Cinco De Mayo with MyPlate

Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

How will you observe Cinco de Mayo this year? This annual celebration commemorates Mexico’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in the Franco-Mexican War. This Friday, I’ll be celebrating by preparing Mexican cuisine with a MyPlate twist!

MyPlate.gov is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 edition. It’s a great guide to help structure healthful eating. Its advice about protein foods is especially compelling when it comes to Mexican-style meals.

“Eat a variety of protein foods to get more of the nutrients your body needs. Meat and poultry choices should be lean or low-fat […] Choose seafood options that are higher in healthy fatty acids (called omega-3s) and lower in methylmercury, such as salmon, anchovies, and trout. If you are vegetarian or vegan, the advice to eat meat, poultry, and seafood does not apply to you. Vegetarian protein options include beans, peas, and lentils, nuts, seeds, and soy products.”

There are so many beans and lean meat/poultry options in Mexican fare! Here are a few of my favorite recipes that make the most of these ingredients…

Happy cooking!



Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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