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Exploring the Shift in the Colombian Diet from Traditional to Western

  • maryopfer
  • Feb 4, 2024
  • 3 min read

In Colombia, non-communicable chronic diseases have become the main driver of morbidity and mortality over the past 20 years. Specifically, there was an estimated increase of 22.7% in total deaths from chronic NCDs between 2007-2017.1 Some of these chronic conditions include heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and many others. The main cause of these diseases are believed to be obesity and overweight.

In 2010, a national nutrition survey in Colombia revealed that there had been a 10% increase in the number of obese and overweight Colombians in just a five year period.2 More specifically, the prevalence of overweight individuals in Colombia rose from 45.9% in 2005 to 56.6% in 2015.3 This increase of overweight and obese Colombians over the past 20 years is believed to be attributed to a shift from the traditional Colombian diet to more of a Western diet, as a result of industrialization, resource ability, and changes in agricultural production.


Traditional Colombian Diet

The traditional meal in Colombia is mostly made up of meat, rice, and a vegetable. Some examples of traditional Colombian dishes include:

  • Empanadas: a popular street food that is deep-fried and typically filled with rice, meat, eggs, potatoes, and vegetables.

  • Patacones: plantains that are twice fried. They are usually served as a side dish to most Colombian main dishes.

  • Arepas: Similar to a tortilla or pita, Arepas are usually filled with cheese or eggs

  • Lechona: a slow-cooked pork that is typically combined with yellow peas, rice, and green onions.

  • Sancocho: soup that consists of vegetables, plantains, potatoes, corn, cilantro, yuca, and beef.



As for the actual meals, the Colombian meal culture is quite different than what we’re used to in America. Starting with breakfast, Colombians typically eat traditional foods, such as tamales, cheese, breads, rice, beef broths, and tropical fruits. Colombians don’t really have “breakfast foods” as you see in America, like oatmeal, eggs, pancakes, and cereal.

Lunch in Colombia is probably where the biggest difference lies between America and Colombian food practices. Lunch is actually the biggest meal of the day, typically a two-hour event, in which Colombians go home, have lunch with their family, and is sometimes even followed by a short nap (Siesta) before returning back to work in school.

As for dinner, it is the least important meal of the day, is not usually eaten with family, and typically consists of a “snack” of some sort, such as an arepa. This is also very different from America, where dinner is usually the biggest meal of the day.

Although the traditional Colombian diet appears to be high in fried foods and carbohydrates, it is actually very rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, you can conclude that because of the setup of Colombian meals throughout the day, they don’t reallysnack throughout the day, as we do in America. As a result of the changes in industrialization and agricultural production, Colombians have adapted a much more Western way of eating. This includes processed foods, fast foods, more dairy, and less fruits and vegetables. Ultimately, when counseling Colombians on nutrition, it will be important to grasp and understanding of their eating patterns and where they fall on the scale from a traditional Colombian diet to a more American “Western diet.” Once we gain an understanding, it will be important to educate them on the pros and cons of adapting a western diet and show them how to mesh both diets to incorporate more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and less processed/fast foods.


 

1. Camacho PA, Gomez-Arbelaez D, Otero J, et al. Self-Reported Prevalence of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in Relation to Socioeconomic and Educational Factors in Colombia: A Community-Based Study in 11 Departments. Glob Heart. 15(1):35. doi:10.5334/gh.792


2. Webster PC. Health in Colombia: the chronic disease burden. CMAJ. 2012;184(6):E293-E294. doi:10.1503/cmaj.109-4126


3. Herrán OF, Gamboa-Delgado EM, Zea MDP. Energy and protein intake in the Colombian population: results of the 2015 ENSIN population survey. J Nutr Sci. 2021;10:e11. doi:10.1017/jns.2021.2

 
 
 

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