Lowering NCDs in the Pacific: A guide to healthy nutrition for Pacific Islanders.

The goal of this project was to create a nutritional guide for foods commonly found in the Pacific Islands. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases continue to be one of the leading causes of death in the world, but the rates are particularly high in the Pacific. One of the reasons for this is the increase in consumption of processed foods along with a lack of physical activity. This project created a specific nutritional guide on Pacific-relevant foods to be used as an educational tool for Pacific Islanders who wish to change their dietary habits. Changing dietary habits is a great first step in decreasing the risk of developing an NCD, which in turn can help increase life longevity in the Pacific. The nutritional guide consists of recommendations for salt, sugar, and fat intake from well-established organizations like the American Heart Association, and World Health Organization. Specific nutritional information like protein, fiber, sodium, and total fat is provided in table format in the guide for common foods found in the Pacific. The guide also provides additional resources such as websites and handbooks that were vital in the creation of this guide and can be useful if the consumer is looking for further resources.