Happy Friday Food Fun Day!! {I know, that’s corny, but I’ll be sharing recipes with you on Fridays.}
So, I’ve developed a routine over my many years of being Vegan {when I became Vegan}. During Fall and Winter, I try to continue my Summer routine of sticking to as much fresh food as possible. Although I do indulge in pasta, rice, and other grain dishes, I do my best to keep it at a minimum {you know, starches end up converting to harmful sugars that lead to diabetes, etc..}.
Here are some, often overlooked, substantive produce items that may serve as main dishes; replacing those starches and grains. By the way, these fruits and veggies are nutritious, delicious, and filling!
I’m talking about what’s commonly referred to in *the Caribbean as “ground food” or “provisions”. These are root vegetables and tubers, like: dasheens, eddoes, yucca, cassava, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams. Ground food is high in mineral content, calcium, and other bone-building nutrients. To learn the difference between sweet potato & yam {from one of my old blogs}.
Plantain, green banana, and breadfruit are usually cooked along with provisions- adding vitamins that pair well with the minerals found in said ground food. {Plantain and banana grow as plants. Breadfruit comes from a tree. These are not ground foods, btw}.
Ground fruits {a term I made up- I think!} are what I’m calling yummy squashes, of limitless varieties. They grow on vines in patches on the ground. Some of these are butternut, acorn, pumpkin, dumpling, hubbard, delicata, and kabocha. These fruits {and most ground food} are excellent starter foods for babies, as they’re high in Vitamins A, D, K, {yes, D & K!}, and various minerals. Roots and ground fruits are formative/building- block foods. Uncut/opened, all of them can be stored in a mildly cool space outside the fridge or in a drawer inside the fridge. They’ll last for 3-8 weeks, or more.
Provisions and ground fruits may be roasted, stewed, and boiled {even fried, if you must!}. Prepare them to stand alone as a main dish, a soup, or combine them in mains, soups, or stews. Roasting is my preference; except for green bananas, which I always boil and add coconut milk, evoo and/or coconut oil, and spices {sometimes I fry them}.
For a well-balanced meal, make a plate of provisions, ground fruit, sautéed or steamed greens, and a fresh salad! Try this for a week’s worth of meals. You’ll notice how fit and energetic you’ll feel.
*You’ll notice that I reference “the Caribbean” a lot. That’s because one of my parents is from a Caribbean island, I used to live there, I practiced a RasTafarI way of life, and sometimes I speak RasTafarI. Anywho, enjoy your provisions!! 😉
