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The Bahamian Eating Habit

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The Bahamian Eating Habit
Bahamian Eating Habits:

Healthy
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Vs. Unhealthy
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Presented By: Italia Douglas
Student Number: 000-04-8030
Course: Nutrition 100-4
Date: Wednesday 17th, October 2012.
Table of Contents

1. Introduction 3 2. Healthy Eating Habits 4 3. Unhealthy Eating Habits 4. Conclusion 5. References

Introduction

“Conch salads, conch fritters, oh so many things to eat. Crack conch and scorch conch all adds up to a Bahamian treat,” according to Shamara Curry (2009).

The Bahamian culture is filled with customs and heritage. It’s rich and diverse displayed by the way we dress, our music, along with the island-flavored foods that we eat. Delicacies such as conch salad, crack lobster, conch fritters and guava duff are local and international favorites. As Bahamians, some of us live a healthy lifestyle and some of us do not. This can be seen with reference to our eating habits. These patterns are developed over time from the diets that we maintain. A diet is the kind of food that a person habitually eats (Webster’s Dictionary, 2002). Some foods may be good and provide us with nutritional value, while others may have little or no nutritional content. We all need to eat in order for growth and maintenance of the body. Our diets determine our lifestyle whether it’s healthy or unhealthy. The foods that make up our daily diet are broken down into portions. A portion is the amount of food chosen to eat for a meal or snack (Webster’s Dictionary, 2002). Derived from these portions are servings which are an exact measure of food for a meal or snack, i.e. slice of bread or a cup of water. Moreover, the way we also prepare our meals contribute to the habits that we develop. Many may prefer foods that are baked, grilled or broiled (healthy choices) or deep fried (unhealthy choice). How we also consume these meals and when we do can also play a role into our eating habits. Next to this, cultural influences such as



References: Curry, Shamara. (2009). I am Proud to Be a Bahamian Poem. Dold and Foster. (2007. The Rough Guide to The Bahamas. (page 32). Maura, Matt. (2011). Ministry of Health to unleash major campaign against obesity in 2011. Bahamas Information Services Updates. Retrieved from: http://www.thebahamasweekly.com/publish/bis-news-updates/Ministry_of_Health_to_unleash_major_campaign_against_obesity_in_201113882.shtml. Webster, C (Ed.). (2002). Webster’s Dictionary (4th Edition, volumes 1-4). Chicago: Webster Press.

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