Mmm . . . Food.

To give you an idea of Ugandan cuisine, here is a typical daily menu for me.

6:30am – For breakfast, my host family offers 2 eggs, 2 pieces of bread w/ butter, 2 bananas, and a protein drink mix called Soya.  I usually just eat 1 piece of bread, 1 banana, and the Soya drink.

10:00am – Tea Time.  At the training center, we are served coffee or African tea and a snack – usually samosas.  (Think of a wonton filled with peas & carrots or meat.)

1:00pm – Lunch at the training center is a buffet of bland starches: matoke (cooked bananas), rice, posha, and various potatoes; as well as meat or beans and a vegetable dish.  The most common vegetables are cabbage, carrots, green beans, and peas.  Bananas are for dessert.

5:00pm-6:00pm (whenever I get home from class) – Tea Time #2.  My host family again offers the Soya drink or African tea, bread & butter, and hard-boiled eggs.

8:00pm – Dinner with the host family includes more starches: matoke, rice, potatoes, beans, and a vegetable – same as lunch.  And there is sometimes fruit for dessert (pineapple, passion fruit, bananas, mangoes, etc.)

In the US, I would never eat this much food in one day.  My host family keeps giving me a huge plate of food and then comments how I eat such a little amount.   So, I usually skip the afternoon tea ‘meal’ and take smaller portions at lunch & dinner.  Of course, this menu will all change once I’m at my assignment and have to cook for myself!