Monday: You buy vegetables. You meal prep. You post a salad with the caption 'New week, new me.' Tuesday: You eat the salad. It is fine. Wednesday: You remember jollof rice exists. Thursday: The vegetables are wilting. Friday: You order pizza. Saturday: The salad is in the trash. Sunday: You start again. The Nigerian healthy eating phase is a performance art piece. It begins with enthusiasm and ends with amnesia. The problem is not willpower; it is environment. The smell of suya on your street. The auntie who visits with fried meat. The friend who says "one plate of rice won't hurt you." The culture is not designed for quinoa. And the expense! Healthy food in Nigeria is a luxury. The smoothie ingredients cost more than a week of regular meals. The "organic" label doubles the price. The gym membership is another rent payment. Healthy living is class warfare disguised as wellness. But the posts! The smoothie bowl. The avocado toast. The "glow up" progress pictures. The engagement is high. The motivation is low. By day four, the person who posted "clean eating" is eating Agege bread at 11 PM, hiding from their own followers. The cycle is eternal. Monday will come again. The vegetables will be bought again. The hope will be renewed. The jollof will win again. This is the Nigerian healthy eating paradox. How long did your last healthy eating phase last? And what Nigerian food finally broke you?
