6 Tips for Making Latin Food Type 2 Diabetes–Friendly

With starchy foods like rice often taking center stage in Latin fare, whipping up diabetes-friendly meals when you’re craving or simply used to eating this type of cuisine can be challenging. But chef Leticia Moreinos Schwartz says getting down to the basics can go a long way in helping you keep your blood sugar levels steady.

Learn how to make over your Latin food so it’s more diabetes-friendly but doesn’t lack flavor and soul.

1. Skip the Salt and Season Your Food With Herbs and Spices

To maintain flavor while cutting your salt intake, Moreinos Schwartz suggests turning to alternative seasonings. “Using herbs and spices is one of the most important things in cooking because everything is so flavorful,” she says.

For instance, she likes to liven dishes with a homemade sofrito, a popular sauce in Latin cuisine that gets its spiciness from garlic, cilantro, peppers, and tomatoes, the latter of which is optional. Moreinos Schwartz likes to add paprika, nutmeg, cumin, oregano, and parsley to the mixture. “There is so much depth in its flavor that you need a lot less salt when using sofrito,” she says.

Chicken stock can also boost the flavor of soups, sauces, and rice dishes, but opt for low-sodium varieties, or make your own. “I am a huge advocate for homemade chicken stock,” says Moreinos Schwartz. “I never throw the bones of a rotisserie chicken away. Instead, I simply add cold water and make chicken stock at home.”

If you crave yellow rice, a staple of Spanish and Caribbean dishes, Moreinos Schwartz recommends ditching the boxed variety but keeping the fragrance and golden hue by adding saffron or turmeric.

2. Choose Plant Proteins and Leaner Meats

Registered dietitians agree that removing the skin from chicken is the easiest way to minimize its saturated fat content. And, if you’re choosing beef, they recommend considering the total fat content in addition to the saturated fat content of the product you buy, opting for the highest percentage of lean meat (for example, 90 percent lean versus 80 percent lean) when possible.

Similarly, go on and enjoy a sausage and black bean soup, but consider replacing pork or beef sausage with turkey or chicken sausage. Or you could replace the pulled, stewed beef of a Cuban ropa vieja with slow-cooked chicken, says Moreinos Schwartz.

3. Go for Higher-Fiber, Less-Processed Versions of Your Favorite Starches

If these grain swaps are inaccessible or culturally unacceptable, simply add beans to a smaller portion of white rice or vegetables to pasta. Such additions can increase the fiber and nutrient density of your meal.

Likewise, instead of a sugar-packed dessert like arroz doce (rice pudding) or tres leches cake, opt for a small portion of your favorite whole fruit, which is full of fiber and nutrients while void of added sugar, making it less likely to spike your blood sugar.

4. Set Aside the Time to Actually Cook These Healthy Dishes

Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to eat at home every night. But try starting small by picking a day of the week to cook, then using the leftovers for additional meals, says Moreinos Schwartz.

“I like to cook on Sundays, not just as a chef but as a home cook for my own family,” she says. “That way, I can prepare meals for the rest of the week.”

5. Don’t Serve Latin Food in American-Sized Portions

When it comes to type 2 diabetes prevention or management, how much you eat is just as important as what you eat, says Moreinos Schwartz.

“I am originally from Brazil, and one of the things I see is that the portion sizes here in the United States are crazy,” she says. The rich food eaten in many Latin countries wasn’t meant to be eaten in supersized, American-style portions. “We have a saying in Brazil: ‘One is too little, two is okay, and three is way too much.’”

6. Make Dinner a Family Event

Another aspect of Latin culture to avoid overlooking is keeping family at the center of mealtime.

“Do not isolate a member of the family if they have type 2 diabetes,” says Moreinos Schwartz. “My passion is to inspire people to make food that is good for the whole family.”

Consider sharing diabetes-friendly fare with everyone at the table to support the person who has the disease (or is at risk for it) in sticking with their diet.

It’s a lesson that Moreinos Schwartz learned after her paternal grandfather died from complications of type 2 diabetes.

“My grandmother really didn’t have the right access to information, education, or literacy about type 2 diabetes,” she says. “So it was a struggle for her to help him manage the disease, and it was a struggle for all of us in the family. His death prompted my entire family to review and reevaluate the lifestyle that we were living, making small changes to help reduce our risk of developing type 2 diabetes.”

The Takeaway

• Swapping salt for nutrient-dense herbs and spices provides deep flavor while helping to manage blood pressure, which is crucial, since people with type 2 diabetes face a higher risk of heart disease.
• Priortizing lean cuts of meat and plant-based protein sources, trying brown rice and whole-wheat pasta, and adding fiber-rich beans and vegetables to white rice and traditional pasta dishes helps prevent sharp blood sugar spikes and supports better weight management.
• Setting aside time to cook at home helps avoid nutrient-poor takeout, while reducing meal sizes to match traditional Latin portions (rather than oversized American portions) makes it much easier to manage your carbohydrate intake.
• Instead of isolating individuals with type 2 diabetes by serving them separate meals, cooking nutritious, flavor-packed dishes for the entire family creates a supportive environment and reduces everyone’s collective health risks.