A recipe roundup consisting of Caribbean and Caribbean inspired recipes that are not only delicious but are more low in carb making them perfect for any new year healthy eating lifestyle goals.
I know for many people that the start of the new year means throwing out old habits and making new positives changes.
One of those changes tends to be centred around healthy eating, whether it's improving your overall wellbeing, focusing more on nutrition, making dietary changes in the form of weight loss or maybe you just want to explore alternative options.
Whatever the reason, I have tailored this roundup of recipes that are great for assisting that healthy, positive change.
Most of the recipes that are including in this roundup have a more high protein/high fat, low-moderate carbohydrate ratio.
This is especially great for people who want to loose weight but don't know where to start of just feel a bit overwhelmed.
Cauliflower rice is including in this roundup and although this is NOT exclusive to the Caribbean culture it is a great substitute to rice (a Caribbean staple) which can be paired with a plethora of recipes.
Have you tried making your own saltfish from scratch? Making your own saltfish is easy, it rids the use of refined table salt and focuses on using unrefined Himalayan pink salt which has an abundance of health properties.
Albeit not a traditional Caribbean dessert, papaya (paw paw) is widely eaten throughout the Caribbean.
This coconut infused dessert is perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth without compromising any dietary changes.
Just as tasty as the real thing without the excess starch (carbs), I promise you that the cauliflower is well seasoned not tasteless, so much so that you won't even miss actual rice grains.
Saturday soup doesn't have to consist of soup with endless amounts of starchy vegetables. While starch enriched foods are beneficial to our wellbeing ( good carbs yield energy), you should reduce your intake if you want to loose weight (leftover/unused carbs can attribute to weight gain) .
This is where my low carb Jamaican beef soup comes in handy, rather than the soup being overloaded with ground provisions, it includes low carb vegetables which is great for people who want to have their Saturday soup without worrying about the calories/ carb intake.
Buljol is the perfect seafood Trinidadian breakfast, it's naturally low in carb, made with my D.I.Y saltfish with an admixture of peppers and avocado for moderate levels of good fats. Also ideal if you are Caribbean and follow a keto lifestyle.
Still one of my most popular Jamaican low carb side dishes, similar to callaloo, it pairs well with so many dishes and another weight loss must try.
Guyanese Chow Mein (Low Carb, GF)
This popular Guyanese chow mein dish is low in carb by omitting the egg noodles (which contain gluten) and replaces seem with zucchini (courgette) noodles making it grain free aslong with being low in carb! It's winner!
Not Traditional but very much a Caribbean inspired soup bowl with high levels of protein, moderate good fats from the use of coconut and low in carb because it's free from any starch enriched vegetables.
While some people may turn their nose up at sprats due to their appearance. I say, don't judge a book by its cover, the proof is in the taste!
No more snacking on sweets, make a batch of sprats which will help to increase your oily fish/HDL (good fats) intake and keep hunger at bay at the same time.
Who knew the beloved saltfish could be some versatile, try tossing some saltfish in a medley of low carb foods such as tomatoes, bell peppers,carrots, avocado (pear) and lettuce.
Contrary to popular belief Caribbean food doesn't just consist of fried or grilled chicken. Move over fried chicken and say hello to this delicious air fried chicken, just as tasty without the excess amounts of grease.
As mentioned before, although this isn't a Caribbean side dish, cauliflower rice is a great low carb alternative. You can pair this with meat and vegan dishes.
A smoothie made with sea moss gel, mango, pineapple, ginger and coconut water. Great for aiding weight loss.
A delicious Trinidadian style chicken dinner that is cooked in the slow cooker. This is an example of a dish that you can pair with cauliflower rice or vegetables on the side.
The perfect low carb Caribbean side dish, similar to spinach, it pairs very well with so many dishes especially in place of starchy vegetables.
Pair this delicious island style stewed fish with some vegetables i.e callaloo, steamed cabbage if you are a seafood lover who wants to drop some weight.
This recipe blew up (in a good way) when I first posted it last year. If you want to tap into detoxing then I recommend starting with this soup.
I've had some positive emails from fellow readers who have used this recipe to propel their weight loss journey.
Here is a great option for the vegans, although legumes have a slightly higher carb count you can still pair them with leafy greens, cabbage or some cauliflower rice and still include this recipe in your weight loss regime.
Who knew that roasted ackee paired with cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, avocado (pear) and iceberg lettuce can make the perfect healthy salad.
This meat free breakfast has the right balance of everything, you can omit the plantains and focus more on pairing with more avocado, callaloo or even cherry tomatoes.
Here is another high protein, high in fat (good fats) but low in carb seafood dish. Curry cod is a readers favourite. It's so flavoursome, filling and a must try.
This 3 ingredient smoothie (coconut water, ginger and mango) is the perfect detox drink.
A vegan spin on the original rundown recipe, jackfruit is a great meatless low in carb option.
Rundown is traditionally eaten with green bananas, but feel free to go that extra length by pairing with some callaloo or steamed cabbage.
My top Jamaican chicken dinner, thanks to you guys! Another recipe that can be paired with some, okra rice, steamed cabbage, callaloo or a medley of steamed vegetables.
Don't forget to omit the sweet potato if you want to really lower the carb intake some more.
This is a great recipe because the all of the goodness is added to the fish's cavity. Granted you can serve with more vegetables, if you want to, but there's really no need as it's just as filling how it is.
Leave a Reply