Trini Foods Part I: Healthier Cooking

Thabang Mokoena

Trinis love food. Our ancestors taught us lots about cooking and flavour, and whilst they themselves were usually in good health, let's face it: they led very different lives from that of modern-day. They were often outdoors and did labour-intensive work. Many of us today have sedentary jobs and walk much less than the old days as we have better access to transport. Some of our local foods, though delicious, might not always be the healthiest of options. That being said, here are some ways common Trini meals could be tweaked so that they land a little more on the healthy side.

Mix grains into doughs

Adding grains and other meals to doughs is a great way to increase fibre and protein in roti and other breads. For every cup of flour, try mixing in a quarter cup of flax meal, oat meal or even wheat germ. You can also substitute white flour with whole wheat flour, which is more nutritious and contains almost 5 times as much dietary fibre. Even mixing white and whole-wheat half and half will add a nutritional kick.

Omit oil from stews/curries

When stewing meats, you can brown sugar without using oil. The heat from a sufficiently hot pot will melt the sugar allowing you to achieve the same browning efffect as with oil. There isn't really much of a taste difference either. Similarly, curry paste will roast without the use of oil as well. This is a great way to reduce the amount of added fat in the meal.

Use fresh produce

Did you know that cutting fruits and vegetables can lead to nutrient loss? Antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E are leeched once the flesh inside is exposed. Furthermore, water-soluble vitamins like B-complex and vitamin C can be lost when they are washed. Blanching leads to a further vitamin loss before produce is frozen for preservation. It's best, therefore, as far as possible, to use fresh produce. Our tropical climate allows us to grow many of the fruits and veggies we use for cooking in our backyards year-round, and picking them off the tree right before use is best.

Chad Stembridge

As I mentioned in the first post, the journey to health should be something you enjoy. The goal isn't to force yourself to health military style, but to make small changes to your existing lifestyle that will ultimately usher you in the right direction. These are suggestions for small changes in your cooking that can go a long way in achieving full-body health, by not forbidding but rather controlling already formed habits. What did you think of these? You can check out part two here, where we look at ways to make better Trini food choices when buying out.

Stay peaceful,

Lexxie