12/2/2023 0 Comments My heritage nostalgia web(Photo: Getty, voltan1) What to Look for in a Hiking SnackĪs a dietitian, I recommend prioritizing carbs and protein when deciding what to pack for a hike. These sometimes get a bad rap because of their carb content, but they’re rich in fiber and micronutrients, and carbs are a great source of energy when adventuring outdoors! Plantain chips are a quick form of carbs and sugars, perfect for a hiking snack. For example, in the Caribbean, we eat a lot of root vegetables such as plantains, yautia, and yuca. In consuming our cultural foods, we don’t sacrifice nutrition either cultural foods are beautifully diverse, and they all have nutritional benefits. One place we can maintain a connection to culture is through our food. Many of us with marginalized identities are taught to suppress our cultural traditions to conform to societal norms of what’s “healthy.” For people like me, cutting out these foods means more than just losing out on their nutrients it also means losing out on our connection to our families and our cultural roots. Yet, it can leave people from marginalized groups feeling stuck. Unfortunately, assimilation often infiltrates our eating experience. Why Center Your Culture on the Trail?Īssimilation-the process of ethnic groups being absorbed into a dominant culture-is almost inevitable for immigrant families. She says that doing so brings a sense of peace, calm, and comfort. And the tortas de jamón packed with veggies for lunch after a good hike up the mountain,” says León Saldaña. I get to bring some pan dulce con te for a nice calm evening around the fire. “I enjoy having a taquito de frijoles while backpacking or a sopa de lentejas (lentil soup) while camping. Given how empowering this cultural connection through food can be, why not also embrace it on the trail? “Every time I consume my cultural foods, I feel a sense of connection with my heritage and have nostalgia about the time I spent with loved ones consuming our Mexican foods alongside each other,” says Terri León Saldaña MS, RDN, a registered dietitian and first-generation Mexican American. It’s a way of embracing my roots despite pressure from society to conform to Eurocentric norms. It makes me feel connected to my ancestors. When we bring our cultural foods to the trail with us, we not only keep our culture alive, but we also more fully express ourselves and amplify our experience of the outdoors.Īs a second-generation American with roots in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, there’s nothing I like more than listening to salsa music and eating the slow-cooked roasted pork we call pernil, with rice and beans, topped with avocado and fried tostones on the side.
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