Calories refer to the amount of energy in food and beverages. When consumed, this energy is used to fuel many biological processes that occur inside the body.
There is a different calorie requirement for every person. This requirement depends on the age, activity levels, and body size of the person. Usually, consuming more calories than your body requires will lead to weight gain as your body stores the extra calories as fat.
Calories in food are actually kilocalories and they are very small units of measurement for energy.
Amount of Calories in Nigerian Foods
Most Nigerian foods are known to be very high in calories. They are also made up of mostly carbohydrates which encourage weight gain. However, controlling or reducing weight is not just about watching your calorie intake, it is also about watching what you eat.
If you choose to consume 100 calories of vegetables, you are more likely to lose weight than if you go for 100 calories of potato chips. This is because vegetables occupy a greater volume in your stomach than potato chips so you’ll definitely feel full faster if you go for vegetables.
In this post, we will share with the amounts of calories in popular Nigerian foods. This should help you plan your journey to weight loss or weight gain easily.
Egusi Soup
Egusi soup is a popular delicacy in Nigeria, however, it is not the best choice for those who plan on losing weight. Egusi soup is heavy on calories.
A serving of Egusi soup with two pieces of meat and a few chunks of stockfish should provide you with about 700 calories. The calorie content becomes higher if you’re eating it with pounded yam.
For those trying to lose weight, it is best to avoid this soup. Eating Egusi soup with just one wrap of pounded yam should give you about 900 calories. If you go for more pounded yam, you will gain more calories and definitely have an excess buildup of calories in your body.
This is usually stored as fat which translates to weight gain. For those trying to gain weight, this could be the best meal to try out.
Okra Soup
Unlike Egusi soup, Okra soup is made with mostly vegetables so the calorie content is usually smaller. A serving of Okra soup without the inclusion of fish or meat should provide you with about 150 calories.
The calorie count of this meal shoots up if you consume it with a swallow like pounded yam or Eba.
Beans
The number of calories you can get from beans will depend on the type of beans you’re consuming. One of the popular types of beans grown in Nigeria is the black-eyed pea bean. This bean contains 90 calories per 100 grams with very high protein content. Its low-calorie count and high protein content are one of the reasons why it is recommended for weight loss.
Yam
Yams are very low in calories with just about 118 calories per 100 grams. They are high in dietary fibre which plays an important role in weight loss. If consumed alone, Yam could count as one of the best meals for weight loss.
However, most people consume yam with other foods like beans, palm oil or make it into yam porridge. Food combinations are one of the big reasons for weight gain as it builds the calorie content of a meal. If you hope to lose weight, then you should avoid heavy food combinations.
Moi Moi
Moi Moi is made mainly from beans which have a low-calorie count. However, many other ingredients are used in making moi moi which increases the calorie count. Depending on the serving, you should get an average amount of calories.
Serving size of 140g contains 239 calories with carbohydrate, fat, and proteins making up most of its nutritional content. If you plan on losing weight, then you shouldn’t consume an excess of this meal.
Noodles
There are different manufacturers of noodles and they make use of different ingredients to make their noodles unique and delicious. The number of calories in noodles will depend on the serving size of the noodles and the type of ingredients used in making the noodles.
Indomie is one of the most popular noodles brands in Nigeria. 100 grams of Indomie Instant Noodles contains about 450 calories. If you’re someone who likes to take your noodles with chicken, vegetables, and eggs, the calorie count per 100 grams will be higher.
Rice
The number of calories you can gain from the rice will depend on how the rice is prepared and the type of rice you use. Long-grain white rice has a calorie count of 130 calories per 100 grams when cooked. If you parboil the rice before cooking, this calorie count reduces to 123 calories.
Rice is really high in carbohydrates, so you should be careful when consuming this food since carbohydrate contributes to weight gain.
Fish
Fish is one of the ingredients, you can find in many Nigerian meals. Fish can be eaten alone as one of the main meals of the day.
The calorie count of a fish will depend on the type of fish. Torpedo-shaped catfishes are the most-consumed fishes in Nigeria. A 3-ounce serving of catfish contains about 122 calories.
Another popularly consumed fish is the stockfish. There are approximately 94 calories in 100 grams of stockfish. This calorie count is for the Italian stockfish. It would be higher or lower for other types of stockfish.
Plantains
Plantains are consumed in many parts of Nigeria. They are consumed fried, roasted or cooked. The calorie count for plantain will depend on the type of plantain. Below is the calories count for different types of plantain per 100 grams.
- Plantains – 122 calories
- Plantains, cooked – 116 calories
- Plantains, green, fried – 309 calories
- Plantains, yellow, fried – 236 calories
If you take your plantain with other foods like beans or rice. The calorie count will definitely increase.
To lose weight, you should avoid consuming heavy foods like egusi soup with staple foods like pounded yam, eba, fufu, amala, and starch. These foods are high in calories and in carbohydrates.
