Cuban Food & Nutrition

by Kristi Miller

Overview

To combat some nutritional deficiencies and obesity in the population, the Cuban government is working on promoting a healthier way of eating that is more in line with how native Cubans ate in the past.
History

Before Christopher Columbus claimed Cuba for Spain, Cuban natives ate fish from the seas and grew corn, beans, sweet potatoes, yucca, cassava, tomatoes and pineapples.

Origin

Today's Cuban food is shaped by immigrants from Spain, Africa and China. A typical Cuban meal might include roast pork or chicken, rice, beans, yucca (a starchy succulent), sugar and coffee. Fruits and non-starchy vegetables are rarer.
Soviet Influence

In the 1990s, the Soviets cut off economic aid and subsidies that Cuban farmers relied on to grow crops. When this happened, the variety and quantity of food available to Cubans decreased, according to a report by U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Habit

There is a shortage of fruits and vegetables outside of the growing season and Cuban people are not used to eating them in sufficient quantities, according to a study. About one-fourth of all Cubans eat a diet high in lard, butter, sugar and rice. Cuba has higher per capita sugar consumption than any other country in the world.
Goals

The country's National Food and Nutrition Programme is working to improve nutrition in its population and hopes to decrease sugar consumption, reduce fat intake, increase fish consumption and increase available fruits and vegetables during the year.

Overview