Cinco De Mayo with MyPlate

How will you observe Cinco de Mayo this year? This annual celebration commemorates Mexico’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in the Franco-Mexican War. This Friday, I’ll be celebrating by preparing Mexican cuisine with a MyPlate twist!

MyPlate.gov is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 edition. It’s a great guide to help structure healthful eating. Its advice about protein foods is especially compelling when it comes to Mexican-style meals.

“Eat a variety of protein foods to get more of the nutrients your body needs. Meat and poultry choices should be lean or low-fat […] Choose seafood options that are higher in healthy fatty acids (called omega-3s) and lower in methylmercury, such as salmon, anchovies, and trout. If you are vegetarian or vegan, the advice to eat meat, poultry, and seafood does not apply to you. Vegetarian protein options include beans, peas, and lentils, nuts, seeds, and soy products.”

There are so many beans and lean meat/poultry options in Mexican fare! Here are a few of my favorite recipes that make the most of these ingredients…

Happy cooking!



Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII discovered her love of cooking at her grandmother's side, stirring raisin oatmeal on a Saturday morning. By 15 she had her first food service job. At 18 she was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated second in her class, then went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland to study pastry arts and baking. A decade with Hyatt Hotels followed before she founded Food and Health Communications with a single conviction: food that is good for you should taste extraordinary.

Judy holds a Master of Professional Studies in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University (Summa Cum Laude), two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and the CIA's Pro Chef II certification. She has earned the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year award.

Today she develops every recipe on this site, shoots and styles food through her food photography and motion studio, and publishes nutrition education materials for dietitians, schools, extension offices, and health professionals through nutritioneducationstore.com. She uses the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to drive her creativity — whether that means a new twist on fajitas or Italian brownies made with toasted nuts and cooked honey. Her mission has never changed: help everyone make food that tastes as good as it is for them.

https://nutritioneducationstore.com
Previous
Previous

The Benefits of Following MyPlate This Summer

Next
Next

DASH to Better Blood Pressure