Student: Eddie Figueroa
Consumer Interest Article
Target Audience:
30–40-year-old Hispanic females and males.
Possible Publications:
Univision under “Noticias” (news) and the “Nutricion” (nutrition) tab.
https://www.univision.com/noticias/nutricion
Telemundo
https://www.telemundo.com
Drop The Pill, Pick Up the Fiber
By: Eddie Figueroa
Lose Weight and Eat More!
What if I said you can eat more
while losing weight at the same time?
Sounds like everybody’s dream, right? Well,
I’m here to tell you it may be easier than you
think. Something as simple as adding a
variety of fruits, vegetables, seeds/nuts and
whole grains to someone’s diet may lead to
weight loss, increased energy levels and a
feeling of satiety or “feeling full.” Hispanics
are among the racial/ethnic group with some
of the highest rates of obesity and chronic
diseases. The goal of this article is to
provide more information and preventative
strategies to avoid these diseases. Increasing
the amount of fiber rich foods in the diet
will also add various vitamins and minerals
that the person may not receive as easily
otherwise. As a result, by eating more fiber
rich foods we are able to add a greater
volume of food to our diet and “eat more”
compared to junk or fast-food alternatives.
That Pill May Be Too Good to Be True
but Fiber Isn’t!
Many weight loss pills or
medications are designed to give off this
promise of certain benefits and positive
impacts they may have on our health, but
often times they hide ugly truths. They tend
to hide or sugar coat side effects so you
won’t realize what these pills may actually
be doing to your body. For example, many
weight loss supplements will add caffeine to
give a feeling of “energy” or feeling full but
in reality, you’re just caffeinating yourself.
If you are not careful, you may be
worsening your health especially if you have
a condition like high blood pressure which is
common in the Hispanic community.
Another common chronic disease the
Hispanic community struggles with is Type
2 Diabetes which is most often caused by
unhealthy eating habits and obesity.
Student: Eddie Figueroa
However, if we decide to start eating more
fiber then the added vitamins, minerals and
slow digesting carbohydrates could reduce
the risk of diabetes and help lower high
blood pressure.
Una Carne Asada, But Make It Healthy!
Almost every Hispanic family has
gotten together for a classic carne asada
where everyone from the youngest to the
oldest eat the same foods consisting or red
meat, tortillas, sodas and possibly other meat
options with very little vegetables.
Gathering for a carne asada may be a perfect
time to try implementing new and healthier
options for your family and steer them away
from the unhealthy eating habits many of us
grew up with. I remember when I was
younger, I would go through plates of tacos
and cans of soda not knowing the future
consequences that eating habits such as
these may bring. Unfortunately, we as
Hispanics tend to be accustomed to a diet
high in sugar, saturated fats, and sodium.
Therefore, this plays a large role as to why
some of our leading causes of death include
heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic
liver disease. All of which have a direct
correlation with diet and what we chose to
eat meaning that as adults we can prevent
some of these diseases and hardships for the
younger generations by teaching them
healthy eating habits from an early age. For
example, when planning a carne asada I like
to add chicken or even salmon on the grill
instead of just red meat, switch out soda for
water or unsweetened iced tea, replace chips
and salty snacks with fruit and vegetable
plates the whole family can enjoy. This way
the high sodium snacks are replaced with
high fiber fruits and vegetables that even
children can grow accustomed to and make
a part of their routine when preparing carne
asadas or family get togethers in the future.
Classic Mexican Dishes, With a Twist
I grew up with my parents eating like
most Hispanics do which included a diet rch
in red meat, soda, tortillas, and pan dulce to
name a few foods. I slowly would suggest
we try alternatives to the classic food staples
they grew up with such as replacing regular
flour tortillas with a whole grain version,
white rice with brown rice or quinoa, and
pan dulce with whole grain toast or bagels
topped with avocado or eggs. These are just
a few ideas that can go a long way as they
all promote added fiber. By simply making a
few small changes to the traditional
Hispanic diet people can feel better
physically when making these replacements
which may encourage and motivate lasting
changes. By adding foods rich in fiber,
people can reduce their risk of chronic
disease and lose weight all together. In this
way we can improve Hispanics quality of
life and improve their family’s health as
well.
Reference:
1. Offringa, L. C., Hartle, J. C.,
Rigdon, J., & Gardner, C. D.
(2021, October 16). Changes
in quantity and sources of
dietary fiber from adopting
healthy low-fat vs. healthy
low-carb weight loss diets:
Secondary analysis of
Dietfits Weight Loss Diet
Study. MDPI. Retrieved
February 21, 2022, from
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-
6643/13/10/3625/htm 
2. Arias-Gastélum, M.,
Lindberg, N.M., Leo,
M.C. et al. (2020, June
03). Dietary Patterns with
Healthy and Unhealthy
Traits Among
Student: Eddie Figueroa

Overweight/Obese 5. Dreher M. L. (2018). Whole

Hispanic Women with or at Fruits and Fruit Fiber
High Risk for Type 2 Emerging Health
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