The six basic food groups of the Caribbean

A nutritionally adequate diet is based on a wise selection of a variety of foods in moderate amounts. Nutrients required to maintain health are provided by selecting foods from the following groups to meet the recommended number of servings.

1. Staple Foods

(a) Cereals: Bread (from wholegrain or enriched flour), flour, cornmeal, cooked and ready-to-eat cereals, macaroni, spaghetti, rice.

(b) Starchy fruits, roots, tubers and their products: banana, plantain, breadfruit, yam, Irish potato, sweet potato, dasheen, coco/eddoe, cassava.

Nutrients contributed: carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Recommended number of servings per day: four or more

2. Lugumes/Nuts

Red peas, gungo/pigeon peas, black-eye peas, cow peas, split peas, peanuts, other dried peas, beans and nuts.

Nutrients contributed: protein, carbohydrate, the minerals calcium and iron, fibre.

The protein in dried peas, dried beans and nuts is more efficiently utilised by the body if a cereal such as rice or protein food from an animal source is included in the same meal.

Recommended number of servings per day: one or more.

3. Dark Green Leafy, Yellow and Other Non-Starchy Vegetables

Callaloo, spinach, watercress, pak choy, string beans, pumpkin, carrot.

Nutrients contributed: vitamins A, and C, B complex vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Recommended number of servings per day: two or more.

4. Fruits

Mango, guava, orange, pineapple, West Indian cherry, pawpaw.

Nutrients contributed: carbohydrate, vitamin C, vitamin A (yellow fruits), B complex vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Recommended number of servings per day: two or more.

5. Foods from Animals

(a) Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, ham, sausages. Sardines, liver, heart, kidney, tripe, etc.

Nutrients contributed: protein, iron, B complex and fat soluble vitamins and fat. Red meats and organ meats are excellent sources of haeme iron.

(b) Milk-fresh, evaporated, skimmed; yoghurt, cheese.

Nutrients contributed: calcium, protein, vitamins A and D, thiamine, riboflavin, carbohydrate and fat.

Recommended number of servings per day: two or more.

6. Fats

Polyunsaturated: vegetable oils (except coconut oil).

Saturated: butter, margarine, bacon, salt pork, coconut oil, fat on meat, fat in whole milk.

Nutrients contributed: fat, vitamin E, butter and fortified margarine provide vitamins A and E. Most oils do not contain vitamin A.

Recommended number of servings per day: three or more.

Source: The Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute.