Thumpy Rose Some people believe Africans are generally healthy. Could this be due to the fact that fresh food is readily available? Or could it be because Africans cook daily? On this platform, we are curious to learn about each African nation. We do this through recipes for plant-based African food. If recipes for African food excite you, please subscribe to our newsletter. Today I will share healthy Liberian snacks that helped me survive my trip to Liberia. Food in Liberia is plentiful, but there are some to avoid. This list will guide you on what to eat from the street food selection. Whether you are a vegetarian African food novice, health conscious, or low on cash and want more nutrients from Liberian street food. Here are healthy eating habits for adults. Particularly if you are keen on a plant-based lifestyle.
But first, we have listed these Liberian snacks in order of most to least nourishing. We have considered proteins, natural oily fats, fibres and carbohydrate ratio. From this list, I share small stories of how these healthy Liberian snacks helped me stay full longer. Especially since I was not able to cook my vegetarian African food daily.
Below are 7 street foods in Liberia for you to try:
1-Roasted Corn
You will love this snack. Corn street vendors peel the fresh corn in front of you, roast it on a metal stand above the fire like it’s a BBQ, and you eat it! Eating any fresh food is one of the best healthy eating habits for adults! I lost count of how much roasted corn I ate. Honestly, I was anxious that I would not find suitable vegetarian African food in Liberia. Sure, this wasn’t one of the recipes for African food in the form of a stew or soup as I’m used to.
However, eating roasted corn daily during my trip proved these results: I was full and content for hours. Then, I wasn’t out of breath when I ran (which was a lot to get to my destination before nightfall). Plus, my skin was blemish-free. No wonder corn is a staple product in Zimbabwean Samp, Tanzania, Uganda or Benin’s Akassa. Experts say that each corn cob has 3.4 grams of protein. I ate more than two each day. Amazing!
2-Pash Ground Pea & Fanti / Fullah Bread
Locals sell roasted peanuts everywhere. Mostly, if you are fortunate to be near a small provisions shop or general marketplace. Food in Liberia has funny local names. We call it Pash Groundpea, which means roasted peanuts. They will understand you if you call it the latter too lol! Fun fact, Liberians sell pash ground peas in hand-size amounts (if your hand is the size of a baby!). And the price for this healthy Liberian snack varies. The price is lower for unpeeled peanuts versus the higher price for peeled peanuts. Anyway, pairing Fanti or Fullah bread with roasted peanuts was my go-to breakfast food in Liberia. You can find recipes for African food and ways we enjoy peanuts in other groundnut stews. When the gapping rate is high, roasted peanuts and bread are the next best thing.
Storytime …
“There was this day I went to Lonestar cell headquarters. After they processed my transaction, I bought 6 small bags of unpeeled roasted peanuts from a lady. She ‘dash’ (dash is slang which means to tip or gift extra) me with one. I had to ask for it, you know nah😉. Another ole ma who I did not buy from sold coal bowl food and she allowed me to sit under her umbrella in her coal bowl shop. I took out my fanti bread and ate the roasted peanuts while the peeling was on it. Why did I do that? I was too tired and hungry to care. Plus, I felt divine after I drank my bagged water (bottled water is pricey and there’s no refill station).“
This healthy Liberian snack was my daily breakfast and lunch, which I stocked up on borku (plenty). I noticed my skin didn’t break out, even though I knew I wasn’t eating the ‘right amount’ of protein, or so I thought. I surprised my family with how active and energetic I was since I ‘wasn’t eating’. If you don’t eat meat, fish, egg, or sausage, they call that not eating. They were worried for the first few weeks.
Honestly, I have a new level of respect for roasted peanuts and bread. They kept me healthy, energetic, and nutritionally balanced. This combo is one of the best to have as healthy eating habits for adults. The fanti or Fullah bread added carbs and the peanuts added natural oily fat and protein. Specialists say an ounce of peanuts has 6.7 grams of protein. Isn’t that amazing!
3-Khanyan
This is one of the original tried and true Liberian snacks that has become a popular food in Liberia and globally. Monrovia is crawling with Khanyan vendors. Unfortunately, the further you are away from Monrovia, the less you will find foods like Khanyan, cassava gravy, or attieke vendors. I was sad and vexed to find this out. Luckily for us, as we were strolling near Libassa way, we heard a street vendor calling “Khanyan, fresh Khanyan.” My sister and I were so happy to finally find our favourite snack, which we elevated to dessert status after we ate our coal bowl chanchulu. This is another healthy eating habits for adults who love to snack or graze. Moreover, it is a portion of wholesome vegetarian African food made from fermented grated cassava, roasted ground peanuts and cane sugar! Nature’s got your back.
Even though I didn’t eat Khanyan as often, I highly recommend this food to vegans and plant-based folks travelling to Liberia. Buy one week’s worth when you find it and you will be glad you did. A piece of Khanyan fills the stomach and sustains you for hours.
4-Coconut & Cassava
Did you know Cassava root is high in vitamin C? In one of our many recipes for African food, we detailed how to prepare Cassava gravy. Sadly, I didn’t get as many opportunities to eat cassava gravy during my trip to Liberia. But I found that a coconut and cassava combo was good too. The best thing is, you can eat these healthy Liberian snacks fresh or roasted. Yes oh, Liberians love roasted smoky-flavored food. Locals use this food in Liberia to ‘rock the jaw’ (graze). It will surprise native Liberians to know it has nutritionally balanced benefits. Cassava is king: we use it in gari yorkor, in desserts, for dinner and other sweet snacks, which I will mention next.
Honestly, it is hard to find the cassava & coconut combo in small provisions shops. You may have to go to large markets, which are still not guaranteed. Street vendors patrol this snack so it is hard to pinpoint it. On the other hand, you will always find fresh coconut everywhere. True story: I had only a handful of fresh coconut for my lunch one day as we were stranded on a village road. I drank coconut water (yeah, electrolytes!) and ate the hard fruit (some coconuts have soft pulp). That alone, added enough coconut oil, carbs, and fibre to my body that day. I felt fine and happy.
5-Plain Attieke
Technically, Attieke is an Ivorian creation. But, Liberia adopted it as theirs so it counts as one of the healthy foods in Liberia. Ivorians, do you agree? Oui, ou Non? Seriously, plain Attieke is one of the good healthy snacks to eat as plant-based food. To make it a vegetarian African food, you could add an egg. When I ate attieke during my trip to Liberia, I didn’t add eggs, fish, or chicken. This was one of the most delicious wholesome plant-based foods I have ever had. Sadly, Attieke street food is only found in central Monrovia.
I was fortunate to find a lady selling it at the Garnersville junction. My brother ate his Attieke with sausage. Meanwhile, I ate mine with fried plantains, cucumber slices, yellow onion slices and savoury pepper sauce. I was so happy! The nutrition balance in plain attieke does not have enough protein. Although there is a good amount of carbohydrates, fibre, and oil fat. Plant-based and vegetarian folks, you must try Attieke when you visit Liberia!
6-Butter Cookies
Healthy eating habits for adults does not mean no cookies. I think it means the opposite actually. During your trip to Liberia, listen for patrol vendors that sell butter cookies. This means the vendor walks around different communities selling butter cookies instead of being stationary. Two or three butter cookies will satisfy you as you explore central Monrovia. I highly recommend that you visit it to tour the food scene.This healthy Liberian snack is one of the perfect vegetarian african food snacks as it is filled with butter and enough carbohydrates. If you happen to be around the Brumskine school near Carey street in Monrovia, definitely look out for butter cookie vendors.
7-Pepper Kala
Last but not the least, Pepper Kallah/Kala is another healthy Liberian snack. Pepper Kala is a puffy fried dough round in shape and served with homemade pepper sauce.
Do not distrust all street vendors. Some care about their trade and have been making such recipes for African food for years. So, you are sure to have delicious pepper Kala. Personally, I prefer peanuts and bread or cassava with coconut because I don’t like too many fried foods unless it is Kelewayley. Nevertheless, you should enjoy this delicacy. Did you know they fry the Kala fresh for you to eat? Yes oh, when you think of Liberia remember vendors cook fresh foods in front of you. I bet this changes your view of street food right? Anyway, Pepper Kala is last because it only has carbohydrates and no protein content, which I view as nutritionally imbalanced. Nevertheless, pepper Kala is a good plant-based snack to eat.
Would you be willing to eat food from street vendors? What types did you eat and what was your experience like? Have you visited Liberia or any other West African nation? We would love to hear from you as well. Comment below 😃 P.S. name four colloquia terms you learned from this article. Curious about a no-meat food lifestyle? Check out our Instagram page for real-life inspirations 😊.
