Planning diet for Caribbean Islands

Caribbean cuisine is a fusion of African, Amerindian, European, East Indian, and Chinese cuisine. These traditions were brought from the many homelands of this region's population. In addition, the population has created styles that are unique to the region. 

The ancestors of many Caribbean islanders were brought as slaves to work on the sugarcane plantations. In the New World, their traditional African cuisines integrated new flavors both from their new environment and from the cuisines of various European colonial powers.

The people of this region eat lots of vegetables and meat. They generally love to eat spicy foods, Thus in their soups and salad various aromatic spices are used. Apart from that they use to take raw fruits and salad during the lunch and dinner. Various curry dishes enriched with so many spices are also included in their meal. Generally goat meat, pork and beef are the favorite meat items of the Caribbean people. They usually end up their lunch or dinner with various desserts. Various fruit desserts are also very popular here.

The food of the Caribbean can be highly spiced. The Scotch bonnet, a colorful pepper with a hot aroma, is widely used in soups, salads, sauces, and marinades. Some other important spices are annatto, curry, pimento, cinnamon, and ginger. Annatto seeds are often steeped in oil and used to flavor soups, stews, and fish dishes. Curry powder is made from a variety of freshly grounded spices. Curry dishes and hot sauces, which are used regularly in cooking, were brought to the islands by Indian settlers. 

Common food choices associated within cultural group.

Grain group: cassava bread, cornmeal (surrulitos), oatmeal, rice, wheat products.

Vegetable group: arracacha, arrowroot, black-eyed peas, cabbage, calabaza, callaloo, cassava, chilies, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, malangas, okra, onions, palm hearts, peppers, radishes, spinach, squashes, sweet potatoes, taro and yams.

Fruit group: acerola cherries, akee, avocadoes, bananas, breadfruit, caimito, cherimoya, citron, coconuts, cocoplum, gooseberries, granadilla, grapefruit, guava, guanabana, jackfruit, kumquats, lemons, limes, mamey, mangoes, oranges, papayas, pineapples plantains, pomegranates, raisins, sapodilla, sugar cane, tamarind.

Milk, yogurt and cheese group: cheese and milk.

Meat, fish, eggs and nuts group: beef, goat, pork, chicken, turkey, a variety of fish, shellfish, legumes.

Fats and sweets group: butter, coconut oil, lard, olive oil. Sugar cane products.