On Guam, we love to eat — and as proud as we are of our barbecue and as much as we love to both laugh at and laud the myriad expressions of our Spam addiction, the resulting dietary habits combined with a variety of other factors have caused lifestyle issues such as diabetes and heart disease to increase. But eating healthy can be expensive! To cut the cost, try sticking to local eats. We have five healthy recipes you can make with local produce. We’re not saying to throw away your barbecue grill. But try mixing things up every once in a while by trying out the recipes below. You might find them delicious enough to forget they’re healthy.
Cucumber Bites
1 local cucumber, sliced
2 local green onion stalks, chopped
1/2 cup local tomatoes, sliced
Sprinkle of paprika
Your favorite tuna salad mix (we used tuna plus veganaise, mustard, salt and pepper)
Lay cucumber slices down and top with tomatoes and tuna salad. Sprinkle with paprika and green onion.
Arugula Kimchi Fish Bake
1 salmon fillet or whole parrot fish
1/2 cup veganaise or mayo
1/4 cup kimchi base
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced local tomatoes
1/2 cup diced local long beans
1 cup arugula
Mix veganaise with kimchi base, onion, garlic, tomatoes, beans and half the arugula. Spread over fish and sprinkle half the remaining arugula on top. Wrap in foil and bake for 20 minutes on 300 degrees. Take out, uncover, lay the remainder tomatoes and arugula on top and put back in, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes.
Dragon Fruit Mango Popsicle
1 can coconut milk (or from local coconut)
1 local mango, peeled and chopped
1 local dragon fruit
Juice from 4 local calamansi or 1 local lemon
1-2 tbsp local honey (optional)
Blend, put in popsicle mold and freeze.
Guacamole
3 lbs local avocado
1 cup local tomatoes, diced
Juice from
5 local calamansi or 1 local lemon (or more/less depending on your preference)
1 handful local cilantro, chopped
1-2 stalks local green onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
Mash avocado, then add remaining ingredients and mix.
Turmeric Mint Tea
8-10 cups of water
3-4 thinly sliced chopped turmeric
Juice of one local lemon (or 4-5 calamansi)
Few sprigs of chopped mint (with stem)
2-3 tbsp local honey
Pinch of black pepper
Boil water, then add all ingredients. Boil for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally so the honey doesn’t burn. Strain and enjoy hot or cold. Note: You can also use local lemongrass and/or local moringa (malunggay) in place of the turmeric.
Did you try the recipes out? Did you add your own creative twists to the recipes that you’d like to share? Tag us on Instagram at @theguamguide.
Not sure where to buy local produce? Check out our guide. For more Guam local recipes, check out our Eating Local section, for other Guam dishes you can make at home and more recipes using home-grown fruit and vegetables.
