Popular Diets of the World: The Latin Diet

By Jenny Stamos Kovacs
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Charlotte E. Grayson Mathis, MD

Americans can learn a lot from the way people eat in Latin countries. The traditional Latin diet is simple and healthy; it is full of fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, and one-dish meals. In Latin cultures, meals are occasions for friends and family members to come together and enjoy each other's company. WebMD turned to the experts to learn more about the Latin diet. We've compiled some tips to help you dine the Latin way -- including ideas for how to improve on the not-so-healthy aspects of modern Latin cooking.

Make Meals a Priority

The main difference between the traditional Latin American diet and the American way of eating is that Latinos make time for meals, says Liz Mintz, the Latino Nutrition Coalition Manager at Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust, a nonprofit group in Boston that studies the health benefits of traditional diets. No one eats on the run, at the computer, or in the car. Most of us would do well to follow this example.

"When it comes to food preparation, the easiest appliance [we use] isn't a microwave, it's a drive- through," says Harry Balzer, vice president of the NPD Group, a market research firm that tracks global consumer and retail information. Forget sitting down at the dinner table; according to Balzer's research, nearly one-quarter of U.S. meals are eaten in the car.

Eating while distracted is mindless eating, which often translates into eating much more than you'd intended. When you use silverware and eat from a plate instead of grabbing handfuls straight from the bag, you appreciate your food more, Mintz says. And eating this way makes it more likely you'll eat your food slowly, and therefore eat less.

Make Meals a Social Occasion

For Latin Americans, meal time is about connecting as well as eating, Mintz says. According to Child Trends, a nonprofit research firm based in Washington, D.C., compared to African-Americans and Caucasians, Latin families are far more likely to have meals together.

Focusing on family during dinnertime, rather than on the TV screen or driving conditions, may have added benefits for your health, researchers from the University of Minnesota report. A study of 277 adults found that when families sat down to dinner together with the TV off, the adults tended to eat less fat and more fruits and vegetables.

Parents may make a greater effort to prepare nutritionally balanced meals when they're planning for others, instead of just grabbing something on the go, says researcher Kerri Boutelle, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Consider starting a tradition of family meals in your own home, if you don't do so already. Try to plan at least two or three nights a week to sit down to dinner together. Family meals don't have to be a big production, Boutelle says, A meal of turkey sandwiches with carrots, for example, is just fine. All that matters is that you eat together as a family.