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Kwanzaa: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind... A New Definition of Soul Food By Gowri Koneswaran
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Seven Principals of Kwanzaa Kwanzaa was started in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor at the California State University, Long Beach, California. On each day of Kwanzaa, a family member lights a candle, then discusses one of the following seven principles. These principles, along with Karenga’s elucidation of them in 1965, are: 1. Umoja (Unity): To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. 2. Kujichagulia (Self-determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves instead of being defined, named, created for and spoken for by others. 3. Ujima (Collective Work And Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together, and to make our sisters’ and brothers’ problems our problems and to solve them together. 4. Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together. 5. Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. 6. Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in whatever way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. 7. Imani (Faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and in the righteousness and victory of our struggle. The next-to-last day of the holiday, December 31, is marked by a lavish feast, the Kwanzaa Karamu, which, in keeping with the theme of black unity, may draw on the cuisines of the Caribbean, Africa, South America . . . wherever Africans were taken. In addition to food, the Karamu is an opportunity for a confetti storm of cultural expression: dance and music, readings, and remembrances. Source: Kwanzaa,
An African-American Celebration of Culture And Dining, ©1991 by Eric V. Copage. |
From December 26 to January 1, many
African Americans and others of African descent will celebrate Kwanzaa, a cultural holiday
whose Swahili name translates as “first fruits of the harvest.” While this is a
time to congregate and reflect upon the Nguzo Saba, or seven principles, it is invariably
a time to feast. In contrast to traditional holiday cuisine, however, food served during Kwanzaa need not force you into end-of-the-year pounds and sky-high cholesterol levels. Centering around cultural reflection, Kwanzaa is also a time to contemplate the benefits healthy eating can have on the body and mind. Why not encourage your loved ones to honor their well-being while they pay respect to the accomplishments and culture of Africans and African Americans? After all, to make strides in our communities, we should first embrace positive changes in our bodies. The following recipes are tasty and quick. They incorporate a range of ingredients and a delicious mixture of flavors, so your guests may not notice all the missing fat and cholesterol. And if they do, they’ll probably thank you for the gift of a healthy body, peaceful mind, and soul-preserving food. Source: Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, www.pcrm.org/
Ed. Note: The following recipes are by Jennifer Raymond, from Eat Right, Live Longer and Food For Life, by Neal D. Barnard, M.D., and Healthy Eating For Life (To Prevent And Treat Diabetes), by Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine with Patricia Bertron, R.D. To order any of the titles, go to www.pcrm.org/ and click on the Resources section.
CURRIED
LENTIL SOUP 1 cup lentils, rinsed Bring the lentils, onion, celery, garlic, cumin seed, and water to a simmer in a large pot over medium heat. Cover and cook until the lentils are tender, about 50 minutes. Stir in the couscous or rice, chopped tomatoes, curry powder, and pepper. Continue cooking until the couscous is tender, about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. Makes 10 Servings. Per (1-Cup) Serving: 122 Cal; Trace of Fat; 23 g Carb;
COUSCOUS CONFETTI SALAD 1-1/2 cups whole wheat couscous In a large bowl, combine couscous and boiling water. Stir to mix, then cover and let stand until all the water has been absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add onions, bell pepper, carrot, cabbage, parsley, and raisins. In a small bowl mix lemon juice, vinegar, oil, curry powder, and salt. Add to salad and toss to mix. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Makes approximately 8 Servings. Sodium Alert! This recipe is not suitable for those on low salt meal plans. Per (1-Cup) Serving: 152 Cal; 2 g Total Fat; 30 g Carb; 412 mg
Sodium; 4 g Protein; 2 g Fiber. Exchanges: 1 Starch;
CORNBREAD 1-1/2 cups soymilk Preheat the oven to 425° F. Combine the soymilk and vinegar and set aside. Stir the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then add the soy milk mixture and mix until just blended. Spread evenly in a 9” x 9” baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 8 Servings. Per (3-x 3-inch slice): 124 Cal; <1 g Total Fat; 26 g Carb;
BLACK BEAN CHILI 2 cups dried black beans OR 1 (15-ounce) can black beans If you are using dried beans: Wash beans and place in a large pan or bowl with 4 to 6 cups water. Soak overnight. Pour off soaking water and place in a kettle with 6 cups fresh water. Add cilantro, as desired, then bring to a simmer, and cook until the beans are tender, about 2 hours. If you are using canned beans: Empty beans and liquid into a saucepan and simmer with cilantro, if you wish to use it. In a small, dry skillet, heat the herbs and toast until fragrant. (Be careful not to inhale the fumes; the cayenne can be very irritating.) In a larger skillet, braise the onion in 1/2 cup water for 2 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper, garlic, and herbs and cook until the onion is soft. Add to the beans when they are tender, along with the tomatoes. Simmer 30 minutes or longer if time allows (the flavor improves with longer cooking.) Add salt to taste. Serve in individual bowls, topped with chopped green onion. Makes 6 to 8 Servings. Per Serving (with dried beans): 261 Cal; 1 g Total Fat; 48 g Carb; 363 mg Sodium; 16 g Protein. Exchanges: 3 Starch; 2 Lean Meat. Per Serving (with canned beans): 108 Cal; 1 g Total Fat; 19 g Carb; 627 mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Lean Meat.
SHEPHERD'S PIE 4 large russet potatoes, diced Dice the potatoes and steam them until tender. Mash, adding enough soy milk to make them smooth and spreadable. Add salt to taste. Set aside. In a large pot, heat the water or stock and cook the onions for 3 minutes. Add the pepper, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, then cover the pan and cook an additional 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, kidney beans, paprika, pepper, and soy sauce, then cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Put the vegetables into a 9” x 13” baking dish and spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the top. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 25 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Makes 10 Servings. Per (1-1/2-Cup) Serving: 217 Cal; <1/2 g Total Fat; 47 g Carb; 257 mg Sodium; 6 g Protein. Exchanges: 2 Starch; 3 Veg.
BRAISED COLLARDS OR KALE 1 bunch (6 to 8 cups chopped) collard greens or kale Wash greens, remove stems, then cut leaves into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Combine olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and the water in a large pot or skillet. Cook over high heat about 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-high, add chopped greens, and toss to mix. Cover and cook, stirring often, until greens are tender, about 5 minutes. Makes 3 (1-cup) Servings. Per (1-Cup) Serving: 106 Cal; 2 g Total Fat; 18 g Carb; 132 mg Sodium; 6 g Fiber; 6 g Protein. Exchanges: 1 Starch; 3 Veg.
GINGER PEACHY
BREAD PUDDING 1 (28-ounce) can sliced peaches, packed in juice Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9- x 9-inch baking dish with vegetable cooking spray; set aside. Drain liquid from peaches into a large mixing bowl. Add cornstarch. Stir to dissolve any lumps, then add bread cubes, milk, apple juice concentrate, raisins, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla. Mix well. Chop peaches and stir into bread mixture. Spread in prepared baking dish. Bake 35 minutes in preheated oven. Serve warm or cooled. Makes 9 Servings. Per Serving: 193 Cal; 2 g Total Fat; 43 g Carb; 197 mg Sodium; 4 g Protein; 3 g Fiber. Exchanges: 2 Starch; 1 Fruit.
YAM PIE 2 medium yams Peel the yams and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Steam in a covered pot over boiling water until tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. Mash, leaving some chunks. You should have about 2 cups. Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, spices, and salt, then stir in the soymilk and mashed yams. Pour into the pre-baked fat-free crust or an unbaked 9” or 10” standard pie crust and bake for 35 minutes. Cool before cutting. Makes 8 Servings. FAT-FREE PIE CRUST 1 cup Grape Nuts cereal (nuggets) Preheat the oven to 350° F. Mix together the Grape Nuts and apple juice concentrate. Pat into a thin layer on the bottom and sides of a 9” pie pan. Don’t worry if there are some gaps. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool before filling. Per (2-inch Slice)Serving with Fat-Free Pie Crust: 158 Cal; 1/2 g Total Fat; 36 g Carb; 152 mg Sodium; 3 g Protein. Exchanges: 2 Starch. Per (2-inch Slice) Serving with Conventional Crust: 261 Cal; 8 g Total Fat; 42 g Carb; 155 mg Sodium; 4 g Protein. Exchanges: 3 Starch; 2 Fat. Per (2-inch Slice) Serving Fat-Free Crust Only: 68 Cal; Trace of Fat; 15 g Carb; 97 mg Sodium; 2 g Protein. Exchanges: 1 Starch.
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