Posted by ImproveCareNow™ on April 08, 2026
In this post, ICN Registered Dietitian, Mirta Rios, RD provides an overview of considerations when utilizing specific IBD diets within Latino, Hispanic, and Haitian communities, including information on how cultural food preferences can contrast with nutrition guidelines and how shared decision-making can impact care. Mirta shares recommendations on how to adapt therapeutic diets, like the Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet (CDED), to honor culinary traditions while improving patient compliance and outcomes.
Working with Latino, Hispanic, and Haitian communities within the pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) population comes with several important considerations. When planning diets for these underrepresented populations, considerations can include language differences, contrast between cultural food preferences and nutrition guidelines, as well as socioeconomic factors. Understanding these cultural and practical factors is essential when providing nutrition counseling for therapeutic diets in the management of IBD.
There are several diet therapies that can be utilized for the management and treatment of IBD. The Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet (CDED) is a dietary therapy that may be utilized to help manage some forms of Crohn’s disease. It is 3-phase diet that combines enteral nutrition therapy and whole foods. Learn more about the diet here: Crohn's Disease Exclusion Diet: An Overview.
Through my 40+ years of experience as a Registered Dietitian caring for Latino, Hispanic, and Haitian IBD patients in South Florida, I have become well acquainted with the culinary traditions within these communities. Adhering to a therapeutic diet, like the CDED, and honoring cultural food traditions can be challenging in the following ways:
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Challenge: Foods that are strongly encouraged on the CDED, such as apples and mashed potatoes, are not typical of the Latin American diet
- Recommendation: Assess typical dietary intake, food preferences, and recipes that the patient and family prefer. Provide new recipes and creative ways to try to incorporate CDED allowed foods that are not typical of the Latin American diet.
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Challenge: Foods like red meat, pork, plantains, and malanga (a starchy root vegetable) are common in Latin American and Haitian cuisine but are excluded from the CDED. Common Latin American and Haitian food preparation styles, such as frying and seasoning with high amounts of sodium, conflict with the CDED recommendations.
- Recommendation: Provide recommendations for CDED allowed alternatives to these food preferences. Ask curious questions as to the taste/flavor of the food and seasonings used to prepare these foods so that comparable alternatives can be provided. Provide guidance on alternative preparation methods such as baking, sautéing, and boiling.
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Challenge: Families may be hesitant to modify traditional recipes as they are often generational
- Recommendation: Focus on culturally sensitive menu planning that works within cultural traditions, rather than replacing them
In my current practice, I have seen improved adherence to the CDED with practical adjustments to food preparation (such as baking instead of frying), adjusting portion sizes, and exchanging fresh spices and herbs for higher sodium seasoning. I have found that when decision-making around dietary therapy is in collaboration with families, and in the family's native language, patients and caregivers are more likely to be compliant.
I believe there is an opportunity for future research to evaluate the impact of cultural cuisines on IBD. With more research surrounding this topic, information learned has the potential to help shape more culturally informed menus that honor tradition and also adhere to IBD diet therapy guidelines.
📌 Sources
- https://www.eatright.org/food/cultural-cuisines-and-traditions
- Barbara Gordon, RDN, LD and Suzanne Jiménez Sánchez, MS, RDN, LND. (n.d.). Explore flavorful Puerto Rican cuisine. Retrieved from https://www.eatright.org/food/cultural-cuisines-and-traditions/central-and-south-american/puerto-rican-favorites-made-healthy
- Cultural cuisines and traditions. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.eatright.org/food/cultural-cuisines-and-traditions
- Khare-Ranade P, Myers EF, El Shikieri AB. Development of Quick Guides for Assessing Food/Nutrition and Culture to Enhance Assessment of Food and Nutrition-Related History in Cross-Cultural Clients of Nutrition and Dietetics Practitioners around the World. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2022 Jul;122(7):1233-1238. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2022.03.011. Epub 2022 Mar 23. PMID: 35339720