How to Manage Blood Sugar Without Sacrificing Cultural Foods
In many Latine households, food is identity just as much as it is nourishment.
It’s the sound of arroz boiling on the stove, the aroma of sofrito in the air, the comfort of warm plátanos sizzling as family gathers in the kitchen.
For Dominican-American dietitian Dalina Soto, MA, RD, LDN, these memories shaped her relationship with food long before she ever studied nutrition.
But when Dalina stepped into the professional nutrition world, she noticed something troubling: so many Latines had internalized the idea that the foods they grew up with were “wrong.” Too many carbs. Too much rice. Not “healthy” enough.
She remembers thinking, How did nutrition become so disconnected from culture?
“My work has always been about unlearning that,” she says. “I help people reconnect to the foods that raised them. You can support your health without erasing your identity.”
This belief sits at the heart of her mission: show people that managing blood sugar—especially within Latinx communities—doesn’t mean abandoning the flavors that define us. Often, it simply means understanding what’s happening in our bodies and making gentle, realistic adjustments.
Why Blood Sugar Matters And What It Really Is
Blood sugar, or blood glucose, is your body’s main source of energy. Every time you eat carbohydrates (like tortillas, habichuelas, arroz blanco, fruit) your body breaks them down into glucose so your cells can function.
There are a few ways this balance is measured: fasting blood glucose, A1c (a three-month average), and post-meal glucose. For individuals who need ongoing tracking, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) can help, though Dalina emphasizes they are intended for people with diabetes, not the wellness trend crowd.
When your blood sugar stays within a healthy range, your energy feels steady, your hunger cues make more sense, and your mood stabilizes. When it swings too high too often, it can raise your risk of diabetes and other metabolic issues. But Dalina is clear: blood sugar education should never be used to create fear around carbs.
Why Blood Sugar Is a Growing Concern in Our Communities
Latinos in the U.S. experience higher—and earlier—rates of diabetes. Dalina stresses that the usual explanations are rooted in stereotypes, not science.
“In our community, we see higher rates of diabetes because of access, stress, and a lack of culturally relevant nutrition information, not because we’re doing anything wrong,” she explains.
Many Latine neighborhoods lack affordable produce, high-quality healthcare, or safe places to move.
Chronic stress induced by immigration hurdles, financial pressure, discrimination, and balancing multiple jobs affects hormones that influence blood sugar. Often, the nutrition advice Latinos receive is to “cut carbs” or eliminate cultural staples entirely, which is neither realistic nor helpful.
“Our food was never the problem,” Dalina says. “The problem is that the nutrition guidance we get isn’t written for us. It doesn’t understand us.”
You Don’t Have to Cut Out the Foods You Love
One of Dalina’s most powerful teachings is that supporting your blood sugar doesn’t start with restriction. It starts with a shift in perspective.
Instead of asking, What should I cut out?
She encourages people to ask, What can I add to help this meal support me?
It’s a simple reframing, but it changes everything. Rather than eliminating beloved foods, you add nourishing elements that help your body process carbs more steadily. Fiber from veggies or beans, protein from chicken or lentils, and healthy fats like avocado or olive oil all help create that steadiness.
“Keep the arroz,” she says. “Keep the tortillas. Keep the plátanos. Just give the meal a little support.”
The Truth About “Healthy Swaps”
“Honestly? I don’t believe in swaps that ruin the flavor,” she says. “If it doesn’t taste good, no one’s eating it—including me.”
Her version of swaps is never about replacing sazón with plain steamed broccoli. Instead, they’re gentle, flavor-first shifts that keep the essence of a dish intact.
Choosing tomato sauce without added sugar, using canned beans with no salt so you can season them your way, or throwing frozen veggies into a dish you already love are the kinds of changes she encourages.
Protein add-ons like rotisserie chicken, pre-cooked lentils, canned tuna or salmon, or even a little queso fresco can turn a plate into a more balanced one without altering the heart of the meal.
“Our food has always had flavor, fiber, and nourishment,” Dalina says. “We just got told it was unhealthy because it didn’t fit into a Eurocentric nutrition lens.”
Can Small Changes Really Make a Big Difference?
Yes, and the beauty is that they don’t require abandoning your culture.
Blood sugar management doesn’t demand dramatic diets or removing the foods your family has made for generations. It’s about understanding your body, not fighting your heritage.
By adding instead of subtracting, by balancing instead of restricting, you create meals that nourish both your body and your identity. Meals that protect your health without disconnecting you from your roots.
And maybe that’s the biggest shift of all: realizing that your culture isn’t something you need to overcome to be healthy. It’s something you can lean into while still giving your blood sugar the steady support it deserves.
