The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media
platforms spanning newspaper print
operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a
leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and
international interest.
Eating habits in urban settings have revolved towards a trend considered sophisticated among teenagers and youth in general lately. So much that nutrition elements are seldom considered.
From sweet potatoes and boiled corn fancied in previous generations, nothing comes more harmful than the fries and nyama choma the current generation romanticizes.
Their Idea of a nice meal is fidgeting with some shinny cutlery in exclusive joint and carrying home boxes which look like TV decoders labelled ‘Pizza’.
Mothers in the traditional rural settings would pick traditional vegetable from the farm or market to properly prepare hearty meals for the family. Modern day mothers buy ready-made food, having no clue of the suitability or otherwise of ingredients used in their preparation, for their families.
Show me a lady (socialite) who can even be spotted at the omena section in the market, or even one who asked for githeri from their sponsor? Or anyone who posted pictures of themselves eating sweet potatoes with porridge on Instagram handles?
In an urban setting, you will probably be laughed at for peeling and chewing away a rod of sugarcane or gnawing on a cob of roasted or boiled corn as they are considered modest.
White meat like fish and chicken (preferably local) and quails together with their eggs provide the healthiest source animal protein, and should be preferred together eggs and milk over red meat. Plant protein can also suffice. All these should be complemented with fruits and vegetable and plenty of clean drinking water for a healthy diet.
Mushrooms and other edible insects also make for sumptuous meals but are often underrated and ignored for their modesty. Cassava and yams also provide for a healthy variety.
Even local brews like busaa never leave imbibers with the kind of terrible hangovers the over advertised Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walkers leave on generation x and the content in the Shisha smoked by the current crop is far more deadly compared to the traditional pipes our grandmothers smoked.
Boiled meals are also healthier than those prepared using cooking oil and fat laden with cholesterol that only serve to considerably reduce our life span!
We should encourage consumption of our local cuisine as they provide for cheaper and healthier alternatives.
