Plantain is a tropical plant that looks like a banana, but it is bigger than an average banana and contains more starch than a banana.

Plantain is usually green in colour when it is unripe and mostly eaten when turns yellow and riped.

In Africa and specifically in Nigeria, plantain is usually found in abundance from August all through to January, although somehow it is available all year round.

The staple green unripe type is rich in iron and potassium.

But the ripe yellow one is rich in starch and carbohydrate.

Any of the two is very okay, however, the unripe one is especially good for pregnant women. The iron-enriched drugs they get in their trimester can be enjoyed by taking plenty of plantains.

For children, especially weaning little children and toddlers, plantain is best for them when it is sliced and blended with boiled original Titus fish.

This type is prepared like Nigerian moimoi and children love to relish this food a great deal. This is because of its great nutritional value, as it is very rich in iron, protein and other vital nutrients

Plantain, especially the riped ones can be dried, sliced and ground into a powder to make a powdery meal that can be eaten in place of eba, fufu, amala, and any swallow. When made into this form, it can be eaten with any kind of soup.

It is, however, pertinent to note that if good care is not taken to select the right kind of plantain, you may end up not enjoying the best of the staple.