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Healthy Diets from Around the World: The Latin Diet
The new
trend in Latin food is actually a return to the old ways - and good health!
 Get
together with friends for Nuevo Latino cuisine and you'll sample some of the
sexiest culinary traditions of Central and South America -- fresh fish ceviche,
yuca fries, Mexican corn soup, ropa vieja (meat stew) and black beans and rice.
These delicacies are
far from the heavy Mexican dishes most of us think of when we hear the words
"Latin food." Yet they are truer to the original Latin diet, which
nutritionists say is amazingly healthy. Latin food, healthy?
Indeed. Experts who
study traditional diets say the Latin diet once shared much in common with the
renowned Mediterranean diet. Both relied on fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole
grains and fish.
So what happened?
Greater prosperity brought more fats, cheeses and meats. Today, Latin Americans
have some of the highest rates of diabetes and heart disease in the world. By
2025, experts predict that the number of diabetes cases worldwide will rise to
64 million -- and a whopping 62% will live in Latin America and the Caribbean.
But that doesn't
mean we should run from Latin food. Rather, nutritionists say, we should return
to the old ways of eating - and rediscover a fresh cuisine that is surprisingly
contemporary and hip.
Latin America spans
18 nations, and its cuisines are as diverse as the coastline is expansive. Once
upon a time, however, they all shared some basic keys to good health.
The Real
Latin Diet
- The traditional
healthy Latin American diet was built on fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
tubers, beans and nuts. (Tubers are part of the family of potato-like
vegetables.) These are the Latin foods that should be consumed at every
meal.
- The middle of the
Latin food pyramid includes a serving of fish, shellfish or poultry; plant
oils (such as soy, corn and olive oil), and a serving of dairy. These are
the foods that should be eaten daily.
- At the very top
of the Latin food pyramid are red meats, sweets and eggs -- luxuries
consumed only at special meals. These are the foods that should be consumed
weekly.
- It's also
important to remember that people in traditional Latin cultures worked hard
for a living. Physical exercise and six glasses of water each day are corner
stones of the traditional Latin food pyramid.
Unfortunately, today
few Latin Americans still eat the way their ancestors did. Instead, they've
switched over to the American lifestyle - fatty foods and no exercise.
 Traditionally,
the people in Latin America favored fish and poultry over red meat, says
Christopher Speed, the senior nutritionist at Oldways Preservation and Exchange
Trust, a non-profit group in Boston that studies the health benefits of
traditional diets. "But per capita people from Argentina now eat more meat
than anywhere in the world," he says. Argentineans consume 143 pounds of
beef per person per year!
Latin
Food: Going Back to the Basics
Going back to basics
could make a world of difference to health and longevity.
"In Latin
American countries, people traditionally eat a lot of fish very simply
prepared," says John Manion, executive chef of Chicago's MAS Nuevo Cocino
Latino Restaurant. And that's a simple way to start returning to tradition. The
American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish
like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon) at least
two times a week. Fish is a good source of protein without the high saturated
fat found in fatty meat products. Fatty fish are also high in two kinds of
omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA),
which are shown decrease risk of the arrhythmias that can lead to sudden cardiac
death, decrease the blood clot formation that can lead to heart attack and
stroke and lower level of blood fats called triglycerides.
Eat grains and
include a lot of fish because certain fish are high in omega 3's and grains,
fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and vitamins," she says.
"The legumes,
beans and nuts are another important part of the traditional Latin American
pyramid because not only do they provide non-animal protein, they contain a
great deal of fiber which is critical for colorectal health and improved
management of diabetes," says nutritionist Speed. Research shows that
increasing the amount of fiber in their diet can help better control blood sugar
or glucose levels. Remember, a one-cup serving of cooked beans, peas or lentils
has the proportionate amount of protein as a 3-ounce serving of meat, poultry or
fish.
In short,
"Latin Americans both here and abroad need to try to go back to their
roots, says Miami-based nutritionist Claudia Gonzalez, RD, an American Dietetic
Association-spokesperson who hails from Peru. And the rest of Americans would
improve their health if they followed along.
 Here are some more
ways to get back to basics - at home or when dining out:
- #
1 Eat smaller portions: Another discrepancy between the traditional
and current Latin American eating style is the huge portion sizes.
"When eating Latin American fare at a restaurant, consider splitting
with your partner to keep the serving size in check," suggests Speed.
Remember a three-ounce serving of churassco (meat) is about the size of a
deck of playing cards. Even today in Latin America, portion sizes are much
smaller than in the U.S. Gonzalez, the nutritionist from Peru, explains that
Latin Americans eat three full meals a day instead of two (many Americans
skip breakfast) and that tends to reduce the size of each meal.
- #
2 Limit snacking: Leave the grazing to the cattle in Argentina,
experts say. In European and Latin American countries, people "eat
breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper,"
Speed says. "This way of eating will also cuts down on between meal
snacks, which can add up to a lot of extra calories a day." It's
healthier to eat your larger meals earlier during the day so you have time
to burn them off.
- #
3 Make dining a family affair: In Latin America, eating is a family
affair. This way the focus is less on the food and more on the company.
Studies have shown that families who eat together, eat better. In fact,
children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their
peers who don't, according to a report in the March 2000 issue of the
journal Archives of Family Medicine. The researchers found that these
children consumed significantly more fruits and vegetables, and
substantially less fried food and soda, than those who reported infrequent
family dinners. "Very few people in Latin America scarf down fast food
over a counter to fill their bellies," says chef Manion. "We
should all make the effort to dine together as families."
- #
4 Move it to lose it: Any nutritionist will tell you that what you
eat is only half the puzzle. Exercise is equally important when it comes to
maintaining a healthy body weight and lowering risk of disease. "Latin
Americans keep very active, we walk and we don't drive too much,"
Gonzalez says. "Try taking a walk after dinner or lunch to get some
fresh air instead of going to sit on the couch and watch television."
The AHA suggests that we gradually build up to 30 minutes of activity, three
to four times per week. If you don't have a full 30 minutes, try two
15-minute sessions to meet your goal.
- #
5 Make smart substitutions: At a Mexican restaurant:
- Choose corn
tortillas (made with almost no fat) over flour tortillas, which contain
lard).
- Instead of
nachos for an appetizer, order the grilled shrimp.
- Instead of
quesadillas (flour or corn tortilla, filled with meat and cheese and
fried), opt for Chicken fajitas (marinated chicken grilled with onions,
green peppers, lettuce, diced tomatoes with a soft tortilla and skip the
sour cream and guacamole).
As a general rule,
avoid entrees or sides with the words "fried" and
"refried" and ask for sauces on side. Also, try to steer clear of
red meat. Instead, opt for fish and seafood." If you are craving burritos
or fajitas, most restaurants will have a vegetarian option because that was
always the most preferable traditional style," Speed says.
If you're game to
try Nuevo Latino cuisine, you're in luck. These trendy new restaurants
generally offer the best of traditional Latin foods - fish, fruits such as
mango, and starches such as plaintain - in interesting combinations --
grilled, not fried. Here are a couple of recommendations straight from chef
Manion at the MAS Nuevo Cocino Latino restaurant: Try the grilled Swordfish
with Mango and Blueberries or Plantain-Coated Fresh Fish. Buen provecho!
Sources:
Christopher Speed, the senior nutritionist at Oldways Preservation and Exchange
Trust in Boston. Miami-based nutritionist Claudia Gonzalez, RD, an American
Dietetic Association-spokesperson; John Manion, executive chef of Chicago's MAS
Nuevo Cocino Latino restaurant
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can fight prostate cancer, Healthy Diets Around the World: The Latin Diet.
The new
trend in Latin food good health! Nuevo Latino cuisine
sexiest culinary traditions of Central and South America -- fresh fish ceviche,
yuca fries, Mexican corn soup, ropa vieja (meat stew) and black beans and rice. Mexican dishes,
renowned Mediterranean diet. Both relied on fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole
grains and fish. Traditional
healthy Latin American diet was built on fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
tubers, beans and nuts. (Tubers are part of the family of potato-like
vegetables.) Latin foods consumed at every
meal. Fish, shellfish or poultry; plant
oils (such as soy, corn and olive oil), health and longevity.
American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish
like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon) at least
two times a week. Omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA),
which are shown decrease risk of the arrhythmias that can lead to sudden cardiac
death, decrease the blood clot formation that can lead to heart attack and
stroke and lower level of blood fats called triglycerides. The legumes,
beans and nuts are another important part of the traditional Latin American
pyramid, Choose corn tortillas, fish, fruits such as
mango, and starches such as plaintain.
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Traditionally,
the people in Latin America favored fish and poultry over red meat, says
Christopher Speed, the senior nutritionist at Oldways Preservation and Exchange
Trust, a non-profit group in Boston that studies the health benefits of
traditional diets. "But per capita people from Argentina now eat more meat
than anywhere in the world," he says. Argentineans consume 143 pounds of
beef per person per year!
