15 Affordable & Effective Nigerian Foods For Losing Weight
When discussing how to live a healthy lifestyle, many people bring up the topic of losing weight, and one of the most important factors that might influence your weight is the food that you consume.
Yesterday, I published an article in which I discussed the fruits and vegetables that are most effective for promoting weight reduction and reducing abdominal fat.
In today’s lesson, you’ll learn about some additional wonderful Nigerian foods for weight loss that should be incorporated into your daily diet.
Burning more calories than your body takes in is the single most important step toward successful weight loss.
Calories are a measure of the amount of energy that may be found in foods and beverages. Once this energy is ingested, it is put to use as fuel for the numerous biological activities that take place within the body.
Every individual has a unique calorie requirement, which varies according to factors such as age, the amount of physical activity a person gets, and the size of that individual’s body.
If you have excess fat on your body, the only surefire way to get rid of it is to force your body to burn more calories than it takes in through the food you consume on a regular basis. This is the only strategy that can guarantee success.
But where this strategy fails the vast majority of people is when they try to lose weight by going on extreme diets that severely limit their food intake or cause them to starve themselves.
Some people restrict themselves to eating only one meal per day, every day, for several weeks, and as a result, they get stomach ulcers.
I am not sure whether you have ever put yourself through one of these extreme diets or starved yourself before…
But have you observed that you will drop a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time? When you resume eating normally after a period of starvation, however, you quickly put on the fat that you lost since you can’t starve yourself indefinitely.
But rather than depriving yourself of food in order to achieve your weight loss goals, what if I told you that you could eat as many as four times a day and still be successful?
YES!
The solution is not complicated at all…
You only need to consume Nigerian foods that are extremely low in calories and are effective at burning fat.
Because of this, your body will be able to burn more calories than it takes in, which will ultimately make it easier for you to lose weight.
So…
What kinds of meals should someone eating to lose weight in Nigeria consume?
Foods that you should incorporate into your Nigerian diet plan for weight loss
- Oatmeal
Oats are great for weight loss because they make you feel full for a longer period of time than other foods, although having fewer calories than those other items. Oats are also high in fiber and protein.
Oatmeal’s high fiber content also has the potential to benefit the digestive system.
In addition to lowering blood sugar levels and lowering the risk of heart disease and cancer, eating a healthy and delicious breakfast alternative like oatmeal can also lessen the risk of developing these diseases.
- Ofada Rice
Ofada rice includes a large amount of protein in addition to a high source of stimulating B vitamins, important minerals like phosphorus, zinc, and folate, and other essential nutrients, all of which may help you burn calories more quickly.
- Beans
Beans are among the best foods to consume to burn fat in Nigeria since they are high in fiber, contain a considerable amount of protein, and have a slow digestion rate.
Consuming a little amount of beans on a daily basis can sustain you for the entirety of the day, make you feel fuller for longer, and, as a result, reduce the amount of food you consume overall.
- Okpa
Bambara nut pudding, exactly like Bambara nuts, includes tryptophan, which makes niacin, which also develops/creates serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter and aids in the regulation of mood, improves sleep/sleeping pattern and memory, and is especially beneficial for pregnant women.
Although okpa is beneficial for weight management (weight loss) due to its ability to reduce appetite and aid in digestion, the amount of oil that is used in its preparation ought to be kept to a reasonable level.
- Moi Moi
Moi Moi, also known as Moin Moin, is a delicacy that is prepared by steaming beans, fish, and eggs, and it is packed with of nutrients, including proteins and fiber, while having a low calorie count.
Moi Moi is superior to many other diets in terms of the amount of protein and the ability to maintain one’s energy level.
They are not only light and refreshing, but they also have the potential to be a nutritious part of an infant’s or child’s diet.
- Cowpeas
It has been demonstrated that consuming protein lowers levels of the hormone ghrelin, which is the hormone responsible for causing one to feel hungry.
Including cowpeas in your diet, with their high levels of protein and soluble fiber, is an excellent method to speed up the process of shedding extra pounds.
- Egg
Eggs are a food that are low in calories but high in protein, and because of this, they improve feelings of fullness while also boosting metabolic activity.
Consuming eggs on a regular basis may facilitate weight loss, particularly when the eggs are incorporated into a diet that restricts calories.
Eat eggs as part of a nutritious breakfast with fruits and vegetables if you want to lose weight. Eggs are high in protein.
- Turkey
Turkey is not only a fantastic source of protein, but it is also an outstanding source of important vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium and niacin, and it may be a healthy element of your diet if you include it.
Turkey is a good way to obtain the protein you need that will help you maintain your muscle mass and keep you feeling full as long as you don’t eat too much of it. If you eat too much turkey, you won’t get the benefits of eating turkey.
- Green Tea
Due to the high concentration of nutrients and antioxidants that it contains, green tea has been linked to a variety of positive effects on health, including reduced body fat.
It is recommended that you consume between two and three cups of hot green tea throughout the day to assist with weight loss.
The precise amount will differ from person to person because it is determined by your inherent metabolism as well as the amount of caffeine that you take.
You can drink green tea right after each of your meals, but you should only do so if you do not have a stomach that is easily upset. Green tea is alkaline and stimulates the secretion of extra-gastric juices. If you do not have a stomach that is easily upset, you should drink green tea after each meal.
- Toasted Cashews
The magnesium included in cashew nuts is vital for regulating the metabolism of fat and carbs, which may further help you lose weight. Cashew nuts are high in magnesium.
Cashews are considered to be among the best sources of protein, which is essential for successful weight loss.
The fat found in cashew nuts is responsible for regulating the production of good cholesterol while also lowering levels of bad cholesterol.
Even though nuts are heavy in calories, eating the appropriate amount every day (three to four cashew nuts) is beneficial for maintaining a healthy weight.
- Vinegar made from Apple Cider
Apple cider vinegar has about 22 calories per 100 grams, which indicates that it may be used to make a drink that is low in calories and can assist with the process of weight reduction.
When combined with water, the recommended dose of apple cider vinegar for weight loss is one to two teaspoons (15 to 30 ml) on a daily basis.
It is preferable to divide this into two or three doses and take them at different times throughout the day. It is recommended that you take it first thing in the morning and before each meal.
- Vegetable Soups
Native vegetable-based soups, such as ugwu soup, bitter leaf soup, ewedu, oha soup, edikaikong or afang soup, have been shown to be an excellent choice nutritionally and will assist you in shedding weight that is resistant to other methods of weight loss.
- Soup with Pepper
Pepper soup is widely considered to be one of the healthiest and most effective weight loss foods that can be found in Nigeria.
Traditionally, pepper soup is cooked with Nigerian herbs and spices, and it’s noteworthy to note that some of these same herbs and spices are employed in the country’s traditional medical practices.
The pepper soup’s flavor, which is hot and spicy:
As a result of drinking more water and eating less food, you will experience weight loss as a result of this.
Causes fat to be burned on the body by inducing an increase in body temperature, which in turn causes fat to be burned and then eliminated from the body through sweating.
- Okra Soup
Okra is a vegetable that grows throughout the warm seasons and is prized for its high levels of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber.
One of the most effective Nigerian soups for shedding extra pounds is called okra soup.
It is quite simple to make okra soup, and it is possible that it is the least expensive soup in Nigeria.
The mucilage found in okra is beneficial for detoxifying the body.
It has been reported by the U.S. According to the National Nutrient Database maintained by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), one cup (or 100 grams) of raw okra includes the following nutrients:
- 33 calories
- 9 grams of total protein
- 2 grams of fat or less
- 5 g of carbs
- 2 grams of fiber in total
- 5 milligrams of sugar
- 3 milligrams (mg) of vitamin K
- 299 milligrams (mg) of potassium
- 7 milligrams of sodium
- 3 milligrams of vitamin C
- 20 milligrams of thiamin
- 57 milligrams (mg) of magnesium
- 82 milligrams of calcium
- 215 milligrams of the vitamin B6
- A folate dose of sixty micrograms (mcg)
- A total of 36 micrograms of vitamin A
Okra provides us with some iron, lectin (which may reduce the risk of certain cancers), niacin, phosphorus, and copper. Additionally, okra is a good source of fiber, which helps improve digestion and keeps you satiated for a longer period of time, thereby reducing the likelihood that you will feel the need to consume additional food.
If you try cooking your okra soup with less oil, it should be done in no time!
- Skimmed Milk
In Nigeria, one of the most effective types of milk for promoting weight loss is skim milk.
When whole milk has all of its milk fat removed, the resulting product is called skim milk.
If you need to increase your calcium intake but cannot afford a significant number of additional calories in your diet, skim milk is the best option for you to take.
In comparison to whole milk, skim milk has a lot fewer calories but still contains all of the beneficial nutrients like protein and calcium.
To achieve the most amount of weight loss possible, it is essential to choose products that have less than 1% fat.
Calcium intake of 700 milligrams per day is recommended for adults, according to health guidelines (a 200ml glass of semi-skimmed milk contains 247mg).
Conclusion
The following is a list of healthy weight reduction foods and recipes that are traditional in Nigeria.
The only thing you’ll need to do is figure out whatever combination of foods works best for you and when you should consume them.
Exercise is another component that must be incorporated into the mix.
Please show this to your family, friends, and loved ones by forwarding them this post.
It is critical for us all to get more knowledge in this area.