Satisfy your tastebuds with some local favourites

By Cherice Bronte-Tinkew, RD

Here in the Caribbean, there are so many different fruits and vegetables. The variety allows us to create many different recipes to satisfy our tastebuds. The variety of fruits and vegetables provide us with a variety of nutrients, too. Let’s talk about some of the local favourites.

Seamoss

Seamoss is a marine vegetable with a gelatinous structure. It contains dietary fibre, iodine, phosphorus, calcium, potassium and magnesium. The dietary fibre is great for our digestive tract, acting as a prebiotic to feed the good bacteria present in the tract. This helps us to have regular bowel movements and reduce inflammation.
It is a very low-calorie item but is typically added to other ingredients to create refreshing beverages. Famously, seamoss punch is made with seamoss soaked in water to produce the consistency of a gel, then adding milk, oats or granola, sugar or sweetened condensed milk and nutmeg or cinnamon. Low fat options can include skimmed or low-fat milk or low-fat plain yogurt.
Fruits provide natural sugars such as bananas and pineapple which can take the place of the sugar or sweetened condensed milk to reduce added sugars too. Seamoss can be blended with lime juice or watermelon juice or pineapple juice too as a non-dairy refreshing drink.

Avocado

Avocado is plentiful as soon as the rainy season starts. Trees are producing and hopefully neighbours are sharing. It is a fruit but it’s a great source of healthy fats. These healthy fats are monounsaturated fats and plant sterols which helps to reduce the LDL cholesterol (aka ‘bad cholesterol’) levels.
The taste is not as exciting as other fruits but the creamy texture makes it so versatile to add to different recipes. Avocado contains a source of dietary fibre too. Half of a medium size avocado has five grams of dietary fibre. It can be added to dessert recipes for brownies, ice cream, puddings or mousse taking the place of butter and cream.

Soursop

The name appears on any local ice cream shop menu. Soursop goes by the name guanabana in South American countries. This large green spikey fruit contains a sweet and sour white pulp on the inside. It is a local favourite in juices, ice cream and smoothies. Time must be taken to remove the black seeds as they contain a toxin and must never be eaten.
There have been claims soursop contains cancer cell killing properties, but these were animal studies and more research is needed to confirm findings.
One cup of soursop pulp contains seven grams of dietary fibre, and it has antioxidant properties, good sources of potassium and Vitamin C. Like the other favourite foods above, its nutrient content supports heart health.
Pineapple

This sweet and tangy fruit is grown right here in Trinidad and Tobago. Even though it looks like one whole fruit it is actually a cluster of berries. Usually, it is an ingredient for chow, a tasty snack on a hot day. It contains many helpful nutrients such as Vitamin C, potassium, and Vitamin B6.
The enzyme bromelain helps with digestion by breaking down protein to be absorbed easier and decreasing bloating. Pineapple can be used in beverages, salsas, marinades and desserts.

Cherice Bronte-Tinkew has been a registered dietitian for over nine years. She is a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Nutritionists and Dietitians.
For more information: Facebook and Instagram pages @JustCherNutrition.
Email- justchernutri@gmail.com

Recipe: Pineapple and Seamoss Refresher
Ingredients:
½ cup of seamoss
1 cup of 100% pineapple juice
¼ cup of club soda or mineral sparkling water
1 teaspoon of lime juice
1 passion fruit—remove pulp (optional)
Ice cubes (optional if items are cold)
Method:
1. Soak seamoss in water overnight. Drain and pulse in blender to form a thick gel.
2. Blend all the ingredients.
3. Serve chilled.