For Alexa Tanner (MA ’26, NDFS), food isn’t just fuel—it’s a connection to her heritage. Growing up in a Mexican American household, Tanner’s meals were created with more than just flavor in mind; they were seasoned with tradition, culture, and memory. This profound connection to food’s cultural significance now fuels Tanner’s current research on the perceptions of the traditional Mexican diet among Mexican Americans. Over the course of the past few semesters, Tanner has gathered responses from both non-Mexican Americans and Mexican Americans alike and used the resulting data to understand the relationship between acculturation and perceptions of the healthfulness of a traditional Mexican diet.
Although Mexican Americans comprise almost 11 percent of the population in the United States, research on Mexican American diet perceptions has been minimal. Without the clarity research provides, misunderstandings about the nutritional value of traditional Mexican food can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and undermine cultural identity. Popular fad diets and the widespread use of social media have perpetuated the perception of many culturally significant foods as less healthy, missing the health benefits of traditional meals.
Determined to close the research gap, Tanner worked with BYU Nutrition Dietetics and Food Science professor Dr. Rickelle Richards to design and implement a survey that gathered responses from 125 non-Mexican Americans and 91 Mexican Americans. The survey, validated and conducted with Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, included questions about participants’ views on the healthfulness and cultural value of traditional Mexican foods, as well as their perceptions of how dietitians might respond to these food choices.
While data analysis is still underway, Tanner anticipates uncovering meaningful patterns. Preliminary responses reveal that a portion of Mexican American students have encountered negative commentary from their peers for eating the traditional Mexican diet. “In my own life, I noticed a discrepancy in the way Mexican food was perceived,” Tanner explains. “Consider the Mediterranean diet—it's great, and there's a lot of really positive research about it—but the way we define and perceive the Mediterranean diet can support a more Eurocentric [view of the world]. When you subscribe to a culinary pattern that doesn't fit the Eurocentric one, you’re left wondering: is there room for me?”
To expand on this point, Tanner points out that certain foods are socially accepted and praised online for their positive impacts on health while others, though equally nutritious, are sometimes overlooked. For instance, she points out how green smoothies are widely celebrated for their health benefits, yet salsa—a blend of vegetables akin to a “vegetable smoothie”—doesn’t receive the same recognition. Similarly, avocado toast is often praised as a source of healthy fats, while guacamole, a staple in Mexican cuisine offering the same benefits, is rarely afforded the same level of esteem.
Tanner hopes her research will help open up the discourse surrounding societal expectations of the Mexican American diet. She is passionate about affecting change, because for her, this research is more than an academic pursuit—it’s a deeply personal mission shaped by her experiences and heritage. “I had this feeling that I was being guided to do this, because I love the Mexican American population,” she says. “It’s my mom, it's my cousins, it's my uncles, and those are people that I love. That’s why I’m doing this. It's not just because it’s interesting, it's because I actually care. It matters, and I want to contribute something to help the people that I love.” Tanner’s journey is a reminder that meaningful change begins with an unwavering commitment to those we hold dear.
- Do you value a traditional Mexican diet?
- Do you prefer a traditional Mexican diet?
- Do you believe a traditional a Mexican diet is healthy?
- Do you believe a traditional Mexican diet is unhealthy?
- Do you think a registered dietitian would know what a traditional Mexican diet is?
- Do you think a dietitian would accommodate to your food preferences and take your food preferences into account?