Healthy Cinco de Mayo Food Options

04:01 PM PDT on Tuesday, April 29, 2008

By ELIZABETH HAN
The Press-Enterprise

Indulge your taste buds this Cinco de Mayo -- with vegetables, lean chicken or fish and low-fat cheese.

"A lot of times people think health food has to taste like cardboard," said Angie Lustrick, a nutritionist and owner of Angie's World, a fitness and nutrition center in Riverside.

"Once you've changed your lifestyle, you realize it's healthier and it tastes just as good," she said.

Lustrick brings a cultural as well as scientific perspective to Cinco de Mayo food. "I am Hispanic; my mom is from Mexico. I grew up eating Mexican food."

So did Leticia Salazar Allen, who is a program coordinator for the Network for a Healthy California -- Latino Campaign, a state agency that focuses on community-outreach efforts.

One aspect of the campaign is to hold cooking demonstrations at supermarkets. "People are really amazed at how you can make quesadillas healthier by incorporating vegetables and reduced-fat cheese," said Salazar Allen, who is also a health consultant for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health and Nutrition Program.

"As a health educator, I don't tell people, 'Don't eat this, don't eat that.' I give them options and emphasize baby steps."

Mexican cuisine already makes tasty use of produce such as avocados, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions and corn. Simply increase the vegetable content in your dishes to make them healthier.