Caribbean culture is colourful, vibrant, and full of flavour, and this is very much reflected in the traditional foods found throughout the islands, from Ackee and Saltfish, Escovitch, Jerk seasoning and Run Down in Jamaica, to Doubles, Fungee, Crab and Callaloo, and Cassava Pone in Trinidad, with many culinary delights in between.
National dishes such as Bajan Cou Cou and flying fish, Bahamian cracked conch, Guadeloupe’s pork Colombo, Martiniques’: grilled snapper with creole sauce, and stewed saltfish with coconut dumplings from St Kitts and Nevis show the diversity of delicious traditional meals available throughout the Caribbean Islands.
Recipes for other commonly found Caribbean dishes, such as stewed or curried goat or chicken, roti, pepper pot soup, callaloo, rice and peas, plantains and breadfruit, vary slightly from island to island but everywhere you go, these dishes are full of colour and flavour.
At Second Nature, we want you to enjoy traditional, flavoursome foods while reaching your health goals. So, here are some suggestions for maintaining a traditional Caribbean diet while following the Second Nature programme.
To make following a healthy balanced plate easier, we’ve created the Caribbean Healthy Balanced Plate:
If want to print the Caribbean Healthy Balanced Plate, you can download the following version:
To support your meal planning, here are some suggested SN recipes for you:
In addition, here are some other traditional Caribbean recipes that are Second Nature friendly:
Remember, it’s absolutely fine to eat anything on occasion - the main goal is to balance these occasional foods with your everyday foods that align with the healthy balanced plate.
Happy meal planning!
Written by our health coach Kirstie Lawton