GARRI AND ITS BENEFITS

In Nigeria, Garri is the most staple food and is most commonly eaten not just in Nigeria but in most of West Africa. It is the food of the common man and it is the kind that is both locally produced and consumed in the country.

Garri is a grain like food substance that has been dried and processed from starchy plants called cassava. It is a rich source of carbohydrate which is helpful to hard working people in Africa as it is a very cheap and indigenous source of energy. Unlike rice which is mostly eaten occasionally due to it's price and availability, garri can be produced from local plants and consumed by families most of who engage in subsistence farming.

In Nigeria, Cassava is used to produce two popular food types called Garri and Akpu. Akpu is a white substance that has been prepared from Cassava after allowing for fermentation and later boiled for eating with soup. Garri on the other hand after soaking and fermentation is grounded, fried and dried for storage purposes.

Garri can be yellow or white depending on what type of oil was used to fry it. Yellow garri contains more nutrients than white garri since it is fried with palm oil which contains vitamins like A and C.
Garri is good on its own but it should be eaten with soup to give a balanced diet since it is mostly an energy giving food and can help give energy to farm workers, busy professionals or even people recovering from malaria.

So How good is Garri for your health?
Garri is good enough and it could even give your more benefits than just eating rice. Garri when boiled and prepared to be eaten with palm oil based soups and vegetables is the proper way people in Nigeria eat their meals. Soaking and drinking garri may not give you the balanced diet you need and so you shouldn't drink garri alone and expect that you have taken a sufficient meal

Garri is good if taken in the busy hour of the day like in the afternoon to replenish lost energy and to allow to burn more energy. Diabetes sufferers may do well to avoid taking garri too since it is a rich source of sugar for the body but if they still want to, they should just reduce the quantity of garri that they take.