While the typical growing season for many fruits and vegetables begins in November, there are still plenty of items you can use in your nutrition planning available here in Grand Cayman. Taking advantage of these locally sourced items is the theme of our post today! We are going to run though a few of the readily available local fruits and vegetables and how to best incorporate them into a easy and healthy nutritional meal plan.
Let’s start with fruit.
Star fruit
This sweet and sour fruit gets its name from its star-like shape. It is high in fibre and vitamin C. It has a lower calorie count than other fruits and is considered highly nutritious. Here are our favourite ways to add star fruit to our nutritional planning:
- Slice and eat it on its own.
- Add it to salads or other fresh dishes.
- Turn it into pies or puddings.
- Add it to stews and curries.
- Make jam, jelly, or chutney.
- Juice it and drink it as a beverage.
Breadfruit
Breadfruit is “a large, round, usually seedless fruit with a starchy pulp. Although it is technically a fruit, it is typically eaten as a side dish much like a potato would be. It is most commonly enjoyed alongside fish, with gravy or with fried chicken, but can also be the main ingredient in many delicious desserts as well. Breadfruit is a heart-healthy food that is high in antioxidants and amino acids. One of our favourites is this breadfruit salad.
How about those veggies..
Cayman vegetables are abound. The most popular include cassava, yellow squash, avocados, calabash, spring onions, tomatos, peas, chili peppers and callaloo which is a Caribbean spinach.
Callaloo
Callaloo leaves are packed with nutritional benefits. The leaves contain large amounts of vitamins A, B, and C and are high in fiber, iron, and calcium.
Calabash
Calabash is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Calcium, Magnesium and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin C, Potassium and Zinc.
Fresh and delicious, there are a variety of ways you can incorporate these local flavours into your nutritional planning, here are a few of our favourites:
From the Sea!
Conch
The conch season is just about to start, which means so many amazing conch inspired recipes. Conch is a great source of healthy protein with approximately 13g per 3 ounce serving. It is also high in folate and vitamin E and smaller amounts of of iron, potassium and vitamin B12. Bring on the Conch Fritters!
Turtle
Due to their abundance, turtles became an essential food for many Caymanians when other sources of meat were harder to come by. Although this isn’t necessarily the case anymore, it is considered a delicacy by many. Turtle meat has a lot of protein but very little fat and almost no carbohydrates. It is also a source of several micronutrients – including selenium, vitamin B12, iron, potassium, thiamine, riboflavin and zinc. As a result, Turtle stew is definitely one of our go to meals.
Lobster
Soon it will be lobster season, which means fresh lobster will soon be available! Lobster is a great source of copper and selenium. They also contains zinc, phosphorus, vitamin B12, magnesium, vitamin E, and a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Cayman-style lobster is our favourite!
These are just a few of the seasonal local foods available to bring into your nutritional planning, but as you know, The Cayman Islands are rich with many other healthy and nutritious options to add to your nutritional planning.
If you have any questions about how nutritional planning can help with your injury recovery, please do not hesitate to reach out!