Jayne Whyte's Portfolio

In Nigeria, we all know how difficult it is to make a food time table because of the nature of the meals and the type of food we like to eat. I guess sometimes, the challenge is making sure that every member of the family has a balanced diet and saving money while giving every one the best kind of meal suitable for the individual.


I have shared this ‘secret’ with my mother years back and I am very excited to share it with the whole world. The secrets, I have named “Five Naija Tips on seasonal food for The Naija wifey”. Let’s share.





Secret Number One: 


Your Wallet


The cost of the food item in season, is cheaper. When produce is in season locally, the relative abundance of the crop usually makes it less expensive. It’s the basic law of supply and demand, and when crops are in season you’ll be rewarded financially by purchasing what’s growing now. For example, May-June-July, plantains are not in season, and you know how much we loveeeee our fried plantain (Dodo) so, I am thinking you look for an alternative to plantain till when plantain is in season I.e later in the year.


Secret Number Two:


It’s the Taste That Counts


For most of us, the taste of the food we buy is every bit as important as the cost, if not more so. When food is not in season locally, it’s shipped in to the country from other parts of the world, and this affect the taste of the produce. Foods lose flavour/taste just as they lose moisture when they are held. Fresh, locally harvested foods have their full, whole flavours/taste intact, which they release to us when we eat them. For Example, imagine eating a bunch of imported banana, when we all know how sweet our local banana taste. It’s worth the wait, right?. If bananas are not in season, then go for oranges, paw-paw etc.


Secret Number Three:


Freshness and Nutritious


Have you noticed how fresh vegetables can be when they are in season?…Ugwu, Spinach, Waterleaf, Ora leaves etc. They look like “you just want to put them in your mouth”. They look really green, nutritious and good to eat almost immediately. Eating seasonally makes you get the quality, your  body deserves.


Secret Number Four:


Save Fuel


When a food is in season, It is usually everywhere, you don’t need to travel or a drive a long distance to buy it. For Instance, when corn is in season, you can find corn (boiled,roasted, fresh) at every street corner. Corn can be eaten with beans, rice, Ukwa or just boiled on the cobs with pear (Ada, I hope you are not salivating?)……really nutritious.


Secret Number Five:


What do you think?


I am going to leave this last one for anybody to guess and to fill in the blank on what they think the fifth secret is.


According to Eccl 3: 11, God says there is  a season for everything, funny enough, it also applies to our eating habit. Eat according to the produce in season and you and your family will always be healthy without robbing a bank.