Last Updated 13/04/2023

Interested in Nigerian foods that don't contain sugar?

Then you're in the right place!

Because I have gathered all of the foods that contain approximately zero sugar you can find in Nigeria.  

Okay, let's get to it...

Nigerian Foods That Don't Contain Sugar

Here are the 23 foods with zero or almost zero sugar content:

Nigerian Foods That Don’t Contain Sugar

1. Efo (spinach)

Efo is a staple Nigerian vegetable with an almost negligible sugar content of 0.4g per 100g. To put things in perspective, that's about one-tenth of a teaspoon. 

2. Mushrooms

Mushrooms contain an almost insignificant amount of sugar content compared to many other vegetables. A 100g of mushroom only delivers 1.09g of sugar. 

3. Lettuce

Lettuce is another veggie with a measly 0.78g of sugar per 100g. Even better,  Red Leaf Lettuce boast of as low as 0.5g of sugar per 100g.  

4. Beet Greens

Beet greens bearly contain any sugar.  The sugar content of 100g of beet greens seats at 0.5g. 

5. Okra

Okra is wildly nutritious and super low in sugar content. 100g of okra delivers just 1.48g of sugar. 

Other vegetables you can find in Nigeria that don't have completely zero sugar but have pretty low sugar content per 100g are Cucumber (1.67g), Broccoli(1.7g),  Cauliflower (1.9), Tomatoes(2.63g), Eggplant (2.88g), Cabbage (3.2g), and Onion (4.24g). 

6. Beef

Can you guess how much sugar content is in meat? a big fat zero (0). 

7. Chicken

Chicken is another protein source with zero sugar content 

8. Turkey

Turkey is another delicious protein source with approximately no trace of sugar content. 

9. Fish

Fish is yet another nutritious zero sugar protein source 

10. snail

Snail is tasty, nutritious and contains zero sugar content too. 

11. pork

Pork is another animal produce that contains no sugar at all. 

12. Eggs

You can almost write off the amount of sugar found in eggs. A 100g of eggs only delivers 1.1 g of sugar.  

12. Avocado

Most fruits contain significant amounts of natural sugar but not Avocado. The sugar content of Avocados can almost be ignored. It contains just up to 0.7g of sugar per 100g 

13. Olives

Olive is one of the other few fruits that can boast of low sugar content. You can only manage to squeeze out 0.54g of sugar from a 100g of olives. 

Other worthy mentions that have very low sugar content compared to other fruits are Lime(1.69g), Lemon (2.5g), Starfruit (3.93g), Cranberries (4g per 100g),  Raspberries(4.42g), Blackberries(4.88g), and Strawberries(4.89g).

14. Chia seeds

Take a wild guess at how much sugar you can get from Chia seed? Just zero (0), my good friend.

Other equally low-sugar seeds include Pumpkin seeds(1.4g), Flax seeds (1.55g), Melon seeds(2.5g) per 100g 

15. Black beans

If you're looking for one of the only few legumes with almost no sugar content, then black seed is your guy -with the sugar content of a 100g of black beans sitting at just 0.99g. 

16. Brown rice

Brown rice has an impressive low sugar content profile. It contains just 0.85g of sugar for every 100g [1]. 

17. Millet

Millet has an identical sugar content to brown rice. It also contains 0.85g of sugar for every 100g. 

18. Oats

You can only find 0.99g of sugar for every 100g of nutritious oats. 

19. Palm oil

Palm oil have absolutely zero sugar content. 

20. coconut oil

Coconut oil has almost no trace of sugar content. It typically contains zero sugars. 

21. olive oil

You cannot find even an ounce of sugar in olive oil. It has zero 

22. Black Tea

Plain black teas like yellow label Lipton tea have no sugar content in them. 

23. Coffee

Plain black coffee is also free of any sugar content whatsoever 


Sugar and Health Problems

Eating too much sugar can lead to a variety of health problems, including:

  • Obesity
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Heart disease
  • Tooth decay

Now that we know consuming too much of sugar is a problem, the next question is how much is too much? let's quickly answer that...

How Much Sugar is Okay Daily?

Basically, it's recommended that we keep our added sugar intake to less than 5 to 10% of our daily calorie intake. So, for example, if you need around 2,000 cals a day, then you shouldn't have more than 100 to 200 calories of added sugar per day.

To put things into perspective, a 35cl soda contains about 11 teaspoons of sugar, which is way too much sugar for a single drink. 

Also, added sugars that you find in processed and packaged foods are much worse for you than natural sugars that come from fruits and veggies. Most people can enjoy natural sugars from whole fruits without any issue because they're packed with fibre and antioxidants.

Oh, and for folks with diabetes or pre-diabetes, they may need to cut out all added sugars, including natural ones. So, it's a good idea for them to get some nutritional advice from a healthcare provider who's licensed.

Hidden Sugars

It's very important to note that almost , if not all processed foods contain hidden sugars. That is, sugars that are usually added during processing.

Some common examples of foods with hidden sugars include Salad dressings, canned fruits, Granola bars, and thousands of others.  You may not quickly recognise that a product contains sugar because sometimes they don't add sugar to the ingredient list. So watch out for other disguised sugar names like: 

  • Sucrose
  • Maltose
  • Dextrose
  • Fructose
  • Glucose
  • Corn sugar
  • Cane sugar
  • Agave sugar
  • Maple syrup
  • Treacle
  • Blackstrap molasses
  • Fruit juice concentrate

For instance, a single table spoon of maple syrup contains more than 12 grams of sugar. And a table spoon of  Blackstrap molasses contains about 10 grams of sugar.

So, shine your eyes and check the ingredient list of any product you're buying for hidden sugars. 

Conclusion

While it can be challenging to find foods that don't contain sugar, there are plenty of Nigerian options with little to no sugar to choose from (like the ones listed above). Incorporating more of these above foods listed into your diet, you can significantly reduce your sugar intake and enhance your overall health. And don't forget to always read food labels and be mindful of hidden sugars in processed foods. Let me know in the comments which are your favourite low-sugar foods and why you're searching for low content foods. 

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  1. Hi! I'm Victoria I'm Nigerian. And I enjoyed this article.. please i need to make a balanced diet table but it's difficult. Please can you make one for me? I desperately need it

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