From Arroz to Yuca: Why We Must Protect Our Ancestral Foodways
There is a constant flow of misinformation seeping into the culinary world. A persistent push towards Eurocentric diets and “clean” meals leave little room for foodways that exist outside the European/European American appetite. Cultural foods from Latin America & the Caribbean are vilified, leading us to question our ancestral foodways.
But what if we reject culinary assimilation and embrace the foods that ensured our ancestors' survival?
Whether you’re vegan, plant-based, vegetarian (or none of the above), the key to staying true to oneself is embracing cultural foodways.
Our cultural foods are more than nourishment—they’re history, identity, and resilience on a plate. Yet, too often, they’re misunderstood or dismissed by mainstream wellness trends.
Registered Dietitian, Dalina Soto, touches on these very issues in her new book The Latina Anti-Diet. She discusses the nutritional value cultural foods hold, while acknowledging the systemic inequities our communities face. This isn't just a book—it's a movement! Dalina Soto is reclaiming Latine food culture, helping us nourish our bodies without shame.
Let’s debunk three common myths and celebrate the meals that prove them wrong.
MYTH #1: Arroz blanco is bad!
“…I did not expect my stance on white rice to be so controversial. But here we are in a wellness world that hates white rice and constantly tries to shove brown rice down our throats in the name of health.” (P. 109)
Truth: Arroz blanco is a cultural connector—a staple that carries generations of tradition, comfort, and community.
Celebrate with:
🍚 Arroz con Gandules (Puerto Rico)
🍛 Gallo Pinto (Nicaragua/Costa Rica)
🥘 Tacu Tacu (Peru)
MYTH #2: Maíz lacks nutrition.
“What is important to remember is that corn-like that used for our tortillas and masas-is packed with nutrition” (P. 103)
Truth: Maíz is sacred nutrition—a resilient, nutrient-rich grain deeply tied to the land and its people.
Celebrate with:
🌮 Tacos (México)
🥣 Funche (Venezuela/Puerto Rico)
🫓 Pupusas (El Salvador)
Myth #3:.Yuca is dangerous to eat
“Raw yuca is poisonous.” (P 87) But “...let’s not forget the cultural significance that root vegetables such as yuca hold in many countries…” (P. 90)
Truth: Yuca is an ancient plantcestor—a life-sustaining crop with deep roots in Indigenous traditions.
Celebrate with:
🍪 Casabe (Caribbean/South America)
🧄 Yuca con Mojo (Cuba)
🎋 Pasteles de Yuca (Caribbean)
The story of Latin American & Caribbean survival lives within our food systems. We are told our cultural foods are unhealthy and we must adapt in order to live full lives, but that is simply not true. Our foods have survived genocide, colonialism and continued ostracization in the name of health. But health is often used as a weapon of white supremacy, equating to the shrinking of not only our plates, but also our existence. In order to fight this, cultural food education is key. As Dalina states, “Our foods deserve to be on our plates and not villainized, which is why I take so much pride in educating people about the nutritious value of these foods.” (P. 90)
