Latin food: Make it healthier with these tips

By Hope Gillette, Saludify

Latin food… Hmm… so rich in flavor… and so rich in fat? Unfortunately.

Although it is difficult to generalize — since Latin food is typical food from countries in Latin America (all of which have their own dishes), there are indeed a number of popular Latin foods that are loaded with fat including:

• Tamales
• Quesadillas
• Tacos
• Empanadas
• Chiles rellenos
• Chimichangas
• Tostones, yucca and other deep fried dishes
• Refried beans

While deep-frying in and of itself doesn’t necessarily make a food unhealthy, when an absorptive food—such as platanos—is deep-fried, much of the oil seeps into the food, adding to the amount of fat going into the body. To top it off, platanos and yucca aren’t particularly nutrient-dense to begin with.

Ideally, a diet filled with fried foods should be avoided, but because deep-frying is a part of many Latin food dishes, the American Heart Association recommends the following tips to make deep-frying as healthy as possible:

• Do not overheat oil: Keep between 325 and 375 degrees
• Remove excess breading and fat from food before frying
• Clean your fryer at least daily
• Do not allow excess moisture to build up in the deep fryer
• Select the oil you use with care; some oils have high trans-fat content than others

While taking these steps won’t make a deep-fried food healthy, nor will they eliminate the amount of oil absorbed into food, proper oil care will ensure there are no harmful byproducts in food due to a breakdown of oil molecules.

For Latinos who want to keep traditional foods in their diets but in a healthier manner, the Le Cordon Bleu institute recommends these deep-frying alternatives:

• Baking when possible: great for crisping up shells and other grain-based products.
• Pan searing: good for giving meats a deep-fried crisp and flavor without the added fat.
• Grilling: one of the healthiest ways to cook food; ideal for meats, vegetables, and for warming up flour tortillas.
• Broiling: similar to grilling.
• Stewing: allows the combination of many different flavors.
• Steaming: ideal for crisping up vegetables.

You can also explore options to make traditional Latin food recipes in a healthier way.

This article was first published in Saludify.

Hope Gillette is an award winning author and novelist. She has been active in the veterinary industry for over 10 years, and her experience extends from exotic animal care to equine sports massage.