Healthy Food Bank and Food Pantry Guidelines
Cultural Considerations
There are various health challenges that individuals face among the different ethnicities in the world, such as high rates of chronic disease, pollution-related issues, and inadequate health care access in certain regions. A healthy diet plays a crucial role in addressing health disparities by promoting overall well-being and reducing the risk of diet-related diseases. By consuming a balanced and nutritious diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, individuals and families can improve their immune systems, maintain healthy weight, regulate blood sugar levels, and lower the risk of chronic conditions. A healthy diet can also contribute to better mental health, enhanced cognitive function, and increased energy levels, thereby improving the quality of life of all.
ASIA
(including but not limited to Chinese, Japanese, Korean)
Chinese
Cultural Foods: Chinese broccoli, bok choy, choy sum, long beans, eggplant, radish, corn, potato, sweet potato, medium-grain rice, noodles, tofu, pork, chicken
Japanese
Cultural Foods: Ginger, garlic, green onion, broccoli, spinach, squash, sweet potato, soybean, short-grain rice, noodle, seaweed, potato, corn starch, fish, tofu
Korean
Cultural Foods: Kimchi (cabbage, radish, etc.), cucumber, spinach, mushrooms, eggplant, peppers, soybean, short-grain rice, noodle, pork, chicken, fish
MELANESIA
(including but not limited to Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, and New Caledonia)
Cultural Foods: Sweet potato, taro, yam, bananas, chicken, fish.
MICRONESIA
(including but not limited to Marshallese, Chuukese, Chamorro, Palau, Carolinian, Pohnpeian, Kosraean, Yapese, Nauruan, Kiribati)
Cultural Foods: Taro, breadfruit, yam, sweet potato, banana, coconut, rice, fish, coconut, crab, pork, chicken, clams
NORTH AMERICAN/EUROPEAN
(including but not limited to Italian, German, English, French, Irish, Mexican, African)
Cultural Foods: Potato, corn, bread starches, rice, wheat, beef, chicken, pork
POLYNESIA
(including but not limited to Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Tongan, Tahitian, Maori, Cook Islands)
Cultural Foods: Breadfruit, taro (root and leaves), sweet potato, banana, rice, egg, pork, fish, chicken
SOUTH AMERICA/LATIN
(including but not limited to Spanish, Caribbean, Portuguese, Indigenous Latin)
Cultural Foods: Corn, squash, pepper, tomato, plantain, potato, rice, beans, beef, pork, chicken, lamb
SOUTH EAST ASIA
(including but not limited to Indonesia, Laos, Philippines and Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, West Malaysia)
Filipino
Cultural Foods: Bean sprouts, sweet potato, taro, coconut, eggplant, rice, chicken, pork, shrimp, fish
Vietnamese
Cultural Foods: Soybean, sweet potato, corn, cabbage, spinach, bitter melon
Dietary Changes Suggestions
Click the tabs below to view suggestions to reduce or reduce risk of certain health issues.
Diets to Reduce Hypertension, Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease:
- Composite diets11
- Polyunsaturated fats as opposed to trans fats and saturated fats11
- Substituting palm or coconut oil with olive, canola, or other vegetable oils to lower intake of saturated fats8
- Substituting coconut milk with low-fat coconut milk to lower intake of saturated fats8
- Increased dietary potassium11
- Soybeans, potatoes, poultry, fish, yogurt, nuts, milk12
- Increased fruit and vegetable intake12
- Substituting white wheat flour and white rice with whole wheat flour and brown rice12
- Avoiding deep-fried foods or deep frying as a way of cooking to avoid the intake of high levels of sodium/fat8
Diets to Reduce Cerebrovascular Disease (Stroke, etc.) and Hypertension13:
- Reduced salt intake
- Increased intake of foods containing carotenoids (CARS)
- Spinach, kale, corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes
- Reduced cholesterol intake14
- Fruits and vegetables
- Eggplant, okra
- Oatmeal, oat bran, barley
- Beans
- Avocado
- Almonds, peanuts
- Olive oil
- Fatty fish (including tuna and salmon)
- Fruits and vegetables
- Increased intake of whole grains
Diets to Reduce Risk of Diabetes:
- Increased intake of fiber-rich foods
- Fruits: tomatoes, peppers
- Nonstarchy Vegetables: leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower
- Legumes: beans, chickpeas, lentils
- Whole grains
- Increased intake of healthy fats
Diets to Reduce Risk of Cancer15:
- Reduce intake of red and processed meats
- Reduce intake of sugar-sweetened beverages
- Reduce intake of highly processed foods
Healthy Recipes
Healthy Hawaiian Recipes, Courtesy of Healthy Living Hawaii, DOH
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad:
Replace mayo with greek yogurt
Use whole wheat macaroni or chickpea macaroni pasta
New Recipies for Ancient Crops
Healthier Kalua Pork and Cabbage
Harvest for Schools – African Heritage
Filipino Food Made Healthy (diabetes)
Works Cited
- https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/white-health.htm
- https://nam.edu/challenges-and-promise-of-health-equity-for-native-hawaiians/
- https://dnhh.hawaii.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/NPHI_HlthAssessmentPriorities_Rpt2020.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8493186/#:~:text=An%20estimated%2081%25%20of%20deaths,fruits%20and%20vegetables%20%5B28%5D.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4815710/#bib24
- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/new-study-reveals-previously-invisible-health-issues-among-asians-u-n1141676
- https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=3&lvlid=63
- https://newsroom.heart.org/news/culture-diet-economic-factors-and-more-affect-cvd-risk-among-asian-americans
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4411112/
- https://med.stanford.edu/care/research/country-specific-data-briefs/_jcr_content/main/panel_builder/panel_0/download_1191717062/file.res/JapanDataBrief.pdf
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14972059/
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3369476/
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/11-foods-that-lower-cholesterol
- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/diet-physical-activity/acs-guidelines-nutrition-physical-activity-cancer-prevention/guidelines.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/hispanic-health/index.html