nutrition
Nutrition improvement through the promotion of cultural diets

OVERVIEW

Corporative food markets are causing indigenous families to move to new dietary habits that include highly processed foods that cause obesity and chronic diseases worldwide. In the case of indigenous communities this is particularly true. For indigenous women who have migrated to urban areas, the impact spreads through the household as women are traditionally responsible for the diet of household.

Notably, women of Caliata are possessors of great cultural, productive, nutritional wealth. Caliata, which is in near proximity to urban areas, is remarkable in that its residents have diverse, healthy diets, including a consumption of fruits within the international recommendation. This resistance of preserving the cultural diet creates opportunity to improve the health of indigenous families beyond the borders of Caliata.

GOAL

To assure that the nutrition of families in Caliata remains remarkable by systematizing the ancestral food culture and preparing nutritious dishes for the households, while promoting their healthy lifestyles in neighboring communities.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

This project will operate by gathering a group of women, the heads of their households, who are interested in participating in weekly meetings to (i) collect and document the traditional ancestral recipes of Caliata, with emphasis on the agricultural production cycle; (ii) with assistance from a professional chef, prepare and design recipes that are a fusion between ancestral food and international gastronomy; (iii) raise awareness among women in neighboring communities about how to improve their and their families’ diets through demonstrative workshops conducted in Caliata’s council house.