In the harsh corridors of any economic downturn, when the world feels tighter and wallets seem to shrink overnight, the table we gather around becomes a battleground between survival and health. I have lived through seasons like this — moments when every kobo, every cent must stretch like elastic, yet the body must not be starved of what it truly needs: real nourishment, not empty fillers. In these trying periods, I have found my refuge in the humble partnership of beans, plantain, fresh salads, eggs, simple cuts of chicken, and the purest gift of all — water.
Let me tell you how this simple list of foods has become my fortress against recession’s claws, and why you too might find salvation on your plate, not just in your pocket.
Beans: The Resilient Backbone
Beans are the backbone of my hard-times kitchen. Whether black-eyed peas, honey beans, kidney beans, or brown beans, they are nature’s quiet protein banks. Rich in fiber, plant protein, iron, and complex carbohydrates, beans fuel the body with steady energy, stabilizing blood sugar and keeping hunger at bay for hours.
When I hit my hardest months, I experiment with beans daily — boiled plain with a pinch of salt, or stewed richly with onions and pepper, or blended into akara (bean cakes), moin-moin (steamed bean pudding), or even stirred into a hearty bean porridge with palm oil and spices. Each preparation unlocks new flavors but guards the same promise: full belly, steady strength, tiny cost.
One night, after a long day of pounding on my typewriter and meeting deadlines that did not pay as fast as they promised, I sat alone in my kitchen, frying plantain slices beside a pot of soft brown beans. That meal felt like a whispered assurance — we will endure.
Plantain: The Comfort Fruit
Plantain has been my sweet reprieve. Fried plantain — dodo — is joy made golden and crisp. Boiled plantain is gentle and filling, pairing perfectly with eggs when the body craves something warm but light. In seasons of tight budgets, ripe plantains come cheap in open markets and can stretch meals without robbing the stomach of satisfaction.
I have learned to eat fried plantain beside beans, or boiled plantain topped with a simple tomato-and-onion sauce, or mashed with eggs scrambled in onions and green pepper. Plantain is more than food; it is comfort that reminds you that sweetness can live beside struggle.
Eggs: The Affordable Protein
Eggs are small but mighty — a complete protein that builds and repairs. One crate can carry you through many meals, and one boiled egg beside beans or a salad bowl can lift an ordinary plate into a nutritious feast. On days when chicken is a luxury too far, I lean on eggs to deliver what my muscles need to stay alive to work, to write, to push on.
Salads: Freshness on a Budget
When people hear “salad,” they think expense. But a true recession salad is not imported lettuce and fancy nuts; it is shredded cabbage, sliced carrots, local cucumbers, maybe a handful of tomatoes and onions. Sometimes I add boiled eggs for protein, sometimes bits of shredded chicken if the budget allows.
Fresh vegetables cleanse the body and feed the soul. They flush out toxins, provide essential vitamins, and keep the mind alert. In my own kitchen, I have found that a raw vegetable salad beside a bowl of beans is the best reset button after days of heavy starch and oil.
Chicken: The Lean Luxury
When pockets allow, chicken is my preferred animal protein — especially boiled or grilled, never fried excessively. It is leaner and healthier than red meat, easy on digestion, and a single portion can stretch into multiple plates if paired with beans, plantain, or salad. Sometimes I buy a whole chicken, portion it, freeze it, and cook piece by piece. This is how you stay fed and financially cautious at once
Water: The Hidden Wealth
And water — oh, never forget water. The most powerful nourishment costs the least. Clean water hydrates the body, aids digestion, keeps hunger pangs from masquerading as thirst. During hard times, water is my constant companion — a morning cleanser, a meal companion, a midnight comfort.
The Hard Times Table
So when you find yourself counting coins and fearing the empty shelf, remember that your body does not need extravagance. It needs wisdom. Beans, plantain, eggs, fresh vegetables, modest chicken, and clean water — this is how I, Jide Adesina, have steadied myself when storms came knocking.
I invite you to experiment as I did — boil your beans, fry your plantain, slice your cabbage, boil your eggs. Serve them simply, honor them well. These humble foods will not only fill your belly but shield your health, keep your strength intact, and remind you that even in scarcity, we can eat with dignity.
Eat well. Spend wisely. Endure.
By : Jide Adesina
For 1stafrika
July 4th, 2025
