Dating a Mexican?

Hey there,

I know, the title of the post is weird..

Anyway, I wanted to know if anyone in here is dating a Mexican/Hispanic man (or woman)?  If so, what are their eating habits like?

My boyfriend just loves anything that's not processed--fruits and veggies.. He's the skinniest, leanest thing and I can see why.. He's been a huge help for me in eating healthier and choosing the right produce to buy... He's also not afraid of the kitchen and makes some great salsa..

Just curious if anyone was in the same boat, a weird boat at that.

Well, i am Mexican, my husband is Puerto Rican, but we both grew up in the States. 

I think it's funny that the OP and others said their Mexican loved ones are healthy eaters, because in our family, eating a traditional Mexican dinner meant lots of greasy food!  And yes, we did and SOMETIMES still do use lard... I think it really depends on where in Mexico the family comes from.  The poorer border towns tend to use a lot of grease but also use fresher foods, whereas in the Mexico City area you eat more seafood and less lard, but i guess more processed stuff is available as well. 

As for my husband, he can't stand anything fresh that came out of the ground lol!  Fresh to him means 'recenlty cooked', he will not eat anything raw including fruits and veggies. He loves salty food with tons of seasoning and won't eat fruit period, just juice.  He will sometimes eat certain vegetables if they are incorporated into a sauce or soup or baked into a casserole or otherwise 'hidden'.  And trustwomen, his mom has been known to serve lasagna with a side of rice, lol.  The thing I find the most ironic though, is that even though he comes from an island, he can't stand seafood!  This makes me sad.  :(  Oh well...

At work we have a large number of hispanics that have recently found their way into the US. Most of them are overweight unless they are in their early twenties or younger. Most of the food they bring from home is made from scratch. It also tends to be greasy.

Of course it all varies with the individual and how they were raised etc.

I'm white but have never had a white boyfriend in my life, they've all been latino, mostly born outside the united states.  So I hope this doesn't sound racist, it's just my experience:

When they do the cooking, it's lots of scrambled egg dishes, corn tortillas, shrimp with the heads still attached, and some of the tastiest soups you'll ever eat.  They will try to put lime and paprika on every fruit in the house.  (apples won't work.)  They use lots of oil in cooking, but are more open to eating raw fruits and vegetables than other guys.  So there's good and bad.  They can be very picky eaters and not like other world cuisine, it depends on if they eat spicy food or not; there is a strain of Mexicans that don't like spicy food and those can be picky.  If they like it spicy, you will at times have to go outside when they're cooking b/c the eye stinging is intolerable.  I was once woken from a sound sleep in a bedroom upstairs with the door closed, convinced the house was on fire.  :D

Thanks for the walk down memory road!

i love this topic!
My husband is hispanic - costa rican.  but most of his (latin) friends here in the US are mexicans, so he is heavily influenced by their eating styles and accents.  In fact, his family now makes fun of his 'mexican' accent which drives him crazy.  but i digress.
his eating style is at once much better and much worse than mine. 
Let's just say I've gained at least 70lbs since we met!  And he's gained approximately 5 lbs in that time period, and he's a skinny guy.

He loves rice and beans at every meal, altho lately that hasn't been the case.  He/we eat lots of chips, but with yummy home-made salsa and guacamole.  We always have to have a meat dish with dinner.  When he cooks he cooks with A LOT of oil.  But he loves almost all fruits (and so true, he will put salt and/or lime on everything, fruit included). 

So it's been a hurdle to adjust my new eating style to his eating preferences.  I still make rice a few times a week, but I rarely eat it.  I tried to make brown rice, he hates it.  I limit my chips or try to eat those yummy, healthy, home-made dips with healthier options.  And I cook primarily, which sux, but he still doesn't understand the concept of cooking spray versus oil and he over-seasons everything.  So if I want to eat healthier, taste-y foods, I have to cook them.  I wonder if he does that on purpose to get out of the cooking duties?  hmm... 

My dad was born and raised in mexico, didnt come to the us till he was 30.  He is the cutest little fella that you could ever meet, all 5'4" and 150 lbs of him :)  He eats a ton of food!!  lots of eggs, fish, chicken, veggies and beans.   He always cooked for us growing up, but he was raised in monterey and matahuala in a fairly well to do household, and they didnt use a lot of lard /oil.  the only time my family used lard was to make homemade tamales (at christmas) or tortillas, and it was as little as possible.  We never ate refried beans, only black cooked in a pressure cooker.  We only used olive oil, and we ate lots of fresh fish, chicken, black beans/lentils, corn tortillas, soups and fresh herbs/veggies/fruits.  My favorite food growing up was his homemade caldo de pollo con arroz, with lots of cabbage and jalapenos, or the grilled fish with pico de gallo.   He hates anything overly sweet, so i never got to like it much either.  He loves to go out to eat but he prefers thai or salad bars, although he does love a steak and potato. I didnt gain weight at my dads house :) I really think it depends on where they were raised and if they come from an impoverished area as to how healthy their habits are. 

I 5th generation hispanic ( among many other nationalities) but i know my eatings habits are very american.  my ex husband is british and he grew up where there wasnt a fast food resturant on every corner and "had" great eating habits . hes been here for quite some time and has assimilated to the american way. My step mom is from mexico city and eats quite healthy.. for the most part i think american eating habits are very diferent from other countries.