Choosing a favorite food has always been difficult for me because I like such a variety of foods and flavors. Picking just one or even a couple is almost impossible for me. That's one reason why I like adding a little culture to my meals.
In this case, I am not referring to eating on fine China and using special forks, although there is nothing wrong with using one's best table settings and manners. I am talking about using dinner time to take a trip around the world with your family. Adding culture to your meals can be as simple as trying a new recipe a couple of times a month or it can involve the whole family researching a culture's foods and learning how to prepare them together. It could also mean getting to know your neighbors and asking them about their family's traditional foods.
Food is a visible and physical element of all cultural groups or regions. Trying foods from different cultures is a great way to create understanding and empathy for other people, while at the same time adding variety to your family's diet and can be done with little added cost or trouble.
Even if you have special dietary needs, the basic nutritional guidelines can be applied to all cultural foods. When it comes to healthy eating, choosing a variety of foods is the best way to consume all the nutrients our bodies need to be healthy. If you are using MyPlate as your guide for meal planning and food choices, all cultures have foods that fit. Most cultural recipes can be adjusted to work with fat, salt, or sugar requirements for any special needs.
Exploring cultural foods as a family can have many benefits. Children who are introduced to a variety of foods at a young age tend to be less picky eaters. Trying out new foods allows you to consume a wide variety of nutrition. Tasting the foods of a culture serves as the gateway to understanding people and can break down barriers to friendship. If those reasons are not enough, trying new foods is fun, and we can all use a little more fun in our lives.
Try these easy and healthy recipes to add a little flavor of the Southwest to your dinner table. If you do not have time for washing and cutting up the fresh vegetables for each recipe you can substitute frozen vegetables for less preparation time and mess.
Seafood is an important part of a healthy diet, and our Southwest Tilapia can be made with little time and fuss.
Tostadas can be made with a variety of toppings and your family can work together to put together these nutritious Munch-n-Crunch Tostadas.
Fries do not always have to involve potatoes and with these Zesty Carrot Fries, you might just have a new family favorite.
To learn more about how to add more nutrition and culture to your family's meals, contact the Garland County Extension at 501-623-6841 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook @garlandcountyextension.
Alison Crane is a Family and Consumer Science Agent with the Garland County Extension Service.
Southwest Tilapia
Ingredients:
4 frozen tilapia filets (or other mild-flavored fish)
Non-stick cooking spray
Black pepper to taste
½ (15 ¼ -ounce) can low-sodium whole-kernel corn, drained
½ (15-ounce) can reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomato, chopped
¼ cup chopped green pepper
1 small onion, sliced
2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped (I substituted parsley)
3 tbsp. lime juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Tear off 4 pieces of aluminum foil big enough to wrap 1 fish filet each.
Spray foil with cooking spray.
Lay 1 filet on each piece of foil and sprinkle each filet with desired amount of black pepper.
In a separate bowl, combine corn, black beans, tomato, and green pepper. Top each filet with ¼ of the vegetable mixture.
In another bowl, combine onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Add ¼ of this mixture to each filet.
To make each packet, bring two sides of foil to meet in the middle and fold together to seal. Fold remaining open sides together to seal packet.
Place each packet on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. (Packets can be cooked on a grill if desired.)
Let rest for 5 minutes. Serve.
Nutrition Facts: Serving Size: 1 fish filet packet. Makes 4 servings, 190 Calories, Total Fat 3g, Saturated Fat 1g, Protein 26g, Total Carbohydrate 19g, Dietary Fiber 4 g, Sodium 150 mg, Excellent source of vitamin C.
Munch-n-Crunch Tostadas
Ingredients:
½ pound white mushrooms, washed and sliced
2 zucchini (1 pound total), unpeeled, thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. salt
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cooking spray
1 (15 oz) can refried pinto beans
½ cup cheddar cheese, reduced-fat, grated
2 tbsp. sour cream or plain yogurt
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I substituted parsley)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Toss mushrooms, zucchini, and bell peppers with oil and salt in a bowl and divide onto 2 rimmed baking sheets. Roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing once and rotating the sheets halfway through. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
Coat tortillas on both sides with cooking spray. Place tortillas on the baking sheets and bake 8-10 minutes, turning once until lightly browned. Allow to cool.
Spread each tortilla with refried beans and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake 5-7 minutes until beans are warm and cheese has melted. Remove from oven.
Top with roasted vegetables, sour cream, and cilantro. Serve warm.
Nutrition facts: Serving Size: 2 tostadas. Calories 340, Carbohydrate 48g, Protein 14g, Total Fat 12g, Saturated Fat 2.5g, Cholesterol 10g, Fiber 11g, Sodium 400mg
Zesty Carrot Fries
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds carrots, cut into sticks
2 tsp. olive oil
½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
½ tsp. black pepper
Southwest Chipotle No-Salt Seasoning (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a shallow baking pan with foil.
Place all ingredients (except Southwest seasoning) in a mixing bowl and stir until the carrots are evenly coated.
Arrange the carrots on the foil-line pan in a single layer.
Transfer to the oven and bake until the carrots are tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. About halfway through take pan out and sprinkle with southwest chipotle flavoring and stir carrots.
Serve immediately.
Nutritional facts: Serving Size: 1 cup. Calories 90, Carbohydrate 17g, Protein 2 g, Total Fat 3g, Fiber 5g, Sodium 410mg, Calories from fat 30%.