Published on November 22, 2022

The Holiday Table: Kwanzaa

collard greens

By Kristen Hung, MPH, RD

Around the dining table we eat, laugh, connect, and learn. Around the table our differences from those sitting with us are for a time equalized by the universal and shared human need for food. For many in the month of December, the table becomes a place of celebration. A place to gather with family and friends to enjoy special foods, to remember important events and beliefs, and to pass traditions on to the next generation. We invite you in the paragraphs below to a healthier holiday table. To not only partake of healthier versions of new or maybe old favorite holiday recipes, but also to get a taste of the traditions and beliefs that make this holiday season worth celebrating for many.  

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa was first introduced to the US in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga to celebrate African American heritage and culture during the Civil Rights movement. The holiday is modeled after traditional African harvest festivals and takes its name from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” meaning “first fruits of the harvest.” Being a cultural rather than religious holiday, Kwanzaa can be celebrated by African Americans of all faiths and the holiday can be commemorated by non-Blacks as well. Kwanzaa centers around seven principles (unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith) and has seven symbols including seven candles that are traditionally arranged on a table.  

Common foods enjoyed during Kwanzaa celebrations include familiar foods of the African diaspora including catfish, collards, macaroni and cheese, jerk chicken, gumbo, and jollof rice. Traditional Southern-style collard greens may include ham, sugar, and butter. Making simple swaps for these ingredients is an easy way to cut back on saturated fat, sodium, and sugar while still cooking a great-tasting dish. Try this recipe for a healthier take on southern style collard greens for dish full of fiber, antioxidants, calcium, and vitamins K, C, and A!

 

Healthier Southern-Style Collard Greens

 

Ingredients:

1 smoked turkey leg

1 small chopped red onion

3 cloves chopped garlic

2 tsp olive oil

1 lb collard greens

Salt and pepper

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups water

Directions:

  1. Boil smoked turkey leg until soft. Meanwhile wash and chop collards into strips.
  2. Add 4 cups of broth and 2 cups of water to a pan to heat and add collards, bringing them to a boil and then reducing heat to simmer
  3. Add onions, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper (to taste), simmer for about 1.5 hrs
  4. Once turkey is tender add to collards

Serve warm.

If you have questions or are interested in learning more techniques to help build a healthy and nutritious lifestyle, contact one of our Registered Dietitian Nutritionists at the Outpatient Medical Nutrition Therapy Office or our Diabetes Self-Management Program located in the Torrance Memorial Specialty Center, 2841 Lomita Blvd., Suite 335, Torrance. Call 310-891-6707. Visit https://www.torrancememorial.org/Nutrition for upcoming classes and programs!