Caribbean food is not only food but an exhibition of their culture and traditions through unique flavors and pleasant colors. Are you in search of a balanced Caribbean meal which is healthy and reflects the traditional Caribbean culture?
Here we will inform you about everything you need to know in making a balanced and healthy Caribbean meal. We will be using the multi-mix formula to build this diet. We will show you how you can make different cheap and expensive meals with a mixed Caribbean diet.
After reading this guide you will be able to make a balanced Caribbean meal according to your needs whether you want to make it for a day to day routine or any special occasion. Let’s start with knowing about all the Caribbean food groups.
Caribbean Diet And Their Food Groups
Caribbean diets are divided into six popular food groups. These groups include staples, legumes, vegetables, animal food, fruits and fats and oils. Let’s get into the details and see what these food groups contain.
Staples
Staple is the first and fundamental group of Carriban food. It contains food like oats, corn, rice and starchy fruits. At least one of these dishes is often found at every Caribbean meal.
Legumes
Legume is also the necessary element in Caribbean food. It is a plant from the Fabacea family. It can also be called the seed or fruit of this plant chickpea, peanuts and beans are the examples of legumes.
Vegetables
Vegetables are also a very important part of Caribbean food. Collalos, okra, Gungo peas are among some of the popular vegetables used in Caribbean food.
Animal Foods
The fourth diet group which we will know about is animal food. Animal food contains meat, dairy products and eggs. Meat here refers to the chicken, red meat and fish. At least one of these foods is often found in Caribbean meals.
Fruits
The fifth food group on our list are fruits. The Caribbean uses many types of fruits but the most popular among them include Star fruit, Guava, Mango , Ackee, PineApple etc. These are often seen at lunch in Caribbean countries.
Fats And Oils
Fats and oils are the last food group of Caribbean food. It contains cooking oils, milk, butter and avocado. These are generally used in the Caribbean but are often used in small quantities.
Now let’s move on to the multi-mix principle with which we are going to make our balanced Caribbean meals.
Muti-Mix Principle
Multi-mix principle revolves around using the six food groups in our meals. According to this principle a balanced diet should be made from using any four food groups among the six we described above. We can make meals with this principle with two, three and four mixed meals.
Two-Mix Diet
A two-mix diet is the first balanced Caribbean meal which you can use. It is the cheapest and the easiest meal to make among all three mixed diets. It can be made using these two formulas.
● Combining tubers with Animal foods
● Combining legumes o animal foods with a cereal grain
Examples of a two-mix diet include rice and stewed lentils or bread and peanut butter etc.
Three-Mix Diet
Three-mix meal is basically very similar to two mixed meals. All you need to do is add non starchy vegetables with a two-mix meal. There are three formulas with which you can generally make a three-mix diet meal.
● Animal food + ground provisions + non-starchy vegetables.
● Animal food or legumes + a cereal grain + non-starchy vegetables
● A cereal grain or ground provisions + Legumes + animal food
It’s example can be eating rice with pigeon peas and stewed oxtail.
Four-Mix Diet
Four-mix diet meal is the most ideal meal if you are looking for a balanced and healthy Caribbean meal. Although it can be a little bit costly. It is made of the four major food groups which are vegetables, legumes, staples and animal food. These meals are especially a great choice for any small party or gathering.
You can make a perfect four-mixed meal by including Animal foods, legumes, cereal grains and non starchy vegetables in your meal. You can also try ground provisions instead of cereal grains in this recipe. The example of a perfect four-mix meal can be rice with pelau, pigeon peas and non-starchy vegetables.
Caribbean Diet Interesting Facts
Here are some very interesting facts about Caribbean food which you might love to hear.
● Sea food is used alot in Caribbean food due to the attachment of the region with the sea.
● Caribbean food is often very rich in spices and has very vibrant colors.
● Staple foods of the Caribbean region are usually sweet potatoes and root vegetables.
● Caribbean cuisine reflects the color of European, African, Ameriandian, Chinese and Eastern Indian taste.
● Caribbean food is often made in large amounts. It shows their culture of sharing food and love of the community.
Final Words
There are a lot of health problems in the Caribbean region especially diet related to eating healthy food is very necessary. Four-mix diet is the most balanced Caribbean meal to eat. These are nutritionally very beneficial for health and are also a very good reflection of Caribbean culture.
Using other food groups like fruits, fats and oils is also beneficial for health. You should also include them as much as you can in your diet. That was all about how you can make a balanced Caribbean meal.