Last of our intern’s posts … this one on Chaya

A continuation of the reflections of our summer intern, Becky Zorn.

As Miracles in Action works to educate indigenous Mayans about nutrition, we are constantly looking for nutritious food which can be grown and incorporated into their diets. Chaya is a leafy green plant which is a staple to the diet of Mayans on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It is easily grown and one serving contains as much protein as an egg, in addition to vitamins A and C, folic acid, calcium and iron.

Chaya plantI’ve been working on a few chaya projects since I arrived in Guatemala. It is difficult to encourage new eating habits within the Mayan communities, so Miracles in Action has started asking our partners to grow chaya and use it as an additive in food. The leafy vegetable (similar to spinach) can be integrated into prepared food items such as beans and caldo (soup). Some of our partners have community gardens where chaya can be grown and women are taught how to cook with the plant. We hope that by taking small steps, we can encourage the Mayans to have a more nutritious diet which will promote long-term, sustainable health and development.  For more info on Chaya, visit www.ECHOnet.org

We at Miracles in Action appreciate all of Becky’s contributions this summer, and wish her well as she begins her graduate level studies at the University of Copenhagen in September.

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