Trini Foods Part II: Healthier Pickings

In part one of this post, we looked at ways that Trini meals can be prepared for a healthier spin. The next few tips give some pointers on how you can make better picks when choosing which foods to go for. Let's jump right in.

Limit starchy foods
If minimizing carbs, some dishes are best enjoyed in moderation. Some high-carb trini foods include:

• flour-based foods: roti, doubles, pholourie, accra bake, dumplings, parsad
• rice and pastas: plain, pelau, sweet rice, macaroni pie
• starchy vegetables: aloo (potato), yam, plantains, pumpkin, corn
• starchy legumes: channa (chickpeas), green peas, red (kidney) beans, black-eyed peas (cowpeas), lentils, dhal (split-peas) and dhal-based soups (like corn coup)
• cornmeal-based foods: pastelles, coo-coo

Less starchy chokas like tomato, baigan (eggplant), bhaji (spinach/taro leaves), ochro (okra) and other low-carb eats like callaloo and curried meats (vs stewed, which contain sugar) tend to be better options.

Snack responsibly
We all have our snack cravings, and we do indeed have some scrumptious options locally. However, a little splurge doesn't have to go too far. 

• Don’t add condensed milk to snow cones. Snow cones are already concentrated in sugar (about 20g per snow cone), and the little condensed milk on top basically doubles this figure (per 2tbsp), while adding large amounts of saturated fat as well.
• Similarly, avoid condensed milk in punches. If you really look at the vendors making them, you'll be alarmed at the amount added per serving. I always ask that they use less condensed milk, and no glucose, which makes for a less sweet but still tasty punch. I also try to avoid higher-carb options like peanut, carrot, channa and fig, and opt for flavours like beet root, linseed and seamoss.
• As with all snacks, practice moderation. We tend to enjoy a lot of sugary snacks in T&T: sugar cakes; sweet bread; currant rolls, fruit cake; kurma and gulab jamun, which are coated in sugar; preserved fruits, which are boiled in syrup; jilebi and rasgulla, which are soaked in syrup; snow cones, which basically are syrup...so be sure to regulate your helpings of these!

Balance meals with salads

This is important for everyone, not just those on special diets. Balancing meals is a big part of leading a healthy lifestyle, and oftentimes, Trinis eat little to no vegetables with their meals. Why not try cutting down your helping of dhal and rice, and make up the volume with sliced cucumbers? Have some watercress with your roti and curried duck. Having a bake and shark? Load up on veggies (and try not to overload with sauces). Making pelau? Try a coleslaw made with light mayo on the side.

Petra Cigale

These small changes can make a big difference in your health, especially when we stop to recognize just how many Trini foods aren't actually the best of options. As I mentioned, eating healthy shouldn't be about forbidding yourself from eating what you like, but rather having control and knowing how much and how often certain foods should be a part of your diet.

What did you think of these tips. Have you tried any? Drop a comment below!

Stay peaceful,

Lexxie