The Food Groups of the Caribbean

A food guide demonstrates a set criterion for day-to-day meal/menu planning. It incorporates visual representations of categorised food and their suggested daily allowances or servings. As such, the food guide comes in multiple shapes ranging from a pyramid, wheel, rainbow, pagoda, circle and others.  However, the pyramid seems to be the most popular form for a food guide icon. (See Figure 1. &  2.)

Figure 2. Top L-R: Albania, Romania, Bulgaria & Hungary food guides
Bottom Row: L-R: Austria, Switzerland & Haiti food guides

Figure1. Top L-R: Japan, USA, France & UK  food guides
Bottom Row: L-R: Portugal, Spain & Canada food guides

Food guides vary around the world, with some countries using as little as three groups whilst others use up to seven groups. Regardless, of how many are used they all aim to meet the basic nutritional needs of set populations. Food categories appear grouped according to their primary energy or micronutrient profile. For instance, root crops, cereal grains and starchy fruits are carbohydrate rich and are often categorised together. Bear in mind, this may not hold true for all food guides but for the guide used throughout the English speaking Caribbean, it is. 

The Caribbean Food Guide Icon
(Image source: PAHO/CFNI)

The official food guide of the English speaking Caribbean contains six food groups (See Table 1. below):
① Staples
② Legumes & Nuts (Legumes)
③ Foods from animals 
④ Fruits
⑤ Vegetables
⑥ Fats and Oils (Fats and Substitutes) 
Please note, sugar and sweeteners are not an official food group due to their calorie dense nature and poor micronutrient profiles, but are included in many dietary guidelines used throughout the region. 

The guide takes the shape of a wheel; each segment or spoke represents a different food category and the respective daily allowance. Staples and legumes are the largest segments, signifying their importance in the diet; the energy dense group of fats and oils is the smallest. A 2002 food consumption survey performed in Guyana, revealed the consumption of legumes ranked higher than the consumption of items from the food from animals group (Ramsammy, L 2005). 

The food guide (Caribbean) takes into consideration the best possible food combinations that could be consumed despite  the household budget or when whole food groups are excluded; in the case of vegetarianism, food allergies etc. For instance, Rastafarians- tend to follow a vegan or pescatarian diet; Hindus –tend to follow a vegan, lacto or ovo-lacto vegetarian diet. These factors may or may not be unique to a Caribbean population but are influential in determining the nutritional quality of meals eaten. Hence, the reason the major protein sources are split into two distinctive groups- plant protein (legumes & nuts) and animal protein (foods from animals).  

$30 (US $7) buys 6 pounds (lbs) of  beans & peas or 1lbs of cheese

Understandably, there is a marked difference in the cost of food items between the two groups. Legumes are nutritiously ‘cheap’ foods that fit into the smallest budget when bought in bulk, unlike, many foods in the foods from animals group; these tend to be pricey when bought in relative amounts. However, this cost can become insignificant after applying the multi-mix principle in the meal planning process.

TABLE 1. Shows the Food groups used in the English Speaking Caribbean
Food Groups	Role	Sub-Groups	Examples	Daily Servings
Staples	To provide energy, fibre  & micronutrients	Root crops & Tubers (ground provision), Starchy Fruits & Grains/Cereals	Sweet Potatoes, Dasheen,  Breadfruit, Plantains, Corn, Wheat flour, crackers	6-11
Legumes & Nuts*	To provide protein, fibre & micronutrients	Beans, Peas/pulses, Tree Nuts & Peanuts	Red Beans, Pigeon Peas, Lentils,  Cashews, Peanuts	2-4
Foods from animals	To provide protein & micronutrients	Dairy, Poultry, Red Meats, Offal, Game Meats & Seafood/Shellfish	Milk, Eggs, Chicken, Beef, Liver, Deer, Shark, Shrimp	2-3
Fruits	To provide energy, satisfy sugar cravings,  fibre, micro-nutrients & phytochemicals	Tropical fruits &  Imported fruits	Pomerac (Rose Apple), Mango, Apple, Pear	2-4
Vegetables	To provide fibre, micronutrients & phytochemicals	Dark green, leafy, yellow  &  fruit vegetables	Patchoi (Bok Choy), Bhagi, Watercress,  Carrots, Pumpkin	3-5
Fats, Oils & Substitutes***	To provide energy, fat, micro-nutrients & flavour	Solid (fats), Liquid (oils) & fatty fruits	Butter, Ghee, Lard, Coconut,    Avocado	1-3

*These terms are interchangeable with legumes (legumes & nuts).
*** Fats and Oils is interchangeable with Fats, Oils & Substitutes

** Low-calorie vegetables can be consumed in ‘unlimited’ quantities as long as they are free of added oils & fats. 

Dietary Guidelines for selected Caribbean Countries

It should be noted,  within the English speaking Caribbean,  a country’s local food and nutrition or governing health body is responsible for designing and implementing dietary guidelines specific to their population. As such, Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis, Saint Lucia,  Belize, Saint Vincent the Grenadines (CFNI 2009) and Jamaica (as of 2015) ALL possess national dietary guidelines.
Cuba, Dominican Republic and Venezuela also possess national dietary guidelines, however, they are Spanish-speaking Caribbean countries (Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2009). 

In general, the diverse nature of the region lends itself to dietary guidelines varying from country to country.

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 The following video summarises the 6 basic food groups. 

Please note: The video does not go into details about the actual foods in the food groups 

References:  
1) CFNI. 2009.  Dietary Guidelines. (http://new.paho.org/cfni/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=666&Itemid=226)

2) FAO. 2009. Food-Based Dietary Guidelines. (http://www.fao.org/ag/humannutrition/nutritioneducation/fbdg/49849/en/zaf/)
3) Ramsammy, L. 2005. Caribbean Nutrition Day. (www.health.gov.gy/speeches/Caribbean%20Nutrition%20Day.doc)
4) Nestle's High Five For Life:  http://www.highfiveforlife.com/images/hi_five/food-group.jpg

Related Articles
What is The Multi-Mix Principle? 
Pomerac is a Dieters Best Friend
Food-Based Dietary Guidelines

Tropical Fruit: Guava, The Poor Man's Apple

Guavas grown in the backyard

Guava is a popular tropical fruit that boasts the nutritional ability to reduce and improve serum lipid levels. Guavas come in small, medium and large sizes. They have a cream, yellowish or pinkish internal colour; they have a delicate  texture (over-ripe guavas are somewhat slimey) and are mildly sweet. Guavas have a pungent but fragrant aroma when semi-ripe and over-ripe. They tend to be in season roughly two times per year - January to June and or September to November. (Morton, J. 1987)

How one chooses to enjoy this fruit varies; some prefer to eat the fruit along with its seeds, others prefer to eat the flesh omitting the seeds. The juice of the fruit could be extracted and consumed as is or used to make guava ice-cream/jams/jellies/syrup etc. The guava pulp could be used to make guava paste or guava cheese (thick, brownish sweet paste/jelly). 

Guava halved

The leaves and bark of the guava tree are used in alternative medicine (herbal remedies) to treat hypertension, high cholesterol, selected digestive disorders- intestinal worms, diarrhoea & dysentery and assist in curbing nicotine addiction. According to Dr George Pamplona-Roger, persons wishing to kick their smoking habit should try consuming at least 2 raw guavas daily as a snack or dessert. This should provide more than enough vitamin C to assist in neutralising any nicotine molecules within the blood stream (Roger, George 2004). Research done by Haibach, Homish and Giovino shows smokers with higher fruit and vegetable consumption smoked fewer cigarettes per day. In addition, guava leaves when drunk as a tea  can have an invigorating effect on the body and thus is used to combat physical fatigue (Roger, George 2004).

 Data sourced from: The Nutrient Data Laboratory, USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24 last June10th 2012

All values and weight are for 100 grams of  the edible portion of fruit

* Honeydew melon: 3/4 cup, diced equals about 13 pieces  and  * Cantaloupe melon: 1/8 wedge of large melon 

  
Based on Table 1. Above, guavas are unbelievably high in vitamin C (228 mg per 100 g, amounts to 380% Daily Value), antioxidant lycopene (5,204 mcg per 100g) and fibre in comparison with other fruits; particularly imported fruits. Using Table 1. One can see the nutritional benefits of adding fresh guavas to the daily diet when in season. Guavas are also a good source of potassium, copper, folate, vitamin A especially beta carotene and it is naturally low in sodium (about 1 mg per 100 g) (Refer to Table 1. above). The latter makes it a great snack for persons on low sodium diets. [Note: Guavas with the pink flesh generally have more lycopene than the off-white guavas. Over ripe guavas contain less vitamin C and fibre.] 

However, some may vomit or experience slight nausea after eating a semi-ripe or very ripe guava on an empty stomach. Caution: The seeds of the guava can cause mild constipation, so beware of how much and how often the seeds are consumed. It's best to chew the seeds very well before swallowing. 

In all fairness, guavas are exceptional fruits that provide more nutritional value than most imported fruits; apple or pear, thus giving everyone a reason to actively seek out the fruit when in season.

Abbreviations used in Table 1. 

 Ca= calcium, K = Potassium, P = Phosphorus, Mg= Magnesium, Fe= Iron, Vit C = Vitamin C, Vit K = Vitamin K , Vit A = Vitamin A, RAE = Retinol Activity Equivalents  (mcg RAE),   mcg = micrograms, mg = milligrams

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References: 

1) Roger, George. 2004. The Healing Power of Foods.  p:118-119 

2) Nutrition Data http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1927/2

3) Dweck, Anthony.  A Review of Guava. http://www.dweckdata.com/Published_papers/Psidium_guajava.pdf

4) Morton, J. 1987. Guava. p. 356–363. In: Fruits of warm climates. Julia F. Morton, Miami, FL

5) Jeffrey, Haibach, et al. 2012. A Longitudinal Evaluation of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Cigarette Smoking. Nicotine & Tobacco Research,http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/05/20/ntr.nts130