Traditionally Caribbean people love options, especially when it comes to food. On Christmas Day, EVERY Sunday, and random days in between, you can bet that our plates are filled with a wide variety of well seasoned and cooked foods.

While variety is great, it is of utmost importance that our food is also well balanced and nutritious. After all, “the food we choose and the way we consume it affects our health and that of our planet.”

Today, October 16th 2021, is World Food Day and the theme for this year is: “Our actions are our future- Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life” and  we have a few pro tips to help keep your catered or home-cooked meals simple, fresh and healthy.

1. Support Local

For special occasions such as weddings, birthdays and anniversaries, we often envision exactly what we would like to eat or have been craving all year. Sometimes these foods are seasonal and may not be sourced locally or may even be completely unavailable. In this time of dwindling global food security, it is wise to consider tweaking menus to suit produce availability.

Our local farmers, butchers and fisherfolk rely on our patronage to sustain their livelihoods and in turn support economic growth. In buying local, we are also assured the freshest possible ingredients and the tastiest, most nutritional food!

2. Maintain a Nutritionally Adequate Diet

To maintain good health or prevent deterioration of a health condition, we should always ensure that a variety of food groups are selected. So let’s take it al the way back to primary school lessons on Caribbean food groups:

Staples (grains) – flour, rice, corn, oats, ground provisions, bananas, breadfruit

Legumes and Nuts – peas, beans, peanuts, cashews

Dark Green Leafy and Yellow Vegetables – callaloo, spinach, pumpkin, string beans, carrots

Fruits – mango, guava, orange, pineapple, cherry, papaya (paw paw)

Food from Animals – beef, fish, poultry, eggs, pork, milk, cheese

Fats and Oils – vegetable oil, butter, coconut oil

You should also bear in mind that different combinations of food groups are required for persons with dietary restrictions or preferences. Serving sizes may also vary.

3.  Stick to Recommended Serving Sizes

The sources of nutrients outlined above contain functions ranging from energy supply to disease prevention and should be consumed in recommended portions/servings to discourage nutritional imbalances or even over nutrition. This may look like reducing the amount of menu options available. For instance, having macaroni pie, corn pie and lasagne on the menu in addition to one or more rice dishes, steamed provisions and green banana salad ma be considered “doing the most”. This encourages overeating as we are naturally inclined to want to try a little bit of everything. Even more dangerous is the fact that these six or more items are all classified into a single food group.

4. Ensure Food Safety and Quality 

In our experience as event caterers, there is likely to be an initial gathering of guests at the food table, often returning for seconds, after which leftovers may be packed up to go. For events with set time limits, recommended serving sizes should be considered while planning menus as persons may not be able to reasonably consume all the food prepared in a single sitting. It is great to have food leftover for the next day, especially if you are at home. However, if your celebration is catered at an event location, where food will be packaged and transported without adequate temperature control or monitoring, there is a risk of food deterioration with the passage of time, especially from bacteria. 

At this time when our health is an absolute priority, it is of utmost importance that we keep menus fresh and in so doing – healthy. This is true whether we are cooking our own food or using the professional services of a caterer. Since our actions are our future, we are reminded to support our local food service industry, maintain a nutritionally adequate diet, stick to recommended serving sizes and ensure food safety and quality. With these pro tips, we are guaranteed to ensure that ourselves, our families, friends and guests are well fed and satisfied with balanced meals.