EFOR Press, Press

Okayplayer: Soulless Food: How White-Washed Wellness Leaves Out Black Culture

September 12, 2023

There is a detrimental misconception about Black diasporic food, and it’s time for cultural awareness in a dangerously white industry.

AMIRA BARGER
September 12, 2023

For centuries, food has served as a means to connect people across various communities. There is no more common tradition among humanity than breaking bread. This universal experience tells the story of migration, spirituality, identity, and struggle – connecting people, places, and purpose through time. Though not exclusively so, that is perhaps nowhere more true than within the Black community. In many ways, food has become a cultural hallmark of what it means to be Black in America.

Documentaries like Netflix’s 2021 series High on the Hog highlight how the trans-Atlantic slave trade influenced American cuisine, tracing the roots of Black nutrition “from Africa to Texas.” Traditional foods like fried chicken, grits, greens, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, watermelon, peach cobbler and the like are heavily associated with Black America. These foods are a part of the fabric of the southern United States and beyond, often bridging the gap between lines of color.

Continue reading on okayplayer.com

Maya Feller

Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN is the founder and lead dietitian at Maya Feller Nutrition. In her practice, her team provides medical nutrition therapy and nutrition coaching for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mood disorders, developmental disabilities, disordered eating, and more. Maya believes in providing inclusive nutrition education from an anti-bias patient-centered, culturally humble approach to help people make informed food choices. Maya shares her approachable, food-based solutions with millions of people through regular speaking engagements, writing, her social platforms, and as a national nutrition expert on Good Morning America, is a Healthline Medical Advisor, and on the advisory board for SHAPE and Parents, as well as appearing on TODAY Show, Tamron Hall, and in The New York Times, mindbodygreen, Well+Good, Food Network, Martha Stewart, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Cooking Light, Eating Well, Prevention, Glamour, SELF, and more. She is the author of The Southern Comfort Food Diabetes Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for a Healthy Life and Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World (goop Press, January 24, 2023).

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.