Only Carbs? 7 Protein-rich foods to include in your Nigerian diet

Nigerian diet? Well, we would ask that you don’t look at it as a homogenous group of foods consumed in the country. However, whenever we are talking about healthy eating, people say, “It’s hard to have a balanced diet in Nigeria because most foods are carbs.” This isn’t true (and carbs aren’t a dietary villain by the way). The problem lies in the fact that most people don’t know what foods are protein-rich besides meat, fish, or eggs. To help, we’ve done some research and found 7 protein-rich foods to include in your ‘Nigerian diet’.

1. Green Peas

A cup of green peas contains eight times the protein of a cup of spinach. You can also get almost 100% of your daily value of Vitamin C in a single cup, so they’ll help keep your immune system on point.

2. Guava

Guava stands apart as the most protein-rich fruit of all. It packs more than 4 grams per cup, along with 9 grams of fibre and only 112 calories. A single cup contains 600% of your daily value of Vitamin C. To get this quantity in an orange, you would have to eat more than seven medium-sized ones.

3. Nuts

Nuts are good sources of protein and examples include almonds and cashew nuts. They can be incorporated into many recipes and on their own, they make a good nutritious snack.

4. Soybean

Soybean contains a lot of protein as well and it supplies essential amino acids. Soy products such as texturized vegetable protein (TVP products) are also good sources of protein.

5. Oats

Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth because they are loaded with several nutrients, including proteins. They are also full of fibre content, manganese, magnesium, and vitamin B1. This is why they are one of the best breakfast cereals out there.

6. Avocado

You might be surprised to know that avocado is one of the top sources of proteins when it comes to fruits. Avocados are packed with proteins & unsaturated fats which are known to make joints supple and keep blood pressure in check.

7. Peanut butter

This favourite spread provides amino acids, vitamin E, magnesium and – you guessed right – proteins! In fact, all kinds of nut butter contain protein so if you’re not a peanut fan try almond butter or something else.