Biba Mes CHamoru
In honor of both Mes CHamoru and National Nutrition Month, let’s celebrate food and dishes that are both traditional and nutritious!
March is a celebration of Mes CHamoru, as well as National Nutrition Month–a time to reflect on and promote the health and culture of our island community. We have struggled these recent years not just with coronavirus, but also with chronic health conditions influenced by our lifestyle choices. By incorporating healthy food choices at home and at our social gatherings, we can take care of each other and promote longevity of our community.
A healthy plate is balanced in whole grains or starches, lean protein sources, and a variety of vegetables and fruits. Each food group plays an important role in our health.
Grains and starches are rich in carbohydrates, a nutrient that provides energy. While rice has been a staple to our local diet, there are healthier options that are higher in fiber and potassium, such as banana, breadfruit, sweet potato, taro and yam. These starchy fruits and vegetables are often prepared with coconut milk or added to soups. Because these dishes are high in calories, it’s important to limit your portion to ¼ of your plate. Both at home and at fiestas or parties, we tend to load up on this food group–with red rice, potato salad, and titiyas or rolls taking up more than half of our plate. This month, pay attention to your portions and try to re-balance your grains and starches to allow room for the other food groups.
Protein helps build and repair our bodies, and is usually represented as barbecue meat at our parties. Traditionally, the CHamoru people sourced much of their protein from the sea. Seafood is leaner than other animal proteins, and may also provide omega-3 fatty acids, iron, and vitamin D. Rather than deep frying, we can prepare seafood in a healthier way by grilling, baking, or even with minimal cooking–such as kelaguen. Protein dishes are often high in calories and sodium, so again it is important to limit this food group to about ¼ of your plate.
The remaining half of our plate should be filled with non-starchy vegetables and fruit. These food groups protect our bodies, reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. Unfortunately, our vegetable dishes are often placed at the end of the table when there is little room left on our plate. By moving them to the start of the table, we can build plates that are balanced the right way. Bitter melon, cucumber, eggplant, long beans, and kangkong are just a few examples of locally-grown vegetables that we enjoy pickled, with coconut milk, or in soups. To finish our meals, we are accustomed to the many delectable CHamoru desserts. Let us remember that these are meant to be treats that are enjoyed on occasion. On a more regular basis, we should delight in the natural sweetness of our tropical fruits–such as mango, papaya, and dragon fruit.
This month, we can commemorate the CHamoru culture by eating traditional foods in a balanced way. For example, fill half your plate with lechen beringhenas (eggplant in coconut milk) and kottidu (pickled fruits and vegetables), and divide the remaining half between kelaguen uhang (shrimp kelaguen) and gollai appan suni (taro in coconut milk). Let’s celebrate Mes CHamoru by preparing and sharing meals that are delicious and nutritious!