It is an exciting time at Oldways, as we embark on our new African Heritage & Health Program.  As you may know we introduced our African Heritage Diet Pyramid in November 2011 — the fifth in our family of traditional diet pyramids.  Yesterday we announced that Oldways is the recipient of a Walmart Foundation grant that will enable us to take our pyramid into practice and develop a program encouraging dietary changes in the African-American community through Oldway’s new African Heritage & Health program. There are so many things to consider when developing a program such as this – but accessibility and affordability are key.  Recipes offer the perfect place to begin, a place to introduce ingredients and ideas to inspire change.  To coincide with the November introduction we developed twelve recipes – three from each region of the African Diaspora.  These dishes are expressions of the cuisines of the specific regions of Africa, the Caribbean, South America and the American South. Over the past few weeks we have taken these recipes to the next level by pricing them out, to see what they would cost per-person to prepare.  We’re very pleased with the results.  Our recipes show that traditional dishes can be both delicious and easy to prepare, while clearly demonstrating that healthy eating is affordable. We think we have a recipe for success – the new dollar meal! Take a look at our website and explore the heritage foods of the African Diaspora. From Savory Pumpkin Soup, Jollof Rice with Black Eyed Peas, and Baked Pecan-Crusted Catfish, these dishes offer healthy, traditional and affordable heritage recipes for families to prepare and enjoy together. And please do stay tuned as we embark on this newest journey!  —Sara

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