Table 4.
Key recommendations, organized by theme and country (author’s translations), in current dietary guidelines in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean
| Message theme | Cuba | Puerto Rico | Dominican Republic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diet-based | |||
| Variety | A varied diet during the day is enjoyable and necessary for your health | ||
| Breakfast | A good day starts with breakfast. Consume some food in the morning | ||
| Food-based | |||
| Cereals/starch | Eat whole grains and a variety of viandas † | Consume cereals or viveres † at breakfast, lunch and dinner every day to maintain your energy | |
| Protein sources | Fish and chicken are the healthiest meats | Eat lean meats and poultry, fish, seafood, legumes and seeds | Increase the consumption of beans and other grains, fish, egg and dairy to preserve healthy bones and organs |
| Dairy | Drink milk, eat cheese and other dairy products with no fat or low in fat | ||
| Vegetables | Eat vegetables every day. Fill yourself with life | Make sure that half of the plate is fruits and vegetables Pick produce of every colour | Add five fruits and vegetables of different colours and taste a day to fill yourself with health and life |
| Fruits | Eat fresh fruits and your vitality will increase | ||
| Water | Drink water with meals and throughout the day | Drink at least eight glasses of water a day because it is a warranty for life | |
| Fats/oil/high-fat foods | Prefer vegetable oils. Lard is too costly for your health | Eat lean meats and poultry, fish, seafood, legumes and seeds Drink milk, eat cheese and other dairy products with no fat or low in fat | Eat less sugars, fats and fried foods (frituras) to avoid fatness (gordura) |
| Sugar | Lower your sugar consumption | ||
| Salt | Lower your salt consumption. Start by not adding it at the table | ||
| Fortified foods | Eat fortified foods to give quality to your life | ||
| Other | |||
| Food safety | Washing your hands with soap and water before each meal is a choice of life | ||
| Breast-feeding/child nutrition* | Give maternal milk since birth because is the first and main food | ||
| Add little by little and after 6 months the foods from the pilón for a good nutrition | |||
| Weight | Know the healthy weight for your height. Keep in shape | ||
| Physical activity | Accumulate 30 min of physical activity for adults and 60 min for children every day | Exercise every day to give wellness to your life | |
*
The present analysis focuses on general population messages; therefore breast-feeding and child nutrition are included in the ‘other’ category.
†
Víveres and viandas refer to starchy root crops such as potato, plantain, taro root, etc.