Archive for the ‘Food’ Category
Latin Food = ‘Latin Lite’
Tamales, tortillas, gordillos, for example all use dough made from pure grounded corn. Now, that’s a relief from the common corn syrup and enriched flours used in ninety percent of our foods today.
Latin American foods revolve around vegetables, fishes, grains, meats and exotic fruits. Fast food restaurants have demoralized and commercialized the amazing healthy Latin dishes into heart attack inducing meals. Latin food cooked at home is in most instances, healthy.
By Lucía Tovar-Matthews and Chef Portillo
READ STORY IN THE AMERICANO
When many Americans think of Latin Cuisine, an image of a fat, stuffed, beef burrito or enchiladas plunged in red sauce and cream comes to mind, let’s not even mention how spicy it may be. So many diet watchers simply disregard Latin foods to stay slim and healthy, but little did they know that Latin cuisine goes so much further, and healthier, than the stereotypical greasy burrito.
Latin America as a whole is comprised of Central, South America, and various islands along their coasts. With such tropical weather, traditional meals incorporate the use of the variety in exotic fruits and vegetation. Countries next to bodies of water, such as Costa Rica, Cuba and Puerto Rico for instance, tend to have a higher intake of fish and legumes. Those with a lot of cattle, such as Brazil and Argentina, have a higher intake of red meat. However, when we think of “Latin Cuisine”, the type of food that comes to mind varies depending on where we live here in the United States. If you ask a citizen in California about Latin Cuisine, they will probably think of Mexican food, while someone from Florida would respond with Cuban food and equally someone from New York might respond with Puerto Rican foods. Let’s explore some of these little well-known Latin American dishes.
The island of Cuba commonly eats lean fish meats, topped along with sweet potatoes, yuca (a starchy potato-like root) and pineapples. A popular Cuban food is sofrito, a combination of green bell peppers, onions and garlic all sautéed in olive oil. Super healthy and simple. Although a Cuban diet cannot be complete without pork, fried bananas and starchy vegetables, all Cuban dishes incorporate the citrus tangy fruits of the Caribbean.
Puerto Rican cuisines have the influence of African, European and indigenous cultures due to its history of colonization. A country diverse in fruit and vegetables, their dishes are light, heart healthy and nutritious. Puerto Rican dishes revolve around plantains, a type of banana only edible if cooked, and other humid friendly vegetation. From crabmeat stew to empanadas, breaded beef, and alcapurrias, a combination of ground squash, plantain, and other tropical fruits alongside fried fishes and shellfish. Last, but not least, pork is one of the main attractions to Puerto Rican cuisine, popular to special events and holidays, Puerto Ricans love pork, from its white meat to actual blood ball sausages; pork is a symbol of festivities.
The classic burrito is not only the image of Latin cuisine, but also the image for all Mexican foods. Mexico’s dishes go way past the simple burrito, from the hundreds of spices to the creative use of corn, tortillas, red/green salsas and meats. Mexican cuisine has much to offer other than the stereotypical burrito and fajitas, and by the way, fajitas are not even Mexican, they were created here in the U.S. All authentic Mexican dishes revolve around corn and beans, made fresh without the use of unreadable, unknown chemical ingredients. Tamales, tortillas, gordillos, for example all use dough made from pure grounded corn. Now, that’s a relief from the common corn syrup and enriched flours used in ninety percent of our foods today. Even chocolate, the indigenous produce of Mexico was originally used by the Aztecs in ancient times.
Fast food restaurants have demoralized and commercialized these amazing healthy dishes into heart attack inducing meals. Latin American foods all revolve around vegetables, fishes, grains, meats and exotic fruits. There are so many dishes that are, in fact, healthy for you. Next time Latin American foods are brought to mind, think of the fruits, spices, grain, meats and the unique flavor behind these dishes rather than assuming everything is bathed and fried in oil. It is time to appreciate, and enjoy, the traditional and healthy forms of Latin cuisine dishes.
Nutritionist and “Latin Lite” chef, Denise Portillo and Lucía Tovar-Matthews, member of the San Diego Community College District board of directors have recently collaborated with TUCOCINA (www.tucocina.net ) for the launch of “La Salud en Tu Cocina,” an initiative developed by the kitchenware maker to encourage Hispanic families to come back around the dinner table. For more information, and to find out how to participate in the initiative, email mariana@dialogo.us.
Latinos Taking Charge of Health
An increasing amount of Hispanic communities are working together to positively impact Latino health and wellness.
By Richie and Lucia Matthews for PODER Hispanic Magazine.
The U.S. Latino population suffers disproportionately from a range of health complications including diabetes and heart disease when compared with the overall general market. These dire health circumstances are the result of a complex web of social, cultural and economic conditions.
As the propensity for bad health grows, the issue has become an increasingly salient topic for Hispanic communities. More and more grassroots movements, businesses, and individuals are providing health and wellness information geared towards Hispanics. The philosophy behind these efforts is better, more culturally relevant information will lead to better health and wellness for Hispanics.
Health disparities among minorities are prevalent in the U.S. and across the globe. Diabetes is one of the leading causes the asymmetrical scenario for Hispanics. It has been reported that 21percent of older Hispanics have diabetes compared to 14.3 percent of Caucasians. Cardiovascular disease is another forerunner problem for Latinos. It has been estimated that one out of every four Hispanic male and one of every three Hispanic female will suffer from heart disease or stroke.
Lifestyle changes, prevention and early intervention services such as immunizations, cancer screenings and diabetes testing are solutions that could assist in ensuring a healthier Hispanic population. Diet and inactivity tendencies of Hispanics play a strong role in shaping the problem. Arguably, education and access are the principle barriers in assisting Latinos to revolutionize health patterns.
U.S. Hispanic citizens are increasingly gaining more access to health and wellness resources as individuals, the business community,and grassroots organizations come together to help educate and provide access to health resources.
It’s All About the Kids Foundation organizes monthly activities for children from a coalition of charities. They have recently joined forces with the Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce, a national business association, and with business executive leaders such as Ramon Toledo, CEO Busca Corp, a leading Hispanic digital entertainment network. Providing access to resources, these private and public alliances are an emerging trend within the Hispanic health and wellness community.
Focusing on education, The Association of Junior League’s Kids in the Kitchen initiative has partnered with Texas chef Michael Flores to help reverse the growth of childhood obesity and its associated health issues. Chef Flores has taken his own childhood passion for cooking and turned it into an evolving lifelong profession in the culinary arts. Despite his formal training at the Culinary Institute of America, Michael Flores focuses on providing simple solutions for encouraging families to get back to the table. Through the Kids in the Kitchen and other education initiatives he heads, Michael teaches children how to prepare practical healthy meals, through his bilingual recipes.
Communicating with Latinos is more than a translation issue. Not to negate the importance or the use of the Spanish language, but studies suggest U.S. Hispanics, as a majority, speak English. Findings from the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research organization dedicated to improving understandings of the U.S. Hispanic population, suggest 88percent of second generation U.S. Hispanic adults and 94 percent third generation are fluent English speakers.
The key to communicating relevantly with Latinos is to understand the significance of messages founded in cultural nuance. When speaking with Latinos, health programs, education, and other resources should move away from translating mainstream content into Spanish and towards resonating culturally. This will improve minority groups’ affinity towards and navigation within the U.S. health system.
Various online communities have developed over the years that seek to empower and enable Latinos to improve health conditions. Sana Health Group, Inc. is one such company with this goal in mind. They specialize in offering Hispanics manageable, trusted sources and resources that make staying healthy easier.
Sana Health Group recently launched HispanoSano.com to provide applications that offer access to bilingual information on everything from diabetes and cancer to fitness and diet. Latinos can seek out applicable information based on their particular needs or join community groups to interact with others in similar situations.
The Internet is an excellent platform to provide health information to Hispanics. Hispanics are technology mavens and savvy in accessing information and utilizing social networks online. Internet-based,tailored health information is an effective way to engage Hispanics both relevantly and culturally.
The current health status of U.S. Hispanics may appear glum, but the tides may turn as more organizations and individuals come together to provide access to relevant health education to the community.
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