The ideal breakfast for election day

I know, I know. History has proved to you that voting in Uganda doesn’t matter. That things are decided way before the day and that the best thing to do on election day in Uganda is to  simply stay away from the voting areas, stay home and nurse a hangover from the night before or catch up on your rest.

You could do that but now that you know better, because you do know better, doesn’t it feel self indulgent to just lie down and scroll the socials while other people fight for your future?  If you are able and capable, go out and use your power in one of the only few ways we have in this country. Years down the road, you will be able to tell people that you did something or, if your candidate loses, that you atleast tried.

What you want for breakfast on a morning like the 14th of January is  a meal that has a sustained release of energy. (There is no telling how long the lines will be).

Eggs

You want a lot of protein. As we know from primary school, proteins are? In unison now, ‘energy giving foods’. According to some studies, eggs are defined as foods that contribute to ‘power, strength and energy.’ And the good thing is that there are a lot of ways to cook eggs. No one size fits all.

For most Ugandans, bread and eggs go hand in hand but unless you have a whole grain bread, steer clear of that (white, yellow) bread. This is the thing. Processed grains, have less fiber because the outer bran has been removed. This means that they are digested and absorbed faster than whole grains. This equals a fast release in sugar followed by an energy drop.

Porridge

For the opposite reason, whole grains like millet and maize that are rich in dietary fiber are a good way to maintain satiety for an extended period of time. Whole grains help regulate blood sugar levels and that will ward off energy peaks and the inevitable crashes.

Ova (avocado)

Made of about 60% water, avocado is one to consider on voting day. It has high amounts of monosaturated fats (the ones that are good for you). These can be stored in the body and used as energy sources later on. Add to that a generous amount of potassium, fiber, simple carbohydrates, a little bit of protein and lots of other vitamins and minerals and you can clearly see why ova is called a ‘super food’.

 

The simple banana

Perhaps the fastest thing that comes to mind when we think of energy from food is a banana. Any serious athlete should be able to speak to the benefit of adding bananas to their diet. This energy is in part due to the high potassium content and the 3 different types of sugar in bananas. The fructose, glucose and sucrose are absorbed at different speeds meaning that you can get a fast and yet stable release of energy.

The good news is they are available on every street corner.

Even better news is that matooke has just about the same nutrients, if not in higher quantities,  as sweet bananas. So katogo is also a  good meal to set you up. Add ovacado is we often do and you will be hitting a lot of the right marks.

There are those who are not breakfast people. No matter, carry some g. nuts in a pack, pack some bananas, most importantly, pack some water to drink when the hunger hits.

Happy voting, see you on the other side.