A lot of people may find it hard to defeat the taste of seasoning cubes because it is a long time practice that may be hard to stop.
In part one of this write-up, not claiming to be an expert in this field, I narrated my experience and how long it took me to stop using the cubes. A lot has been written about the effect of the cubes, but sometimes, it takes the experience of someone to open our eyes and minds.
To defeat the taste, people will approach it with a change of mindset while recognizing that they are doing this for their wellbeing.
It also requires the recognition of the effect of these cubes on the health of the individual.
Seasoning cubes – not naming any of them in particular – was initially created to give the poor a feel of fish and meat in their meals as they were expensive at the time.
These cubes are made with synthetic flavour of meat, chicken and fish.
In the 20th century, the seasoning cubes began to find ways into our meals in Africa and in Nigeria. With great advertising, programmes and competitions, the makers of these cubes have maintained a good market share and have established factories in Nigeria, creating a lot of employment.
Seasoning cubes contain a large quantity of salt that are dangerous to people causing stroke, heart disease and diabetes among others. I think this is worth repeating.
If you observe closely, you add a reasonable amount of salt in your meal even after adding the cubes. Some people add up to four cubes to a small pot of food, while some use cubes in place of salt.When you combine the quantity of salt and the cubes, you must have consumed a large quantity of salt that may lead to sickness after a period of time. This goes on on a daily basis and on every meal. Why not, instead of using the synthetic taste of fish or meat in the cube, use the real ground fish or crayfish?
Why not increase the use of the local spices and still get the best taste you could imagine? There are many of them.
Seasoning cubes makers are multinational companies and they will not go away and they will continue to attract and hook people to their products. Generations may continue to depend on them. Business and revenue are considered a priority. It takes your individual effort to recognise the dangers and begin to fight for the health of you and your household.
Have you wondered why life expectancy seems lower than the time of our great grandparents who dwelled more on local spices and herbs? It is because of the over dependence on these cubes and others.
Illnesses like diabetes are diagnosed among children as some children find fun in licking the cubes.
Some people will opine that it is one thing that will kill a person but it is a difficult time when because of what you fed yourself over the years, one will not enjoy the life given to him or her. What about spending so much on medicine to cure some of the sicknesses that occur from these cubes? And of course not all illnesses are caused by the cubes.
While you work hard to defeat the taste and be free from the cubes so as to live, let us continue to work on our mindset and make efforts to go more natural in our meals and recognise that we benefit more when we do so.