Being a person who cares a lot about food earned me the name foodie and those who know me offline or visit my blog often can testify to my love for food. For some humans, food is anything that goes into their belly to eradicate hunger but it means more to me because of how it influences my physical and mental health. Everything that passes through my mouth plays a very important role in my well-being and that's why my approach to food is special. I was born into a family that places so much value on food so my parents probably passed the trait on to me.
Before my parents moved to Lagos, they owned a garden that provided them with vegetables and some crops. They get their meat from the animals they raised but all that wasn't possible in the part of Lagos they lived and at a point, we had to go back to that life of growing our food again when we hit rock bottom in life.
My parents were known for always cooking every meal and that's part of my lifestyle today. I learned cooking when I was just eleven years of age, it started with making snacks and today, I have tried lots of recipes than I can even remember.
Peppered puff I made for the family recently.
I love to make snacks for the family and there is this sense of satisfaction that accompanies every meal, I love how it makes me feel.
Peppered Ponmo
My foods are typically homemade for many reasons, I don't do junks because of the danger they poses to my health conditions so real food does the magic for me always*
Last week, we wrote about price and quality which is one of the things that makes me prepare my food. Eating out can be quite expensive and it's terrible to know that many of these foods aren't quality enough in the sense that I can't be too sure of the ingredients used and even the preparation process.
Because a meal is expensive doesn't guarantee that it is hygiene and the fact that an eatery looks great doesn't mean their kitchen is the same
I have heard people say that eating out saves them time but as a minimalist, it saves me more than just time because I get to save money in different ways as well. I eat twice a day since I often skip breakfast and the time spent in the kitchen isn't wasted, I see it as a way of investing in my well-being.
Cooking my meals saves me quite a lot, I get to purchase my ingredients personally since I stay in the city where growing my food is kind of difficult so I pick good qualities that aren't as expensive as many people think. I shop in bulk except for perishable items that I visit the market for often and I prefer buying them fresh than opting for these perishables that have been processed and stored in cans with preservatives.
A very satisfying breakfast.
Spicy pepper soup for cold
In the attempt to make more money, many food vendors put the well-being of their customers and even though there are the good ones, it's hard to tell. Another way I get to save through eating healthy is that eating personally cooked food keeps me from needing to visit the hospital often. We all know what the price of consulting a doctor and getting medication can look like. Not everyone who visits the hospital eats bad food but eating good/hygiene can go a long way in keeping us healthy.
Personal hygiene is very important and that has made me develop a different kind of relationship with my food. I make sure everything that goes through my mouth into my belly is adding value to me and not taking away from me.
As a man, I have been able to educate fellow men that cooking isn't just a duty of a woman. Regardless of your gender, it is your responsibility to provide your body with a nutritious and hygienic meal.
My special kind of Macaroni
A local soup rich in nutrition
Rice cooked in tonic
I can go on sharing pictures and one question people have asked me whenever I talk about preparing my meals is 👇
"Don't you get tired of eating your food always?"
In the goal of making every meal sumptuous for myself, I have learned a lot and will continue to do so I can pass a proper food hygiene/lifestyle to my coming generation.
Nothing satisfies me more than making my meal, no one practically values my well-being more than I do.
This is really no shortcut to staying healthy, investing in our well being involves good food and nothing should hinder that.
All images used in this post belong to me
Thanks fof reading ...