Can a ‘Southern Diet’ Holiday Be Healthy?

By Jennifer Porter Gore | Word In Black(WIB) – Sweet potato pie. Mac and cheese. Cornbread, candied yams, and another slice of sweet potato pie.One of the best parts about celebrating the holidays is piling your plate high with seasonal foods well-known in the Black community. It’s the time of year when family favorites — including dishes made with Grandma’s secret recipes — take center stage from what’s sometimes called& the Southern Diet.& RELATED:& Could Climate Change Lead to& Sweet Potato Pie Supremacy?However, it’s also the season for doctors, dietitians, and healthcare providers warning about the dangers of those foods, which are often liberally seasoned with salt, sugar, and a stick of butter or two.  Still, while the holiday season is often seen as a time when diets get blown to blazes, many Thanksgiving and winter holiday foods feature nutrient-rich ingredients that can actually boost health — and reduce food guilt.& & RELATED:& Black Americans Still Have Worse Health. Here’s WhyWord In Black asked Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, a registered dietitian and spokesperson of the& Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, for her view. The founder of 360 Girls and Women, Anderson-Haynes agreed that some Southern Diet foods can be good for you...