September 27, 2024 Rediscovering Caribbean roots

“Get back to your roots” is a message that I have internalized since 2020. It has affected many aspects of my life, including my hairstyle, where I work and how I eat. In Canada, when we think of root vegetables, we think of foods like potatoes, carrots, beets and turnips. In the Caribbean, where my family is from, they include foods like cassava (also called manioc or yuca), sweet potato and eddo (also called taro or dasheen). These root vegetables are often classified as part of a food group called “ground provisions,” which also include green bananas, plantain and dumplings. 

Nowadays, though, root vegetables are less common in Caribbean cuisine than fried or boiled dumplings, festivals, johnny cakes and hard dough bread (also called hardo bread). These white flour-based bread products are low in fibre, making it harder to manage blood sugar (glucose) and increasing the risk of constipation. Root vegetables, by contrast, are high in soluble fibre, a type of fibre that helps with blood sugar control, cholesterol management and digestion. 

Canada’s Food Guide encourages people to fill a quarter of their plate with whole grains (along with a quarter plate for protein, and half a plate filled with fruits and vegetables).

For Caribbean people living in Canada and people of Caribbean descent—and anyone who wants to enjoy Caribbean cuisine—ground provisions (especially root vegetables and green bananas) can be a great alternative to whole grains, as they affect blood sugar in a similar way due to their high starch and high fibre content.

Jennifer Buccino, a registered dietitian and Diabetes Canada’s executive director for diabetes knowledge & connection, seconds that suggestion. “Enjoying ground provisions as an alternative to whole grains is a great way for people of African or Caribbean descent to include familiar cultural foods while managing their diabetes.”

 

Ground provisions 101

Cassava

Bammy, one of my favourite Jamaican foods, is made with cassava, a nutty-flavoured root vegetable. It is first dried and grated, then formed into a round flatbread that is usually about twice the thickness of an average pancake. Growing up, my parents served it to me for breakfast along with ackee and saltfish (which I did not like), as a reminder of my Jamaican heritage (and because they liked it!). The greens of the cassava plant are also edible and are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and fibre.

Sweet potato

When you think of sweet potato, what colour is it? If you said orange, you are not thinking of Jamaican sweet potato, which has a red skin and white or yellow flesh, and is drier and starchier than orange sweet potato. When you ask most Jamaicans, “What do you make with sweet potato?” their first answer will probably be, “Sweet potato pudding.” This is a dessert made with sweet potato, yam, brown sugar and white flour. While this pudding is high in both sugar and starch, there are many other ways to use sweet potato, such as in soups and stews, that don’t require added sugars and can have lots of vegetables and lean protein to better manage your blood sugar.

Eddo

Eddo is not a root vegetable I grew up eating—my friend (and flavour profile connoisseuse) Nicole Baptiste recently introduced me to it as we were developing the recipes that follow. It is an excellent source of fibre and contains high amounts of vitamin C, vitamin B6 and vitamin E. In addition, it contains numerous minerals, including manganese, potassium, copper, phosphorus and folate, all of which are important for maintaining good nutrition.

Green banana

When I was growing up, green banana was boiled and served as an alternative to potatoes. I wasn’t a fan of it then, but I’ve recently rediscovered it and now I like it best boiled and mashed with a little bit of butter. It can also be used in porridges, soups, stews and fries (try it in your air fryer!).

Recipes

If you’re not already familiar with these dishes, here are three delicious and nutritious staples you’ll want to have on your go-to list. These dishes feature Jamaican sweet potato, yam, eddo and green banana. I hope you try them and discover (or rediscover) some tasty roots!

Eddoes and Green Bean Casserole

This dish pairs perfectly with steamed fish, grilled chicken, or your favourite lean vegetarian protein dish. If you want some extra crunch, crush 4-6 whole grain crackers and sprinkle them on top of the white sauce before adding the shredded cheese. (This will increase the carbohydrate content of the recipe, so you may need to reduce your portion size.)

• 6-7 small eddoes 
• 14 oz. (400 g) green beans, trimmed and sliced
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) milk, warm
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, puréed
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) white flour
• 1 cup (250 mL) milk (or dairy-free milk alternative)
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) black pepper
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
• ½ cup (125 mL) cheddar cheese, grated (approx., divided)

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease an 8 in. square (2 L) casserole dish.

Place eddoes in a medium pot and fill with enough water to cover (about 4 cups/1 L). Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat; cover pot, reduce heat to medium and boil for 30-45 minutes. Eddoes are done when a fork can be easily inserted into them. 

While eddoes are cooking, place a steamer basket over a separate pot of boiling water, and steam green beans for about 5 minutes. 

When eddoes are cooked, drain water and place eddoes on a plate to cool. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel and mash. Add warm milk and stir to make a creamy mashed consistency.

Spoon mashed eddoes into greased casserole dish and spread evenly. Spread green beans evenly overtop.

In a small saucepan, prepare a basic white sauce by melting butter over low heat. Add puréed onions and flour, and whisk until bubbling. Remove from heat and add milk slowly while stirring. Return to stove on low heat and whisk constantly until milk comes to a boil; about 10 min. Boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Add pepper and salt. 

Whisk in ¼ cup (50 mL) grated cheese until cheese is fully melted and mixture is smooth and creamy.

Pour sauce over green beans, then sprinkle remaining ¼ cup (50 mL) cheese evenly overtop.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Makes 6 servings

Nutritional breakdown per serving: 50 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 8 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 8 g fibre, 190 mg sodium, 290 calories

Green Banana and Cod Cups

These make great grab-and-go breakfast bites! When stored in an air-tight container, they can be refrigerated for three to five days, or frozen for about three months. Reheat in either the microwave or toaster oven until the centre is warmed through (my preference is the toaster oven for a nice crispy crust).

To reduce sodium content and prep time, you can try using defrosted or fresh cod instead of salted cod and skip the boiling step at the beginning of the recipe. 

• 7 oz. (200 g) salted cod fish
• 6 medium green bananas
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp (20 mL) oil (preferably olive or avocado oil), divided
• 2 onions, diced
• 4-5 green onions, thinly chopped
• 2 Trinidadian pimento peppers or ½ sweet green pepper (seeds removed), diced
• 1 bunch baby spinach (about 4 cups/1 L chopped)
• 2 tsp (10 mL) Caribbean green seasoning mix*
• ½ tsp (2 mL) paprika
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) milk (or dairy-free milk alternative beverage), warm
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ tsp (2 mL) ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup (75 mL) grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to (180°C). Grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

Place cod in a medium pot with about 3 cups (750 mL) water. Bring water to a boil on the stove and boil for 10 minutes. Discard water after 10 minutes and repeat process twice more (a total of 3 pots of boiling water) to remove excess salt from the cod. After the third boiling, drain water, allow cod to cool, and break into small pieces.

While cod is cooking, remove tops and bottoms of bananas, and make one lengthwise cut through the skin of each banana. Place bananas in a separate large pot; fill with enough water to fully cover (about 1.5 L water) and add 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil. Bring water to a boil and boil for 30-40 minutes (until both the skin and the flesh of the banana are easily pierced with a fork).

Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, heat remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) oil over medium heat. Add diced onions, green onions and pimento peppers; sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Add baby spinach to skillet and cook until wilted and bright green (3-4 minutes). Remove from skillet and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat boiled and drained cod pieces, green seasoning mix and paprika over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add spinach mixture back to skillet and combine with cod mixture.

Peel bananas and mash with warm milk until smooth and creamy. Divide banana mixture evenly among muffin cups; press down mixture in each cup with fingers or a spoon to line the bottom and sides of cups to make a crust.

Bake tart crusts in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and fill each cup evenly with spinach and cod mixture.

Beat eggs with black pepper; pour evenly into muffin cups to cover the cod and spinach mixture.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with grated cheese and return to oven for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

_{*You can buy pre-made Caribbean green seasoning, or make it yourself by mixing half of each of the following in a blender or food processor: bunch of parsley, red bell pepper and green bell pepper; plus one of each of the following: bunch of cilantro, head of garlic, celery stalk, onion and habanero pepper; plus four scallions and 12 sprigs of thyme.} 

Makes 6 servings (2 muffin cups/serving)

Nutritional breakdown per serving: 33 g carbohydrate, 28 g protein, 9 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 5 g fibre, 700 mg sodium, 320 calories

Black Bean and Ground Provision Stew

This stew freezes well when stored in an airtight container; keep it handy for up to three months whenever you need a quick weeknight meal or a hearty lunch.

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil (preferably olive or avocado)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium Jamaican sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 2 small Canadian sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• ~½ lb. (225 g) yellow yam, peeled and chopped
• 1 large Trinidadian pimento pepper or 1/4 sweet green pepper (seeds removed), diced
• 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
• ⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) crushed chili flakes
• ⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) ground cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) ground coriander
• ½ tsp (2 mL) ground paprika
• 6 pimento berries (allspice)
• 1 tsp (5 mL) fresh Jamaican thyme, minced
• 1 tsp (5 mL) Caribbean green seasoning mix* 
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp (2 mL) ground black pepper
• 1 carton (~1 L) no-salt-added chicken stock 
• 1 chocho (chayote squash), peeled and chopped
• 1 can (19 oz./540 mL) black beans, liquid drained and rinsed
• ¾ tsp (4 mL) salt

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté onions for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add Jamaican and Canadian sweet potatoes, yam, pimento pepper, cumin, chili flakes, cayenne, coriander, paprika, pimento berries, Jamaican thyme, green seasoning mix, bay leaf, pepper and chicken stock to pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 45 minutes.

Add chocho and black beans to pot and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Add salt and adjust other seasoning to taste. Remove bay leaf from pot and discard before serving.
 
_{* You can buy pre-made Caribbean green seasoning, or make it yourself by mixing half of each of the following in a blender or food processor: bunch of parsley, red bell pepper and green bell pepper; plus one of each of the following: bunch of cilantro, head of garlic, celery stalk, onion and habanero pepper; plus four scallions and 12 sprigs of thyme.} 

Makes 6 servings

Nutritional breakdown per serving: 32 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 2.5 g total fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 7 g fibre, 440 mg sodium, 170 calories

Did you know?

If you’re looking for more inspiration, Diabetes Canada offers a range of healthy meal-planning tools including various plant-forward, carbohydrate-balanced and culturally inspired recipes and meal plans. For another culturally relevant resource, look for the 7-Day Caribbean Healthy Meal Plan. Check out our Meal Planning section for more ideas.


Zoe Barnett is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with over a decade of experience working as a community dietitian. She is currently working in Toronto.