optimal health
The Plant-Based Lifestyle
The Amazing Plant Power of African American Cuisine
Photo by Joshua Resnick / AdobeStock
The Amazing Plant Power of African American Cuisine
By donna green goodman
I
am really bothered when I hear “experts” talk about how horrible African American/Soul Food is for our health. It’s true that the fatty and sugary traditional foods are not healthy. And the fast food restaurants in our communities definitely aren’t healthy. But they seem to always stop short of promoting the value of a number of foods that are clearly core to our cultural cuisine norms, the ones that are so very healthy!
Here are some facts about the goodness of some of our cultural foods.
Beans
Whether pinto, black-eyed, lima, red, kidney, or northern, beans are among the best known foods to help control blood sugars and fight diabetes.
Berries
If you have any connection to a relative in the South who had some land, you’re quite familiar with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. And, you’ve probably had some in a warm cobbler topped with homemade ice cream. Berries are good for the brain and support good heart health.
Greens
Collards, turnips, kale, mustard, rape, dandelion, and beet greens have all been in a pot full of “liquor” that we often drank. Like beans, they just go with cornbread or hoecake. And, more and more people are learning to season them without all the fatback or other smoked meats. Adding cabbage to your greens takes them to a whole ‘nother level. I’m most impressed by the amount of calcium in greens—more than milk. They also contribute to the body’s system of detoxification when they hit a certain spot in the digestive tract.
Watermelon
Though a summer favorite, some of us shunned it because of how it was framed by Eurocentric interpretations. Watermelon, however, is excellent as a cancer fighter and helps to prevent and even reverse erectile dysfunction.
Corn
Whether made into grits (served with salt) or cornmeal that is made into bread—with a little butter and honey—this was definitely a staple dating back to slavery. While eaten as a vegetable, it is actually a grain that is full of fiber and helps digestion and eliminating poisons from the body.
Sweet Potato
Not to be confused with yams, though we often call them that, they are delicious baked plain, candied, in soufflés, or in a pie. Sweet potatoes are full of health-enhancing phytochemicals, and as such, they fight cancer.
Garlic
Eaten along with onions, bell pepper, celery, and tomatoes, garlic forms a critical core for flavoring soul food. The health benefits are especially beneficial to increasing immune health, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and fighting cancers.
Pecans
Best served in a pie after they’ve fallen from your uncle’s tree, pecans contain healthy mono-unsaturated fat which aids in decreasing cholesterol levels. Pecans contain a variety of phytochemicals that fight diseases including cancer and infections. They are a rich source of iron, B vitamins, and Vitamin E which is an antioxidant. The magnesium in them is helpful in combatting heart disease and high blood pressure, as well as reducing stroke risks.
Here are a few of my favorite recipes. Hope you enjoy every one of them. And the next time somebody starts talking about black folks’ food, remember all of this plant power that our food brings to our plates and our lives.
Smoothie
½
cup each blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
1
banana
1
cup pineapple
½
cup kale
1-2
cups your favorite non-dairy milk for blending
Place all fruits in blender. Add milk slowly and blend. Add more if needed.
Turnip Greens/Cabbage2
bunches turnip greens
1
small head green cabbage, chopped
1
medium onion, chopped
2
cloves garlic, chopped
1
Tbsp. olive oil
1
Tbsp. McKay’s Vegan Chicken Style seasoning, or to taste
⅔
cup vegetable broth or water
Wash turnip greens in several changes of water. Cut as desired. Steam over pan of boiling water until slightly wilted, about five minutes. Place greens in strainer or colander and press out excess water. Transfer to large plate and set aside to cool. In large saucepan, heat the oil, and saute onions until browned. Add garlic and stir fry 1-2 minutes. Add greens and broth you steamed the greens over. Add seasonings and mix well. Cook for approximately 15 minutes. Add chopped cabbage and steam until the cabbage is tender.
Confetti Cream Gravy1
cup raw cashews
2
cups water
½
small onion, chopped
½
cup sweet bell pepper (combination of red, yellow, green, orange)
½
cup sliced mushrooms
½
cup your favorite veggie meat (sausage, chicken, beef, ham, bacon, or diced tofu)
•
Favorite seasonings (NO MSG McKay’s Chicken Style seasoning, garlic powder, basil)
Blend cashews in blender in 1 cup of water until smooth. Add the remaining water and blend again. Place in pot on stove on medium heat. Add vegetables and your choice veggie meat. Season with favorite seasonings to taste. Cook until thickened. Stir often. (Add more water to thin if sauce becomes too thick.) Serve over biscuits. Serves 6
VARIATION: Allergic to nuts? – Use 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons flour, 2 cups non-dairy milk, water, half and half or coconut milk. Season to taste. Add more liquid for desired consistency.
Pecan Pie3
Tbsp. margarine, melted
½-¾
cup pure cane juice crystals
2
Tbsp. whole wheat pastry flour
2
tsp. safflower or canola oil
2
tsp. firm tofu
1
cup maple syrup
1
tsp. non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring
2
cups chopped pecans
Mix liquid ingredients, tofu and sugar in a blender till smooth. Pour into a bowl and mix with pecans. Pour mixture into pie crust.
Pie Crust1
cup white, whole wheat flour
¼
cup olive oil
¼
cup cold water
½
tsp. salt
Mix together the flour, oil, salt and cold water until it forms a ball. Roll out into a circle and place into a pie pan. Pour pecan pie filling into crust. Bake at 350O until golden. Serves 6-8
Donna Green-Goodman, MPH writes from Huntsville, Alabama where she and her husband operate Lifestyle Therapeutix, A Lifestyle For Better Health Center www.lifestyletherapeutix.com. She is a health educator who is a 25-year breast cancer survivor. She’s been a college professor and a national ambassador for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Circle of Promise Campaign. She is author of Somethin’ to Shout About!, Cookin’ Up Good Health, Still Cookin’ Up Good Health, and executive producer of her own cooking show, Cookin’ Up Good Health!, which can be found on Donna’s YouTube Cooking Channel.