Nutrition Con Sabor

10/02/2022

If you’re from an immigrant family this might be showing up even more strongly for you! (Also if you’re the first in your family to do something, or one of the few BIPOC in that space, etc.)
The stakes of “succeeding” seem so much higher, so we push ourselves harder and harder and start to tune out what our body is telling us.
Maybe “food is fuel” helps you. But if your stomach is always upset (hi, me!) this may be worth exploring before trying to diagnose yourself with an intolerance.

28/12/2021

Re-sharing my greatest hits of 2021, starting with my most popular post. 🙂
A giant pile of broccoli isn’t any more valuable than veggies cooked into our other dishes, or used as a garnish.
We’re so obsessed with getting a full cup (or more) of vegetables at a meal that we think cooking with onions or tomato sauce doesn’t count. Well let me tell you … it does!
I help Latinas feel confident eating our cultural foods while living well! Check out my signature 8 week program. Link in bio 🥰

27/12/2021

Why are snacks so important? With type 2 diabetes, one of
the biggest challenges I see is finding a snack that leaves you
energized without causing rapid blood sugar spikes.
I work with my clients to incorporate nutrient-dense snacks with
fiber that keep them full and can help regulate blood sugar. Fiber
slows down food digestion, which prevents rapid rises in blood glucose following a meal
or snack by slowing the absorption of sugar into the blood stream.
One of my favorite tricks to get fiber in a healthy snack is a dip like guacamole, made
with fresh avocado. In fact, one-third of a medium avocado is a good source of fiber!
Pairing this recipe with fresh vegetables will add even more fiber for a filling snack.
For a smart snack idea, check out this recipe (link in bio) for tiritas de jicama con guacamole picante y limón verde, presented by Aguacates Frescos -
.

20/12/2021

Happy holidays! Comment your favorite type of tamal below: I love tamales dulces myself!
I’ve been looking forward to my family’s tradition of making tamales together all year.
With the holidays can come a lot of food anxieties, but I want to reassure you that tamales are older than any notion of “cheat meals” or low carb diets. They have stood the test of time, unlike the latest fad diet.
On top of that, tamales are undeniably nutritious. We know that nixtamalized corn masa provides a rich source of micronutrients like calcium and B vitamins. Plus you can use your favorite fillings and toppings to round out your plate for a satisfying and emotionally fulfilling holiday meal.

06/12/2021

Spent my Sunday at in Compton as part of a Community Health Pop-Up in collaboration with and I can’t say enough good things about this space and this event!
I feel blessed to be able to witness this amazing space that has created. And of course it was a blast sharing my favorite recipe for an easy balanced breakfast, and hearing the community’s nutrition questions.

24/11/2021

If you know me you know I don’t do “healthier” recipes. I just do food.
But I still have some ideas to help you navigate the holidays a little more easily.
I find, more than anything, that we get too in our heads about holiday meals and really what we need is to maintain consistency and let ourselves enjoy.
So here are my top 3 tips for a stress-free holiday meal with a little bit of nutrition thrown in :)
*Eat a regular breakfast. Showing up super hungry is not your best bet as it can cause you to rush and ignore your regular hunger/fullness cues. Treat this breakfast like any other day, if possible.
Take the time to enjoy your food. If you are coming from a place of restriction you may find yourself rushing through your meal for a variety of reasons. I like to remind my clients that rushing through meals is kind of like looking away during your favorite part of the movie. You didn’t get to enjoy the experience so you’ll probably want to rewind and watch again, right? If you rushed and didn’t let yourself enjoy your food, you’re going to want to do it again so you actually get to enjoy. Slow down and let yourself consciously enjoy what you’re eating.
Eat a variety of colors. The actual number is kind of arbitrary but focus on trying to get at least a few different colors as a shorthand way to remember to incorporate fruits/veggies without being tied to a certain serving size. Mine are: orange=sweet potato, green=Brussels sprouts, And red=cranberry sauce
Remember the most important thing is to enjoy yourself and be present. Happy holidays y’all.

10/11/2021

How can you enjoy your favorite Latin foods while managing type 2 diabetes? My favorite tip is to add in heritage foods that contain heart healthy fats and fiber, like fresh avocado.

Diets rich in healthy foods containing fiber may reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Adding fresh avocado as a garnish with these tostadas, makes for an easy, fast, and nutritious meal that is diabetes friendly.


Check out the recipe for this tostada con frijoles negros y aguacate from Aguacates Frescos - .

Estas tostadas son sabrosas y fáciles de personalizar para asegurar que sean un éxito con los niños. En solo unos minutos, tienes una comida o un bocadillo que es una buena fuente de fibra por porción.

08/11/2021

Almost every cultural cuisine has a mix of high fiber plant-based foods and higher sugar/saturated fat foods.
So much of my work is around helping Latinas find culturally appropriate ways to work toward their nutrition goals. It also involves a lot of breaking down misconceptions of Latin food … letting people (especially other health pros) know that our culture has a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that we just lack awareness of in the United States.
But it’s also about rejecting shame around the other foods that may not be plant-based or might be (*gasp*) a simple carb or a saturated fat. 🙃
Not really sure why I capitalized “heritage” but let’s just go with it).

12/08/2021

Sure I can and do speak Spanish with my clients.
But the same Eurocentric diet in Spanish isn’t going to feel any better. Just like diet food with adobo seasoning on top still doesn’t quite cut it.
I help people care for their health while uplifting our food culture. It’s that simple. Ready to learn more? Sign up for email list. Link in bio 💕

09/08/2021

How do you like your pan tostado con aguacate? I like to use a fresh bolillo roll and pair with pico de gallo and lime juice for a refreshing flavor.

I've partnered with Aguacates Frescos - to show you how I like to prepare my avocado toast.

The best thing about this dish is how well the ingredients work together, not just flavor-wise but also nutritionally! Did you know the unsaturated fats in avocado help your body absorb the vitamin A found in pico de gallo?

And the fiber in the avocado helps make this a filling breakfast that will keep you energized and help manage cravings.

Share your favorite way to serve avocado toast with me below! Visit https://bit.ly/3BSWmPz to learn more about fresh avocados.

05/08/2021

This was a really popular topic in my stories so I made it a grid post!
I think the coolest thing about our cuisine is how the way we treat and prepare corn to eventually make a corn tortilla (and tamales and pupusa and pretty much any dish from masa marina) changes the nutrient composition.
Masa harina provides calcium where fresh corn does not (this is due to the nixtamalization process where corn is soaked in calcium hydroxide (“cal” or “lime”). What’s super interesting is the amount of calcium in the tortilla depends on how long the corn spent in the calcium hydroxide. Commercially prepared tortillas have SOME calcium but not as much as homemade masa, for this reason.
Corn has vitamin b3 but we don’t absorb it well until the corn has been nixtamalized and made into masa.
I talk to so many people who feel their love for tortillas is hurting them. Don’t let the low-carb noise get to you. Corn tortillas are a carb, yes, which are necessary for fueling your body. But they’re also so much more.
As a latina dietitian, I’m working to uplift and celebrate our heritage latine foods. Join my email list to get monthly food and culture updates in your inbox. Link in bio ✨

14/05/2021

I will shout this from the rooftops.
Somewhere we got it in our heads that healthy = “bland,” “boring” and everything that Latin food IS NOT.
This may seem small but it has huge effects on our community, making us believe our culture prevents us from being healthy when in fact, research shows the opposite to be true.
And it’s not just the major factors like carb sources or veggies … it’s how we season our food too! For my Mexicanas out there, chile 🌶 is anti inflammatory and helps us feel full. And achiote that we use in sazon? Good source of antioxidants!
On top of that, Enjoying your food is a vital part of the experience and is just as much a part of your health as the nutrients in the foods you eat.
It’s more than just that our cultural foods “aren’t that bad” for us … they’re actively nourishing us and deserve to be on our plates with no shame or guilt. Full stop.
My mission as a dietitian is to help Latinas reclaim and recenter our heritage foods while listening to and respecting their bodies. I’m opening up enrollment soon for my new 8-week Nutrition Cultura virtual nutrition immersion for Latinas. Sign up to learn more at the link in my bio