New Latino Supermarket Shopping Guide, Camino Magico, Launched

The first comprehensive supermarket-shopping guide targeting the Latino community was launched May 1, 2007. Camino Mágico, developed by Oldways and the Latino Nutrition Coalition (LNC), is designed to help Latinos eat healthier based upon traditional Latino eating patterns. It will be distributed in Fiesta Supermarkets throughout Houston during the month of May.

The pocket-sized, bilingual guide is packed with easily accessible nutritional tools including:

Newly-redesigned Latin American Diet Pyramid;
Calorie control guide;
Basics of reading food labels;
Plate showing the healthy distribution of food groups;
Meal ideas and suggestions that range from Pescado Veracruz to Bean Tortilla Melt;
Supermarket map putting Camino Mágicos suggestions in their real-world context;
Supermarket shopping list keyed to the Pyramids guidelines.

From inspiration and planning, to purchasing and preparing foods, this guide provides the Latino Community with key information they need to improve their shopping habits, said Liz Mintz, LNC Program Manager.

Camino Magico will be distributed in over 25 Fiesta Supermarkets and will be a centerpiece of their Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Over a dozen Houston area churches and health centers will also team up with the LNC to distribute Camino Mágico and help create a strong and healthy Latino community.

The Houston launch will be followed by launches nationwide in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Boston with variations of the guide planned for different regional markets. These guides will be distributed at food stores, summer fairs, churches, health centers and community organizations.

We are excited to have this new program help Latino families with their supermarket selections. Camino Mágico is a good fit with our other consumer healthy shopping programs, including the successful Whole Grains Stamp, said Dun Gifford, Oldways founder and president.

Oldways, a Boston non-profit and parent company to the Latino Nutrition Coalition, develops and carries out education programs and events to help consumers make wise choices about eating, drinking, lifestyle and the traditional pleasures of the table. Founding Members of the LNC are Oldways, Mission Foods, ConAgra Foods, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Florida Tomato Committee, Goya Foods, Tampico Beverages, The Peanut Institute, US Potato Board, USA Rice Federation, Alliance Enterprises, Silk Soymilk, and Unilever. More information may be found at http://www.oldwayspt.org and http://www.LatinoNutrition.org.