On occasion, give yourself permission to enjoy your favorite dishes. Modifying recipes by substituting healthier ingredients for high fat, high calorie, high sodium options is an effective way to honor family traditions without giving up on flavor.įood is deeply intertwined with celebration, family, emotion, legacy, and identity. If you opt for boiling or stewing, you can still glean some of the lost nutrients by adding the nutrient-rich liquid - or potlikker - into other dishes. While boiling and stewing are healthy alternatives for cooking meats, grains, and vegetables, they may result in a loss of nutrients like vitamin C, lutein, and beta carotene ( 19).
They may also increase diabetes risk ( 17, 18). HCAs and PAHs are associated with an increased risk of cancer. High heat cooking methods, such as frying, baking, roasting, and grilling, may introduce chemicals like acrylamide heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) ( 15, 16, 17).
Observational studies in postmenopausal women associate fried foods like fried chicken, fried fish, and fried potatoes with a higher risk of all-cause and heart-related mortality ( 14). Change your cooking methodsĬooking methods affect both the nutrient composition of a meal and disease risk. Seasoning foods with aromatic veggies like onions, garlic, and celery, as well as herbs and spices, not only reduces sodium content but also boosts the antioxidant content and flavor ( 13). Reducing your dietary sodium intake may result in a 4–8 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure - the top number on a reading ( 11). These foods and spices contribute to the overall amount of sodium you consume.Įxcessive sodium intake is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and premature death (11, 12).Įvidence suggests that African Americans are more sensitive to the blood-pressure-lowering effects of decreased salt intake. In addition to containing high sodium processed meats like ham hocks, soul food often uses seasoned salt, garlic salt, and cajun seasoning. Some soul food entrées like macaroni and cheese, cornbread, and rice dishes are made from refined grains, which have had their nutrient-dense bran and germ removed during processing and are thus not as nutritious as their whole grain counterparts. They may play a role in weight management, gut health, and the prevention of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even colorectal, pancreatic, and stomach cancers ( 10).Įxamples of whole grains are whole wheat, brown rice, oats, sorghum, millet, fonio, and barley. Whole grains are the entire grain, including the bran, germ, and endosperm. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that people make at least half of the grains they eat whole grains ( 9). In traditional societies, meat - when consumed at all - was eaten in very small quantities and often as a seasoning ( 7).ĭiets that include plenty of plant foods are associated with more moderate body weights and decreased disease risk ( 5).įurthermore, a meta-analysis in people who ate leafy green and cruciferous vegetables, such as collard greens, kale, turnip greens, and cabbage, indicated a 15.8% reduced risk of heart disease, compared with a control group ( 8). Traditional African diets are plant-based and included a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, such as leafy greens, okra, watermelon, whole grains, and black-eyed peas ( 5, 6). In fact, making small modifications to recipes and cooking methods may help boost dishes’ nutrient profiles while maintaining flavor, richness, and cultural traditions. Soul food embodies numerous legacies, traditions, and practices passed down from generation to generation.Ĭreating a healthier soul food plate does not mean abandoning this rich heritage. Yet, soul food can be made much healthier by emphasizing the tradition’s nutritious dishes.Ī guide to maintaining food culture while promoting health Many items commonly associated with soul food are linked to an increased risk of several illnesses, including heart disease.
Nutrient-rich dishes and leafy green vegetables are also staples of soul food. However, this doesn’t mean that all soul food is unhealthy. While social and economic disparities play a significant role in these disproportionate disease rates, dietary choices may also contribute. Black Americans ages 35–54 also have a 50% higher likelihood of high blood pressure than white Americans ( 4). This eating pattern is tied to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, stroke, and mental decline ( 2, 3).Īccording to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), African Americans ages 18–49 are twice as likely to die from heart disease as white Americans. The Southern diet, which is often associated with soul food, contains organ meats, processed meats, eggs, fried foods, added fats, and sweetened beverages.