5 Haitian Home Cooked Meals to Keep You Going

As the connection between staying home and overall health becomes more prevalent, people are increasingly motivated to create Haitian home cooked meals. During this critical time of the year, where restaurants are no longer an option and grocery stores are forced to have limited hours, it’s imperative to draft menus that will benefit us. Good home cooked meals have always been praised. Unfortunately, barriers such as fatigue and time persist to negate its benefits and value. Since time now permits, let’s explore five amazing home cooked meals that are tasty and guarantee to improve one’s health.

1. Legume (Vegetables Stew)– This is a MUST have for a Haitian home cooked meal! This traditional dish is one of many people’s favorites. Ingredients like eggplants, chayote, cabbage, carrots and spinach are the backbone of this tasteful dish. Some people eat it with plantains. However, the best combination is white rice and stew beans.

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Benefits:

1. Eggplants: Reduce the risk of heart disease, controls glucose levels, and helps with weight loss.
2. Chayote: Anti aging, good for the heart, liver, and supports healthy pregnancy.
3. Cabbage: Anti inflammatory, improves the digestive system, helps to control or lower cholesterol levels.

2. Lalo (Jute Leaves stew)- If you are from the Caribbean, specifically Haiti, you are familiar with this dish. Lalo is composed of meat(of one’s choice), crab, jute leaves, watercress, spinach, carrots and some other minor ingredients for taste such as pepper, tomato paste, salt so on and forth. This dish is often served with white rice and stew beans.

Benefits:

1. Jute Leaves: Rich in iron, calcium, vitamin A, C and E, dietary fiber, riboflavin (for metabolism/energy supply) and folate (for cells division and creation of DNA).
2. Watercress: Vitamin K, serves as antioxidant, lower risk of chronic diseases, and also contains an enormous amount of minerals.
3. Spinach: Also have Vitamin A,C and K. It’s beneficial to the eyes, and can reduce high blood pressure.
4. Carrots: Besides the fact that this vegetable is full of vitamins, it helps with weight-loss and lowers cholesterol.

3. Herbed Chicken Marsala– Want something quick yet lovely to your taste buds? Well, there you have it! This special dish embodies fresh mushroom, minced garlic, and onions. For the perfect fit, try some brown rice. You’ll thank me later.

Benefits:

1. Mushroom- The immune system thrives off of this fungi. It’s also a great source of Antioxidant.
2. Garlic- Helps the immune system, fights colds, also it can reduce high blood pressure.
3. Onions: If you do not eat any other vegetables, please, please eat onions. The health benefits of an onion varies from fighting cancer to improving bone density. It also helps strengthen the heart, and can be used as an antibacterial.

4. Winter Squash Lentil Stew– Awake your palate with a flavourful vegan dish. Allow yourself to fall in love with some of the key ingredients in this masterpiece- shallot, fresh ginger, butternut squash, and Lentil.

Benefits:

1. Shallot: This vegetable can be served as a defense mechanism for the body. It helps with blood circulation, diabetes, seasonal allergies, and even lowers the risk of cancer.
2. Ginger- Besides the fact that this vegetable can be used as a medicine to fight colds and flu, it can also be used as a pain relief. It has the potential to settle upset stomachs, nausea, and reduce inflammation in the body.
3. Butternut squash- Another powerful antioxidant that reduces inflammation, and promotes proper circulation in the body.
4. Lentil- The endless list of benefits from this legume is enough to encourage you to consume it often. It supports the digestive system, weight loss, improves heart health, and boosts up your energy, as stated before; the list is pretty lengthy.

5. Fruit Salad– The beauty of fruit salads is that they are versatile. They can be consumed at different times of the day. Fruits are packed with vitamins, fiber and minerals. They also contain natural sugars, and are very fulfilling. A good fruit salad is inspired by a variety of one’s favorite fruits. You want to know a secret? The number one fruit to have in your fruit salad is Papaya.

Benefits:

1. Papaya: Improves digestive and immune system, good for eyes, lowers cholesterol, helps with menstrual pain, arthritis, and bad breath.

There you have it! 5 amazing home cooked meals that will benefit you greatly. Your meals don’t necessarily have to be from the list above. However, it’s good to add two or three of the above vegetables in your daily intake. Lastly, Don’t forget to drink water.