When it comes to the original tortilla dating back to the Aztecs and the Maya, it was all about corn. Originally, tortillas were very healthy because they were made with just a few ingredients, such as native corn (dried whole kernel), and cooked with little to no fat. Today, tortillas are made from corn cooked in a lime-based solution or from corn flour dough. The versatile tortilla can be oven-baked, toasted, fried, or grilled. 

Tasting the richly colored flesh of the zapote fruit is a treat not easily forgotten. Its taste is an incomparable and intensely sweet mix with notes of pumpkin, sweet potato, almond, cherry, spice, berry, and apricot. Rusty light brown on the outside, inside it surprises you with a bright salmon color. And as with all fruits or vegetables, rich in color means rich in nutrients. Listed from highest to lowest in content, the zapote provides vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, iron, calcium, and dietary fiber. 

Pinto, red, black, kidney, or white. Beans have been popular for a long time: they were already a staple food in Central America by 3,500 BCE. Besides their rich flavor, beans are revered by diet watchers because they are a great source of protein, soluble fiber, iron, B-vitamins, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. And they are low in fat and contain no cholesterol. While beans might sound too good to be true, they are by nature a ‘super food’. 

Did you know the avocado is a fruit and not a vegetable? No matter what variety – and there are hundreds of them – shape, color, or size, avocados are healthy for you. When you eat an avocado you are truly nourishing your body with many essential nutrients: vitamins A, C & E, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and fiber. What‘s more, avocados are ‗farm-to-market‘ foods, meaning they don‘t require any processing, preservatives, or taste enhancers.

Many Hispanics use lard – pig fat – to flavor food, but is this a good thing?

Like most fats, lard gets a bad rep. But not all fats are created equal. Fats are a densely concentrated source of energy: gram-for-gram, they provide more than twice the calories as carbohydrates and proteins. Fats carry fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K; provide essential fatty acids that our bodies can’t make on their own; give foods their distinct and satisfying feel and taste; and contribute to the feeling of ‘fullness’ or satiety. Fats are necessary, but a little fat can go a long way!