Here are some practical tips for nutritious and delicious home-cooking meals that are flavorful, interesting and applicable in your daily meal preps:

1.   Make plants the main attraction

Regardless of which diet type you favor, make plants a big part of every meal, from breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks in-between. These requires balancing such that the vegetables make the large part of the meal.

A combination of various plants in the meal makes it look more appetizing and delicious. For instance, you can mix;

·         Use red cabbage alongside green cabbage

·         Brocolli, carrots and French beans

·         Green, yellow and red pepper

·         Garnish your food with coriander(dania) or/and green onions

·         Mix spinach and terere or sukumawiki

2.   Eat locally available foods

Locally grown foods are fresher and have higher nutrient content. Since they spend less time being shipped and handled, they may look and taste better. From the local market you are able to get potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, kales, cabbages, bell peppers, fresh ginger, onions, garlic, beans, green peas, green bananas, etc

3.   Use natural Spices and herbs

Natural spices, herbs, and aromatics (any plant, herb, or spice that adds lively scent to a beverage or food) make other plant foods mouth-watering treats. And they are definitely a healthier and include; garlic, ginger, turmeric, mint, rosemary, cinnamon, cardamoms, thyme, beet root, variety of onions (white, red, leeks, green onions, shallots), variety of peppers, chilli, parsley, dania, etc. A variety or combination of them can be used in main meals, soups, tea or smoothies. All these are locally available in the open market or supermarket either fresh, dried or ground.

4.   Eat whole grains

Rich in fiber, vitamin E, and magnesium, whole grains (such as oats, lentils, brown rice) are far better nutritionally than refined. And they make you feel fuller longer. Because the starch inside of them is absorbed slowly, they’re less likely than refined grains to quickly be stored as fat.

Season them with natural spices like garlic, sweet peppers, chilli, dania etc.

5.   Add Nuts in your meals

Nuts (peanuts, almonds, cashewnuts, walnuts, pistachios, pecans) contains not only fiber but are also very good source of healthy fat.

They can be consumed on their own as snacks (are very delicious when roasted), almonds can make almond milk to substitute dairy, be added into the fruit or vegetable salad, consumed with cereals or oats for breakfast, cook with food (try yummy cashewnut rice), incorporate into your smoothies.

6.   Make your own salad dressing and marinades

You can make your own dressing from scratch by using the items you already have in your pantry or fridge.

Fresh lemon juice, lime juice, olive oil, mustard, vinegar, Greek yoghurt, black pepper, freshly crushed garlic, salt make very good salad dressing. A combination of three or more of these will make your salad not only delicious but also healthy.

Natural yoghurt or mala are very good for chicken or meat marination (also act as a tenderizer), combined with natural spices like rosemary, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, black pepper.

7.   Have variety and variety of ways to prepare

There are various ways you can prepare egg for breakfast e.g. scrambled, hard boiled, omelet, Spanish omelet, easy tomato omelet etc. For breakfast you can supplement the eggs with fish or chicken either roasted, grilled, or boiled.

You can have a variety of vegetables to go with your meals; spinach, kales, terere (amaranth), red cabbage, green cabbage, kunde, broccoli, lettuce, pumpkin leaves.

For breakfast you can have oat pancake, oat meal with milk, oat meal cookies, sweet potato (boiled, roasted, mashed fried), arrowroots etc.

Following the above advice will not only make your meals nutritious, but will also allow you to enjoy some of the most delicious food you’ve ever eaten.