Lunch is a meal that is eaten in the middle of the day.
Since lunch typically falls in the early middle of the working day, it can either be eaten on a break from work or as part of the workday.
Here are some Nigerian lunch ideas that are healthy for families:
1. Jollof Rice
Jollof Rice is a Nigerian staple and one of the popular lunch ideas in Nigeria. Some rich nutrients you can find in Jollof include Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.
Jollof rice has a high concentration of carbohydrates, which helps in boosting your mood and helps with improving your immune system and reducing inflammation.
2. Beans and Plantain
Beans and Plaintain (Dodo) is one of the healthy lunch ideas in Nigeria. As it packs tons of nutrients that can improve a person’s health without unnecessary calorie intake. Having beans and plantain for lunch means you get to take in nutrients like; folate, zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, fibre, and more.
Folate-rich food like beans is important for the body not to experience weakness, fatigue, heart palpitations, reduced appetite, and irritability. Beans contain a lot of antioxidants that help to combat free radicals in the body that can trigger ageing, cancer, and inflammation.
Plantain is also a nutrient-rich food that contains magnesium, potassium, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
Read also: 7 Healthy Ways To Reduce Child Risk Of Food Allergies
3. Amala and Ewedu
You can actually eat amala with any soup but Newegg is the best companion for it. Amala and Ewedu is one of the top lunch ideas especially in the South-Western part of the country.
This Nigerian food contains nutrients like calcium, zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, potassium, carbohydrate, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and fibre.
4. Boiled yam and egg sauce
Boiled or fried yam coupled with a well-made egg sauce is always a delicacy! This meal is quite filling and can carry you throughout the whole day. You also get your needed carbohydrates and protein intake.
Yam and Egg sauce is a meal that is easy to prepare. To really enjoy this meal make sure the egg sauce is sautéd with tomatoes, onions, crayfish and vegies.
5. Rice and Stew
Rice and stew is one of the most common lunch ideas in Nigeria. It is usually eaten with some protein on the side like chicken, fish and beef. You can add other accessories like moi-moi or plain cooked beans to this meal for variety.
Some of the nutrients you can find in Rice and stew are; carbohydrates, fibre, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and Zinc. Some of the health benefits you get from this meal include increased energy, improved metabolic activity of all the organs, relief of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and diarrhoea and improved brain functioning.
6. Eba with Egusi Soup
Eba is made from grounded dried cassava mixed evenly in heated water. It is a type of food referred to as swallow. It can be eaten with different kinds of soups like Egusi, Vegetable soup, okra soup, gbegiri, Oha soup, white soup etc.
Since Eba is starchy most of the health benefits come from the soup it is eaten with.
7. Pounded Yam and Vegetables
Pounded yam is another type of sallow, but unlike Eba, you have to pound the yam into a paste with a mortar and a pestle or some pounding machine.
Pounded yam and vegetables are one of the best lunch ideas in Nigeria for any day of the week. However you may want to eat this Nigerian food (pounded yam) in small portions, you can eat as many vegetables as you want.
Other soups you can use to eat pounded yam are egusi soup, bitter leaf soup, Okro, Oha soup, and white soup.
8. Spaghetti
Spaghetti is a starchy food and you can balance it out with eggs and meat or any other protein source. You can also spice up your pasta breakfast with carrots, bacon and other vegetables.
9. Boiled Sweet Potato and Egg Sauce
Potatoes contain a considerable amount of vitamins, fibre, potassium and other beneficial nutrients.
Sweet potatoes contribute to your well-being by promoting gut health, improving eyesight, enhancing brain function and improving the immune system.
While sweet potatoes can be eaten alone, it is better to eat it with a sauce. Eggs are great but you can also use vegetables, tomato sauce or garden egg sauce.
10. Yam Porridge
Asaro, which is also known as Yam pottage or Yam porridge is a very delicious Yam recipe though it is eaten by most tribes in Nigeria however, it is more common in the Yoruba-speaking parts of Nigeria. It is also easy to make.
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