Ancestral Recipes
Ancestral Recipes brings mesoamerican food traditions to our tables through healthy recipes and lifestyle changes.
The Ancestral Recipes team collaborates with healthcare systems and FIND Food Bank of Coachella, the local chapter of Feeding America, to promote the use of MyPlate-based recipes and facilitate access to fresh produce and healthy ingredients.
Behind the Project
Principle Investigator: Ann Cheney, PhD
Community Investigator: Maria Pozar
Las Promotoras: Ana Gonzalez, Maria Molina, Mary Bautista, Nancy Del Castillo, Solangel Cruz, Sonia Rodriguez, Yesenia Pozar
Two recipes [“Atapacua” and “Mole Verde”] of twenty included in the Cookbook.
What We’re Doing Now
Most recently our team of community health workers pilot tested a diabetes prevention and management program using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) wait-list control design. The program is 10 weeks and includes weekly, 30-minute cooking demonstrations, 30-minute workout class, and 60 minute talk on nutrition and healthy living. We selected recipes from the Ancestral Recipe cookbook to feature during some of the cooking demonstrations.
Check out our Eat, Move, Life YouTube playlist for workout, cooking, and nutrition education classes. For how to cook recipes from ourAncestral Recipe Cookbook, view our cooking demonstrations where we feature healthy and simple recipes. Cookbooks are available in English, Spanish, and Purépecha.
Eat, Move, Live Program
Community Reports
The findings from our pilot RCT were recently featured during our March 8, 2023 celebration of International Women’s Day.
Analysis of MyPlate-based Recipe Dissemination
Cheney, A.M., McCarthy, W., Pozar, M., Reaves, C., Ortiz, G., Lopez, D., Saldivar, P.A., & Gelberg, L. “Ancestral Recipes”: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of MyPlate-Based Recipe Dissemination for Latinos in Rural Communities. BMC Public Health. Doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-14804-3