The mission to build strong healthy homes and communities is the mission and vision of EHHAF and its non-profit affiliate VSA (Virtual Sports Academy) — a huge advocate for the fight against childhood obesity.
In support of the vision behind the mission of EHHAF to promote and help build strong healthy homes and families we recently talked to award winning cook book author Malena Perdomo. We love to highlight members of our community who are doing inspiring work every day–people who give back to the community and are examples of exceptional character. Malena Perdomo, along with Maya Leon-Meis, and Martin Limas-Villers is one of the authors of the award winning cookbook, “Maya’s Secrets: 100 Delightful Latin Dishes for a Healthier You”
The book evolved out of a local spanish language TV show that the three authors hosted to showcase Latin American recipes and make them healthier. Each brought a unique perspective on Latin American food. Maya, the host, is Peruvian, Martin, the chef, is Mexican, and Malena, the nutritionist is Panamanian.
Malena Perdomo
Malena, who moved to the United States when she was 20 to pursue a degree in nutrition, was inspired to become a nutritionist by her love for food. Here in Denver, she is passionate about educating the Latin American community about healthy living. As a nutritionist, she takes a holistic approach noting that a healthy lifestyle involves exercising, cooking more, and eating more vegetables. She views one of the biggest challenges in educating Latin Americans in Denver about food quality is the information language barrier. She noted that, “there is a lot of misinformation out there.”
Her approach to nutrition is to “eat better simply.” In this regard, part of what Malena does is recipe development – making traditional Latin American foods healthier by reducing the proportion of meat or adding more vegetables. Furthermore she adapts the recipes to ingredients that are available in the United States to make the recipes accessible.
More About Malena Perdomo
Malena is a very active member of our community and has an impressive resume. She is a part time professor at Metro State, a contributor to several spanish language publications like AARP in spanish, Viva Colorado, and Live Well Colorado. Additionally, she has made numerous radio and TV appearances. For six years she was spokesperson for the American Academy of Nutrition and Diabetes. She has her own website and is active on facebook and twitter where she posts recipes in both Spanish and English. Her cook book, “Maya’s Secrets: 100 Delightful Latin Dishes for a Healthier You” is the winner of both the International Cookbooks 2013 USA Best Books Award and the Living Now Book Award – 2013 Gold Medal Winner. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and hiking.
Please join EHHAF in thanking Malena for her service by sharing this Highlight on Facebook, Twitter, and/or via email. Thank you for you community involvement, Malena! You are an everyday hero.