So you think the Mexican diet is unhealthy?
As a Mexican-American nutrition student these are comments that are commonly heard:
· “The Mexican diet is so unhealthy,”
· “I want to be healthy but my Mexican customs limit me from it.”
· And my favorite one, “ the Mexican diet is incompatible with eating a healthy diet.”
There have been many studies, looking at the composition of the traditional Mexican diet and the American Diet.1,3,4 These studies have found people tend to think that the American diet is healthier than the Mexican diet, when, in fact, it’s the opposite. Below are some misconceptions that need to be debunked.
Corn tortillas
Does this sound familiar? “I can’t eat healthy because I love tortillas so much.” I’ve heard so many people that think that eating tortillas is bad. They equate it to a “bad” carb. The traditional Mexican diet consists of making homemade corn tortillas. Corn tortillas are low in fat, low in sodium, high in fiber. Eat two as a taco, and you have already met your daily fiber needs. Don’t be afraid of corn tortillas, but also make sure you are portioning the amount you eat in a day.
Caldo (soups)
A big staple in a Mexican kitchen are soups. Soups can be made with many or few ingredients and are very cheap to make. Soups are a great way to get all your servings of vegetables in a day. For example, Caldo de Pollo (chicken soup) can be made with any available vegetable such as carrots, zucchini, corn or potato. The main precaution to take with soups is the amount of salt added to it. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 mg per day. So be careful and reduce the salt you add to all your foods.
Beans
Beans are very cool little dudes. No matter which bean you are eating (black, kidney, small red) they will be filled with fiber, complex carbohydrates and protein. The U.S Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends to eat 3 cups of legumes or beans in a week. When making your beans, be careful with what you add to them. Traditionally lard is added, you can substitute this for canola oil or olive oil. If you are preparing refried beans, it will be safer to make a homemade recipe where you can control the amount of salt that is added. If you are choosing canned refried beans choose a low sodium bran. It is not necessary to buy “low fat.”
Fat
There is a misconception that Fat = unhealthy.5 There are many different fats that you should be aware of; the healthy forms such as (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) fats and the unhealthy forms such as (saturated, trans fat and hydrogenated oils). The healthy fats are from plant-based oils, seeds, nuts and avocado. The unhealthy fats come from animal or saturated fats or fried foods. Traditionally in the Mexican culture, it’s a custom to not let anything from the animal go to waste, including the fat. However, saturated fats can increase risk of heart disease and stroke.6 Try to limit the amount of lard you are using and try to substitute for a plant-based oil like canola, olive, and sesame.
So the next time you are making dinner for your family reunion remember to hold the salt and remember that it’s not to use everything from the animal.
Santiago-Torres M, Kratz M, Lampe JW, et al. Metabolic responses to a traditional Mexican diet compared with a commonly consumed US diet in women of Mexican descent: a randomized crossover feeding trial.(Original Research Communications)(Clinical report)(Author abstract). 2016;103(2):366–36674.
Garcia-Chavez C, Rivera J, Monterrubio-Flores E, Rodriguez-Ramirez S. Dietary patterns are associated with obesity in Mexican schoolchildren. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2020.
Ramírez AS, Golash-Boza T, Unger JB, Baezconde-Garbanati L. Questioning the Dietary Acculturation Paradox: A Mixed-Methods Study of the Relationship between Food and Ethnic Identity in a Group of Mexican-American Women. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2018;118(3):431–439.
Batis C, Hernandez-Barrera L, Barquera S, Rivera JA, Popkin BM, Batis C. Food acculturation drives dietary differences among Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and Non-Hispanic Whites. The Journal of nutrition. 2011;141(10):1898–1906.
Turnbull B, Gordon SF, Martínez-Andrade GO, González-Unzaga M. Childhood obesity in Mexico: A critical analysis of the environmental factors, behaviours and discourses contributing to the epidemic. Health Psychology Open. 2019;6(1):2055102919849406.
