Mmmm... Salvadoran Food!

During the past week, our group has had quite the adventure adapting to our new Salvadoran-style diet. In contrast to the typical American breakfast of yogurt or cereal, our morning meal has consisted of eggs and frijoles, or beans. Pupusas--fried tortillas usually stuffed with meat, cheese, or frijoles--are a local favorite for lunch or dinner. We´ve also taste-tested fried and boiled yucca (a veggie that reminded me so much of french fries and mashed potatoes!). From my experiences thus far, fried foods are abundant--and frequently the most cost-effective choice.

As fun as it has been to explore these new foods, the traditional Salvadoran diet also brings to light a host of other nutritional issues that can have significant health implications. Malnutrition has been a chronic issue for many: during the past two decades, approximately 28% and 14% of the rural and urban populations, respectively, suffer from malnutrition.* As in almost every country, some of these cases are due to poverty and consequent low calorie intake; after visiting downtown San Salvador, for example, I was heartbroken by the number of people I saw living in severe poverty. In other cases, though, the consumption of unhealthy foods causes nutritional deficiencies:

• Due to the high cost of meats and vegetables,--the primary sources of iron--only 8.5% of Salvadoran families in 1998 had adequate iron intake.* Often, individuals suffer from anemia and lethargy as a result of iron deficiencies. In El Salvador, the typical diet is rich in carbohydrates like yucca, bread, tortillas, and rice that are not long-lasting energy sources... our frequent afternoon siestas are evidence enough!



• Another prevalent issue is iodine deficiency. In El Salvador and many other countries, the primary sources of iodine are iodized salt, some dairy products, and some fruits. From my experiences thus far, though, only minimal amounts of salt are used to cook traditional Salvadoran entrees; some restaurants don´t even provide salt shakers on the tables!
  
  
• Vitamin A deficiencies are also common amongst the Salvadoran people. The predominant dietary sources of Vitamin A are liver, leafy green vegetables, and yellow-green fruits. Once again, cost can limit some families´ access to liver and vegetables. Fortunately, though, mangoes and papayas are often available at reasonable prices (much to our delight!).
  

*Health in the Americas 1998. Pan American Health Organization. Retrieved 20 Nov 2008. <http://www.paho.org/english/sha/prflels.htm>.