“Tu cita de salud” with Telemundo Reno and Community Health Alliance: Healthy Holiday Meals

Enjoy mouthwatering yet nutritious meal options that are perfect for the holiday season.

Luis Latino: Hello, Telemundo Reno friends! We are here once again with Your Health Appointment (Tu cita de salud) with Community Health Alliance. This time we are with Salma Martinez. Welcome to Telemundo!

Salma Martinez: Thank you for being here!

Luis Latino: Salma is a nutritionist with the Community Health Alliance. With the holidays around the corner, Salma has some recommendations on a healthy holiday dinner. What recommendations do you have for us?

Salma Martinez: Christmas dinner is a little different for each of us, and I want to encourage everyone to continue eating food that is traditional for their cultures. With that being said, it is important to incorporate foods that are often forgotten during the holiday season. Today, I prepared a salad that combines broccoli and pumpkin. This can be combined with any protein you like. I combined it with a chicken slice and potato. I understand that traditionally for a Hispanic person, this is not food they normally eat, but making visually appealing meals can help us try to encourage our families to eat new things.

Luis Latino: And for dessert?

Salma Martinez: I prepared a balsamic vinegar, roasted pear dessert. It is accompanied by whipped cream. The good thing about fruit is that they’re naturally sweet. It’s a great way to make dessert for our families.

Luis Latino: What are some rules to follow when preparing food?

Salma Martinez: While we are preparing our holiday dinner, it is important that we safely prepare the food for our families. One goal is to try to follow proper thawing procedures. Ideally, you will have the meat thawing in the refrigerator days before. Also, when you defrost meals, please try to avoid defrosting under hot water because that can promote the growth of bacteria. Also, another tip is not to defrost and then freeze it again.

Luis Latino: Those are some great tips for preparing your holiday dinner. Anything else you want to add?

Salma Martinez: If you need food assistance, you can go to our health center prescription food pantries. They are located in Sparks, Sun Valley and Wells Ave.

Luis Latino: Thank you for joining us in this segment of Your Health Appointment.

To make an appointment, call (775) 329-6300 or pre-register online.