If I had to pick an international African dish, it would most probably be the thick porridge starch known as sadza/posho/isitshwala/nshima/ugali etc. However, with all the diet misinformation on the market, some are staying away from it stating that it is fattening. I wrote an article for HerZimbabwe.com and dispelled this myth.
“In the interest of full disclosure, I will let you know that I am a Shona girl who loves her sadza. In fact, I will confess to loving sadza so much that I freeze whatever is left in the pot and save it for the days when waiting 30 minutes for a pot to cook is simply out of the question.
Unfortunately, my beloved staple is constantly blamed for a slew of health problems. In boarding school, it was the girls who claimed sadza gave them “ulcers”. They avoided it but as provisions dwindled and hunger struck, ulcers were healed. Today, it is the weight-watchers who blame sadza for weight regained after following a strict diet. It is the diabetics choosing to sustain themselves on meat and vegetables for fear of increased blood sugars.
As a dietician, I am consistently bombarded with questions from Zimbabweans and, indeed, the rest of the sadza/isitshwala/ugali/pap/posho/nshima/fufu-eating community: “Is sadza healthy?”, “Is it fattening?”, “Is it good for diabetics?”, “How much should I eat?” and so on. The questions are many; the answers not quite straight forward, but one thing is for sure, not all sadza is created equal.” Follow this link to find out more.
