A new state law will require restaurants to provide information on the calorie counts for standard menu items by 2011, but one Oaxacan-style restaurant is a step ahead thanks to a "Smart Menu" health project at Mercado La Paloma in South Los Angeles.
Mercado La Paloma — the Dove Marketplace, in English — is a non-profit community development complex that features restaurants and shops that help local residents join the ranks of entrepreneurs. The places is among the first locations in the state to offer customers "Smart Menu" and "La salud tiene sabor" ("Health has taste") brochures. Oaxacalifornia is one of six restaurants participating in the project at Mercado La Paloma, where public health officials are also lending a hand.
The law requires that information on calories be added to menus and menu boards at the entrance of all restaurants beginning January 1, 2011. However, informational brochures listing grams of saturated fat, carbohydrates, and sodium should be provided to clients at the point of sale by July 1, 2009. The measure makes California the first state in the country to offer restaurant clientele nutrition information.
Juan Antonio, the owner of Oaxacalifornia, says he's running ahead of schedule on providing health information for his menu of traditional dishes and natural fruit juices thanks to the program at Mercado La Paloma.
Antonio says he's proud to take a step toward helping the local community of Oaxacan immigrants and others get a better handle on the links beteen diet and health.
"Unfortunately, we are not as well informed about what we eat and we eat fats that aren't good for our health," he says. "With the 'Smart Menu' brochure, we hope to better-inform our community about the importance of learning healthy eating habits, and learning how many calories or fats are comprised in each meal, so that they can plan their meals."
Studies by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research show that more than half the state's population is overweight, and Latinos, especially children, are the most affected. Among children younger than 12-years-old, an estimated 15.5% of Latinos statewide and 14.4% are overweight, according to the research. The rates among non-Latino white children are 10.6% and 9% percent respectively
"The Latino community has the highest indices of overweight, obesity, diabetes and heart disease," according to California State Senator Alex Padilla, author of the bill that will require calorie counts on restaurant menus. "And this is why it will highly benefit from easily-accessible nutrition information listed in menus that can help it make healthier food choices."
When it comes to Oaxacalifornia's menu, Juan Antonio explains that the calories and fat grams offered in his menu are relatively low when compared to fast food restaurants that offer hamburgers and other fast meals.
"To that end I can say with great satisfaction that our food is healthy," Antonio says. "In fact, the Oaxacan food that we offer is healthy and very nutritional because it is fresh and contains its own nutrients, in other words, there are no artificial additives."
Oaxacalifornia's menu offers approximately 15 dishes along with drinks such as juices, and milk shakes made out of natural fruits. One of its traditional dishes is the Oaxacan mole (a Mexican chili sauce) made from a family recipe, which uses only toasted natural ingredients to avoid adding unnecessary oils or fats. The tostada de quesillo (a toasted tortilla sprinkled with Oaxacan cheese) is one of its lowest-fat content menu items, and has only 180 calories. The black mole chicken tamale has the highest fat content, and 670 calories.
According to the "Smart Menu" brochure, the restaurant's healthiest and lower-calorie items include: Natural juices made from celery, cucumber, beet, parsley and carrots; and Oaxacan tortas (sandwiches) made out of black beans, lettuce, tomato, avocado and either ham or dried beef. The dried beef tortas, for example, have 390 calories, 16 grams of fat, 4.5 saturated fat grams, 620 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, and 5 grams of fiber, which makes this traditional ethnic dish healthier than a high-calorie hamburger.
Oaxacalifornia has been open for nearly five years, serving an ethnically diverse clientele in addition to the local Oaxacan community. With his work on the menu now complete, Juan Antonio is now developing banners and a menu board that will display the nutrition content of every meal.
Oaxacalifornia is located at 3655 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Phone (213) 747-8622
Web: www.myspace.com/oaxacalifornia
Photo of the "Mercado La Paloma" mural from: Esperanza Community Housing’s Weblog
Mireya Olivera is editor of Impulso.
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