What Are Some of the Healthy Components of Traditional Soul Food?

Traditional Soul Food is an important part of the African American culture and has been around for centuries. It is a type of cuisine that emphasizes the use of fresh ingredients, and mostly features dishes made from locally-sourced foods. Soul food is typically associated with comfort food, featuring main dishes that are hearty and filling. While soul food has gotten a bad rap in recent years due to its high fat and calorie content, there are still many healthy components to this traditional cuisine.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: Many traditional soul food dishes feature fresh fruits and vegetables as key ingredients, including greens like collard greens, turnip greens, and mustard greens. These nutrient-rich vegetables are full of fiber, vitamins A & C, iron, calcium, magnesium, and other essential nutrients. Fruits such as apples, oranges, lemons, limes, berries, pears, peaches are also often used in soul food recipes.

These fruits are packed with antioxidants which can help reduce inflammation in the body.

Grains: Grains like cornmeal (used to make cornbread), barley (used to make grits), oats (used to make oatmeal), wheat flour (used to make biscuits) are all common ingredients found in traditional soul food recipes. Grains provide our bodies with essential vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin B6 & E as well as dietary fiber. Whole grains have also been linked to a lower risk of heart disease.

Proteins: Traditional soul food usually includes proteins such as chicken or turkey (fried or baked), pork (cured or smoked), fish (grilled or fried). These sources of protein provide our bodies with essential amino acids which are necessary for proper growth and development. Additionally these proteins contain essential vitamins such as B12 which helps keep our nervous system healthy.

Conclusion:

Traditional Soul Food may have gotten a bad rap due to its higher fat content but there are still many healthy components present in this style of cuisine. Fruits and vegetables provide us with essential vitamins and minerals while grains provide us with dietary fiber. Proteins from poultry or fish give us essential amino acids that help keep our bodies functioning properly.