What Should I Consider When Eating Different Kinds Of Culturally Specific Foods?

— -- Question: What should I consider when eating different kinds of culturally specific foods?

Answer: The things you really need to remember when you are looking at experimenting with different kinds of foods, trying foods from different cultures, in ones that you're less familiar with, is to try to get to know something about those foods. If you know that you're going to be, going to have some of those foods, you might want to check some sources that will give you a little information and insight into those foods. Really when you have diabetes, the key is: knowing what it is you're eating. So you do have to know what's in those foods; it's helpful to know exactly what that food consists of. How much carbohydrate does it have in it? You just really need to take some time to familiarize yourself with those food choices.

There are certainly lots of different kinds of places you can go to get that information. American Diabetes Association has some good information on their website. National Diabetes Education Program has some good information. So it's important -- if you want to look at the American Diabetes Association website, it's diabetes.org. And the NDEP website is ndep.nih.gov. And those will give you some good insights into maybe some different kinds of cultural foods. You can find that information certainly on some other sources that you would find useful as well.

But the key to this is: knowing what you're eating. So you can certainly talk to friends that you have from those various cultures who are more familiar with those foods. Look some information up on the internet, going to some trusted sources. And really familiarize yourself with those foods, so you know exactly what it is you're eating. But enjoy them; they can certainly be a wonderful experience and a wonderful opportunity to broaden your food horizons.

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