Hispanic Nutrition

Latino Nutrition Month (September 15 – October 15) is drawing to a close, but that doesn’t meant that you can’t enjoy the delicious and flavorful Hispanic foods and cuisine throughout the year! Although most of us are familiar with Latino food and likely eat it either in our own homes or when we dine out, it can be a daunting task to plan a healthful Hispanic diet without the proper resources.

A wonderful resource for Hispanic nutrition has been made available by a non-profit called Oldways, the parent organization of the Latino Nutrition Coalition. This organization has developed a Latin American Diet Pyramid which can be found at www.oldwayspt.org. The first version of this pyramid was created in 1996, and is has been revised and modified to meet the needs of consumers and educators all over the U.S. The latest version features both Spanish and English text as well as vibrant illustrations to bring the Latin American Diet Pyramid to life!

This pyramid is more important than every before due to the declining health of some Hispanic Americans. Like many others, Latinos who come to the U.S. often pick up unhealthful American practices such as eating high-calorie, low-nutrition meals and getting very little exercise. A return to the healthful, native diets and practices of the Hispanic culture can help make a positive impact on the increase in chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease many newcomers to the U.S. experience.

So, what’s the deal with the Latin American Diet Pyramid? According to the Oldways website, this pyramid is “an educational guide to healthy eating that relies on familiar, inexpensive, tasty, healthy, and easy-to-prepare foods.” Sounds good, right? And it is! Let’s take a quick look at the pyramid!

Bottom Layer

The bottom layer makes up the foundation of a healthy Latino diet. Like many healthful diet plans, this section features plant based foods. Eat these items at every meal!

Vegetables – Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, healthful phytochemicals and antioxidants! All different types of vegetables used in Latino cooking such as zucchini, tomatoes, kale, tomatillos, squash, okra, chilies, and cactus are good for you and can be eaten liberally. Don’t be afraid to experiment with a wide variety of vegetables and flavors!

Fruits – Fruits, like vegetables, offer vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants, but they also can satisfy your craving for sweets! Be sure to incorporate many types of fruit such as breadfruit, mangoes, papayas, pineapple, cherimoya, guava, grapes, and kiwis into your diet daily. Avocados are also an excellent fruit, but don’t fall into the typical ‘fruit’ class. Avocados are a great source of healthy monounsaturated fats, but like all fats are high in calories and should be enjoyed in moderation.

Beans, Legumes, and Tubers – These items are fundamental to all Hispanic diets. Keep an eye out for beans such as kidney or black, tubers such as yucca or taro, and grains such as corn, amaranth, quinoa, and wheat. Yams, sweet potatoes, and peanuts also fall into this category.

Middle Layer

The middle layer features many types of protein and also dairy products. These items should be eaten daily.

Dairy, Poultry, Seafood and Shellfish – These items are typically eaten daily, but are typically not stand-alone foods. When incorporating poultry, seafood or fish, combine them with foods from the bottom layer to maintain a healthful balance.

Top Layer

The top layer features items which should be eaten in moderation. These items are not forbidden and can still be enjoyed, but should only be eaten weekly. (Note that older versions of the Oldways pyramid feature this top layer as one triangle, but newer versions split these categories into two separate layers.)

Red Meat – Red meats are a good source of protein and iron, but have been linked to both cancer and cardiovascular disease increased. Eating red meat should be limited to only a few times per week.

Eggs – Eggs are also great source of protein, but the yolk is high in cholesterol. For this reason, eggs should be used only 1-2 times a week.

Sweets – Latino desserts are flavorful and rich, but don’t need to be eliminated completely. Just be sure to eat these items only a few times a week and they can still be part of a healthy, satisfying diet.

The Latin American Diet Pyramid is truly a great resource which you can use to guide your meal planning and decision making! By combining these basic principles with an active lifestyle, you can optimize your health! The intriguing traditional diets of the Hispanic culture offer a healthful diet – something which can (and should) be valued by all different people.