widely recognised as an important plant-based protein source. They also provide complex carbohydrates, fibre, folate, iron, potassium and other nutrients.


2. “Beans contains little protein.” — MISLEADING
Cooked beans typically provide about 7–9 g of protein per 100 g, depending on the variety. A normal serving can therefore contribute a meaningful amount of protein to the diet.


3. “Healthy proteins are found in eggs, fish and meats.” — INCORRECT
Eggs, fish and meat are excellent sources of high-quality protein, but healthy protein is not limited to animal protein. Beans, lentils, peas, nuts and seeds are also recognised sources of healthy plant protein.


4. “Rice + beans = carbohydrate + carbohydrate with fibre and little protein.” — MISLEADING
Rice and beans actually make a useful nutritional combination because their proteins complement each other. Legumes are relatively rich in lysine but lower in methionine, while cereals such as rice have the opposite pattern. Eating them together therefore improves the overall amino-acid profile of the meal.


5. “The ratio of beans should be higher than rice.” — THERE IS NO SUCH UNIVERSAL RULE
There is no scientifically established beans-to-rice ratio that everyone should follow. Appropriate portions depend on age, energy requirements, activity level, nutritional status, health conditions and the overall diet.


6. “Rice has a high glycaemic index and digests very fast.” — OVERGENERALISATION
The glycaemic index of rice varies considerably according to the type of rice, processing and method of preparation. Not every type of rice has the same glycaemic index, and eating rice as part of a mixed meal can also alter the glycaemic response.


7. “Garri has a high GI and breaks down carbohydrates very fast.” — OVERSIMPLIFIED
The glycaemic response to garri can vary according to processing, preparation, quantity consumed and what it is eaten with. Glycaemic index should not simply be interpreted as how quickly a food “breaks down carbohydrates.”


8. “Carbohydrates are converted to glucose and can spike blood sugar, so carbohydrate intake should be limited.” — MISLEADING
Conversion of digestible carbohydrate to glucose is normal physiology. Carbohydrates are an important source of energy. What matters is the type and quantity of carbohydrate, portion size, overall dietary pattern and the individual's metabolic health.


9. “Beans doesn't really spike sugar on its own; what you pair it with is the problem.” — NOT QUITE CORRECT
Beans contain carbohydrates and therefore can raise blood glucose. However, because they contain fibre, resistant starch and protein and generally have a low glycaemic index, they tend to produce a slower and more gradual rise in blood glucose than many refined carbohydrate foods.


10. “The best pairing with beans is eggs, fish, meat, plantain, vegetables and fruits.” — NO SINGLE ‘BEST’ PAIRING EXISTS
Beans can form part of many nutritionally balanced meals. Interestingly, plantain is also predominantly a carbohydrate food, so recommending beans with plantain while describing beans with rice as “carbohydrate + carbohydrate” is inconsistent.



Most importantly in the Nigerian context

In a country where food insecurity and affordability of animal-source foods are significant concerns, describing beans as containing “little protein” or suggesting that only eggs, fish and meat provide “healthy protein” is particularly problematic. Beans are an affordable, culturally acceptable and valuable source of plant protein, in addition to providing fibre, complex carbohydrates and important micronutrients.

The appropriate public-health message should therefore be dietary diversity, appropriate portions and balanced meals—not that beans are “not really a healthy source of protein.”

if you need a complete plant protein that can provide you the 9 essential amino acid, go for Soybean or chia seed✅

Joshbdexter:
So what does Fufu and Egusi gives to the body? I will like to know? Protein, Carbohydrates or Fiber?

fufu is carb. Egusi is plant protein with minerals so the combo is good too but the egusi should be higher in ratio with leaves inside✅

ogaprime:
What about adding original honey to the garri instead of sugar?

honey is healthier than table sugar but it still contains sugar. Just that it is packed with antixodiants that your body also needs. Honey is a better choice but in low quantity though.

Omalicious1:
How can one get proteins that isn't expensive?

affordable and cheap complete plant protein are Soybean and chia seeds. Those protein are cheap but very healthy, they contain all the 9 essential amino acid

Samuels90:
This OP just de shade us for here😂. See as e make everybody de fear. Protein in our foods are gradually phasing out, because of the cost. These things should be affordable if agriculture, livestock and the economy are favorable. Eat wetin you see sha, but be moderate. Naija!

go for Soybean which is better than white and brown beans. Soybean is cheap and a very healthy and complete plant protein

Blunt99:
Thanks for the lesson.

But major issue why people consume more carbs is due to standard of living.

Carb is cheaper and what most can afford.

Many people know the right food to eat,
They know what is good for them.

But lack the ability to afford them in the right quantity.

soybean is cheap and an excellent source of good plant protein

AbuAeesha:
Noted.
But if they are actually killing themselves, large portions of Nigerians would have been dead by now.

do you know how many nigeria are layed in hospitals now diagnosed with one kidney illness, diabetes, hbp, or other illnesses?

1sttruth:

I know someone will come up with this statement
Naija

if I no talk am, last last na you go talk am

naturefellow:
thanks for sharing. Insightful!

It's wild how we've been brainwashed about beans being a plant protein source.

Are you a nutritionist?

i'm still a learner. Beans is a plant protein but it doesn't have the 9 essential amino acid a complete protein should have. Its not a strong protein. Soybean is a way better choice and a complete, healthy and affordable source of protein but note all plant protein still need animal protein to make it healthier. most plant protein are low in methionine and bioavailability. Animal protein are the excellent source of protein and amino acids.

Egg is rated the best source of Protein we all need. Nutritionist advice the intake of like 5 or more Eggs in a week for a healthy and complete source of protein your body will need.

Evaress:
honey is healthier than table sugar but sugar still contains sugar. Just that it is packed with antixodiants that your body also needs. Honey is a better choice but in low quantity though.

Thank you for the insights. Lastly, what about brown sugar?

Evaress:
soybean is cheap and an excellent source of good plant protein

Not very excellent, as many would want to believe.

Infact, some health experts warns against its consumption, or minimal consumption at best.
- Allergies.
- Mineral absorption interference, unlike other beans.
- Hormonal disruption.

Best pairing with Beans is with Eggs, fish, meat plantain or vegetables and fruits then you get Carbohydrate and healthy protein, with fiber, the right vitamins and minerals your body will need. ✅

Ok

Evaress:
affordable and cheap complete plant protein are Soybean and chia seeds. Those protein are cheap but very healthy, they contain all the 9 essential amino acid

Chia seeds are sold in high brow areas in my city.

What if you use honey in place of sugar?

Evaress:
When you add sugar inside Garri. That one is the worst

saintruky:
What if you use honey in place of sugar?

honey is better than table sugar but honey still has sugar

Evaress:
honey is better than table sugar but honey still has sugar

Do original honey contain sugar?