Getting Acquainted with Foods as a Nigerian Student

_{A picture of chicken and chips with ketchup.}

A balanced diet is the cornerstone of a healthy life. The food we consume each day not only aids in our sustenance but plays a vital role in our optimal health and wellbeing. It is a nourishing experience for our bodies and minds as that of all living things biologically.

Food is known by most people as a basic need, something to be consumed by human beings or any living thing on earth to help them survive, grow and sustain them in their development and energy. Food can be solid or liquid as long as it has the essential components enough to provide the necessary nutritional value for the body's functions and maintenance.

_{A picture of fried rice with crispy chicken and ice-cream.}

Not only that, food also serves as a substance that makes most people happy, provides enjoyment and pleasure and does more good than harm to the body.

Asides the general meaning, food is composed of different nutrients that come together to make it consumable by living beings such as micronutrients e.g vitamins and minerals and macronutrients e.g carbohydrates, proteins and fats amongst water and plant based nutrients.

These nutrients are otherwise called "The 6 classes of food" and when broken down, it includes vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits, meat, snacks, nuts, etc.

Like I said earlier, The 6 classes of food consists of Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats and oils, Vitamins, Minerals and Water. And being a student because I'm going to use that as an advantage and an excuse, I consume Carbohydrates most in a day and this is why;

First off, I'm a college student and this is the most common food you'll ever find a student eating because it is handy to come by, it is affordable and it is a much easier and faster go to. Secondly, it's not everytime you have the luxury of cooking and eating 2-3 different meals a day at school compared to when you're at home so if you cook once, bear believe it is what you'll eat throughout the entire day and even if you wanted to change, you'll still change to something that can conserve energy more than just satisfying your palate.

A picture of noodles and roasted beef.

Thirdly we go for classes and literally work round the clock either studying for a test, working part-time or anything else and so we always need something that'll stay in our system long enough to give us energy to go hours during the day till we're back to our homes and it's most certainly not vitamins or fats. Carbohydrates does the trick.

A picture of Chicken sandwich.
So from rice, to bread, to noodles, to pasta, to cassava flour, to flour snacks, etc we really do not have a lot of choices here so often.

For me, a balanced diet is a meal that consists of all the 6 classes of food. And so if someone says they had a balanced diet, it simply means the person combined all the 6 classes of food to make one meal.

For example, if a person wanted to prepare soup let's say vegetable soup, the person would need meat and crayfish which is a vital source of protein, vegetables, salt, seasoning and peppers which consists of vitamins and minerals, palm oil which is a vital source of fats, water to make the soup and then cassava flour (also known as eba) to pair it with the soup or rice which is a main part of carbohydrates.

From this dish broken down,it is safe to say that this particular meal amongst many others contains a combination of all the 6 classes of food that is enough to provide nutritional value and health to whoever is consuming it.

A picture of white rice with stew and fried plantains.

I personally think people should drink water immediately after their meal because of the following reasons;

First, it helps you not to be full before you finish eating. Imagine being so hungry and when you finally have the chance to eat, you keep drinking a lot of water. It'll not only fill you up before you're done eating, it'll also make you hungry after and cause you to lose interest in the food barely 10 minutes after you start eating.

Second, it helps in digestion of those food particles going down your throat and getting absorbed by your body, and it helps you not to feel constipation or discomfort from excessive gas buildup thereby enabling proper bowel movements.

Third, I think it's good because it rinses those food flavours from your mouth after making you enjoy a satisfying meal and supports circulation of blood

Last but not least, I think drinking water after meals is a sign of good manners and etiquette as practiced in some cultures. It is a normal standard socially amongst different cultures and some individuals like me seem to enjoy and prefer it to drinking water before meals which takes all the enjoyment of the meal away.

Food is necessary for survival and a balanced diet of food is important for healthy growth and development.