Dietary change among Latinos of Mexican descent in California

Abstract

Atole is a traditional milk-based beverage usually prepared with masa (cornmeal), oats, or cornstarch, and served hot. Arroz con verduras (rice with vegetables) is a nutritious dish popular in Latin American countries, but its consumption has decreased significantly among Latinos in California.

Comportamiento alimentario del consumidor mexicano y su relación con la sostenibilidad de su dieta

“…Sin embargo, la dieta tradicional mexicana actual reconocida a nivel internacional es una dieta tradicional colonizada que incorpora preparaciones culinarias que integran elementos de la dieta de la milpa, pero otros nuevos como las proteínas de origen animal como lo son las carnes rojas (los tacos de carne, los tamales, el pozole, etc.) (Gómez Delgado y Velázquez Rodríguez, 2019;Lares-Michel et al, 2023;Romero-Gwynn et al, 1992). Para muchos consumidores, las normas sociales y culturales se mantienen y es muy complicado modificar su comportamiento hacía la sostenibilidad.…”

Wild greens knowledge and consumption: a qualitative exploration of human agency in the Southern Arizona food system

“…The overall consumption of vegetables, including wild greens, is declining among Latinx populations in the U.S. (Ayala, Baquero, and Klinger 2008). This downward trend has been partially associated with dietary acculturation, which is a process that involves marginalized groups and under-represented populations altering, whether intentionally or unintentionally, their diets to better match that of the dominant culture (Romero-Gwynn et al 1992). Specific to our current study, Latinxs generally consume less traditional and more industrialized foods (e.g., processed items) the longer they live in the U.S. (Perez-Escamilla and Putnik 2007).…”

“…The overall consumption of wild greens as traditional foods has been diminishing at an increasing rate since the advent of industrialized agriculture and food production (Bharucha and Pretty 2010;Łuczaj 2010;MacNeish 1967;Pardo-de-Santayana et al 2007). Potential reasons for such declines in consumption include a lack of access to wild plant resources due to changes in land use and development (e.g., large scale commercial agriculture subsuming small to midsized farmlands and rural landscapes) (Bharucha and Pretty 2010), colonialization and acculturation (Himmelgreen, Romero Daza, Cooper, and Martinez 2007;Minnis, 1991;Romero-Gwynn et al 1992), and limited availability in conventional grocery stores (Pardo- de-Santayana et al 2007). Additionally, the time required to independently harvest and prepare the greens deters consumption within industrialized societies that place high value on convenience and efficiency.…”

“…According to Weber (1922), rationality represents an overarching strategy that encourages and rewards efficiency, calculation, and control within and between the cultural, economic, political, and social environments that shape the modern, post-industrial human condition. The pervasive, ongoing enactment of such strategy at the organizational and systemic levels within and between capitalist societies has created an "iron cage" that is marked by economic and societal homogenization and the lack of individual freedom and choice (Kivisto 2011;Romero-Gwynn et al 1992). The DFS, which is industrial in nature and global in scale (Fugile, Wang, and Ball 2012;Murray 2001;Phillips 2006), is a direct representation of such rationalization (Ritzer 1983;Thompson and Coskuner-Balli 2007).…”

“…These barriers center on organizational and systemic controls, rather than on more individualized characteristics such as gustatory taste preferences and monetary price tolerance. The three themes are analyzed using the theories of rationalization (Kivisto 2011;Ritzer 1983;Romero-Gwynn et al 1992) and human agency (Bandura 2006;Emirbayer and Mische 1998;Locke 1978;Lukes 1973). Future research is recommended on the rationalization effects of the DFS on human agency and traditional food consumption to include greater variation in locales/regions, traditional food types, and ethnic backgrounds.…”