From Indomie and Egg to Suya and Yoghurt: 8 Unhealthy Nigerian Food Combos to Avoid

When it comes to food combos (the mouth-watering and weird ones), Nigerians hold a special place. We can combine food like nobody’s business. We are creative. Adventurous. Slightly chaotic with our plates.

But just because something tastes good or feels nostalgic doesn’t always mean your body is happy about it. Some of these popular combos are responsible for bloating, weight gain, blood sugar spikes, and digestive issues.

While some of these combinations are comfort meals, some are survival meals, and some are “I just got back from work, and I’m tired” meals. Still, it helps to know what’s happening inside your body when you mix certain things too often.

Here are 8 wrong Nigerian food combos you must avoid for your health’s sake.

Indomie and eggs are like a national treasure: very quick to prepare and taste great. But instant noodles are highly processed and loaded with sodium and refined carbohydrates. When you add egg (sometimes two), you’re piling protein and fat on top of already refined starch.

Eating it once in a while? Fine. Making it your default meal? That’s where the problem starts, especially if vegetables are nowhere in sight.

This will definitely piss many people off, but bread and beans are an unhealthy food combination. It’s filling, quite affordable and can easily be bought from roadside vendors. According to Healthwise, beans on their own actually benefit digestion and may reduce the risk of some diseases. 

But bread and beans together still equals a lot of carbs: Bread adds a lot of refined carbs to the meal, and when paired with beans (which are also carbohydrate-heavy), the total carb content can push your glycaemic load high, especially if portions are big.

Research on mixed meals in Nigeria shows that bread eaten with bean-based foods (like moin moin or akara) still produces a high glycaemic index — meaning it still causes a fairly significant rise in blood sugar, albeit usually less than bread alone. In one study, white bread + moin moin had a GI of about 78, which is high.

Popular among Nigerian bricklayers, this combo is the quickest meal for busy and lazy people.  Just as mentioned above, eating bread over time contributes to increased risks of weight gain, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. 

Since bread tends to spike blood sugar on its own. Adding a sugary fizzy drink amplifies that effect because both break down into glucose fast and force your pancreas to work harder and your body to deal with more sugar than it needs at once.

Bread and tea are fondly called the 'elite meal' based on colonial times. They require almost zero stress to prepare, but are dangerous. 

It’s mostly refined carbs and sugar. White bread has a high glycaemic index, which means it raises blood sugar quickly. Add sugary tea with milk and you’ve basically created a rapid glucose spike.

You’ll feel full for a short while. Then comes the crash, then fatigue and then hunger again.

Over time, consistently eating high-glycaemic meals like this can increase the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

The ultimate “I’m broke, but I’ll survive” combo. Garri itself is mostly carbohydrates. Add groundnuts (high fat), milk (more fat and sugar if sweetened), and then sugar on top? That’s a calorie bomb.

It’s dense. It’s heavy. And it can quietly contribute to weight gain if eaten frequently in large portions. There’s also the digestion factor. High-fat plus high-carb meals can feel uncomfortable and cause bloating for some people, especially late at night.

Do you often feel sluggish and sleepy after eating a heavy meal like pounded yams? There is a reason for it. Let’s break it down:

• Pounded yams is high in carbohydrates.

• Egusi soup is high in fat (melon seeds are oil-rich)

• Fried fish or chicken = added fat

Carb + fat + more fat.

The combination is extremely energy-dense. When eaten in large portions, especially at night, it can leave you sluggish and overly full. Regular overconsumption increases the risk of weight gain and elevated cholesterol levels.

Moimoi, akara and pap is the traditional weekend breakfast in Nigeria. But moi-moi and akara are both bean-based. Great protein source, yes,  but akara is deep-fried. Pap (akamu) is mostly fermented starch.

So what do you get? Carbs + fried fat + more carbs.

It digests quickly, which can cause blood sugar spikes followed by sudden hunger. And for people with sensitive stomachs, combining fried beans with pap can cause bloating or discomfort.

Suya is spicy, oily, and protein-heavy. Yoghurt, especially sweetened yoghurt,  contains sugar and live bacterial cultures.

For some people, combining heavily spiced meat with dairy can irritate the stomach. It may lead to bloating, cramps, or loose stools. The reaction varies by individual tolerance, but it’s a combo that doesn’t sit well with many.

It’s not automatically "poison". It’s just risky for sensitive digestive systems.

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To be clear, none of these foods is evil. The real issue is frequency, portion size, and balance. Nigerian meals are rich, flavourful, and culturally important. But many traditional combinations are high in refined carbs and fats when eaten in modern portion sizes and sedentary lifestyles.

You don’t need to cancel your favourites. Just add vegetables. Reduce portion sizes. Swap fried for grilled sometimes. Drink water. Move your body. And don't eat them constantly!