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2.3: Ethnic Foods

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    Tipsheet: Eating Healthy Ethnic Food

    Trying different ethnic cuisines to give yourself a taste treat is possible while counting calories and fat. Many ethnic cuisines offer lots of low-fat, low-calorie choices.

    So if you want to eat healthy and still have lots of different choices, take a taste adventure with ethnic foods. Here’s a sample of healthy food choices (lower in calories and fat) and terms to look for when making your selection:

    Chinese

    • Zheng (steamed)
    • Jum (poached)
    • Kao (roasted)
    • Shao (barbecued)
    • Steamed rice
    • Dishes without MSG added

    Italian

    • Red sauces
    • Primavera (no cream)
    • Piccata (lemon)
    • Sun-dried tomatoes
    • Crushed tomatoes
    • Lightly sauteed
    • Grilled

    Mexican

    • Spicy chicken
    • Rice and black beans
    • Salsa or picante
    • Soft corn tortillas
    Learning Activity

    Try some of the healthy food recipes in these cookbooks –

    • Heart Healthy Home Cooking African American Style—With Every Heartbeat is Life:
      Prepare your favorite African American dishes in ways that protect you and your family from heart disease and stroke. This cookbook provides recipes for 26 tested and tasty favorite African American dishes. Recipes give nutrient analyses that include carbohydrates and protein. Also covers heart healthy food substitutions and food safety.
    • Delicious Heart Healthy Latino Recipes: Provides recipes for 26 popular easy to prepare taste-tested Latino dishes created in a heart healthy style (lower in fat and sodium than traditional versions). Includes heart healthy food substitutions, food safety, a glossary of international terms

    This page titled 2.3: Ethnic Foods is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Judy Baker via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.