DES MOINES, Iowa — The National Pork Board has teamed up with Mexican TV personality Karla Martínez to launch Menú Urbano FRESH, a campaign to help Latinos discover ways to recreate and enjoy authentic street-food dishes in a nutritious way without sacrificing what consumers love most about pork: its flavor.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be part of this effort, not only to keep Hispanic traditions alive through cooking but also to show consumers how pork is good for them and their families,” said Martínez, a co-host in the popular morning show Despierta America on Univision. “Food is one of the primary ways Latinos celebrate and share our culture with family and friends. Every day, we are becoming more conscious of the dishes we cook and serve at our family’s tables.”
The campaign is a continuation of the original Menú Urbano campaign that launched in late 2020 to find the best street food pork dishes in select cities in the U.S. Menú Urbano FRESH will re-imagine those same dishes but with a nutritious twist.
“With pork, consumers don’t have to give up flavor to eat a nutritious meal, and that’s exactly what this campaign is all about,” said Jose de Jesus, senior director of multicultural marketing at the National Pork Board. “Our goal is to ensure Latinos are confident that with pork, the possibilities are endless, and you can enjoy a nutritious, flavorful and authentic meal.”
Menú Urbano FRESH is launching just in time to celebrate National Nutrition Month. Along with Martínez, the National Pork Board is also collaborating with three influential Latina content creators. They will provide tips and swaps for recreating popular street-food dishes into mouth-watering, nutritious dishes made with fresh pork cuts and ingredients that are ideal for families to prepare and enjoy at home.
Menú Urbano FRESH partners include:
- Chef Mia Castro, a Puerto Rican chef and former participant at Food Network’s hit show Chopped, and Fox TV’s Hell’s Kitchen based in New York
- Natalia Saenz, a Colombian health and wellness and lifestyle content creator based in Miami, FL
- Pamela Berrondo, a Mexican, certified Holistic Nutritionist based in San Francisco, CA
According to NPB proprietary research, 79% of Hispanics cook meals to retain a connection to their native culture and 62% say they prefer food that reminds them of their family’s tradition. In addition, 62% of Latinos agree that “healthy means fresh to me.” Although there are different versions of a typical meal within each culture, one thing that remains constant in Hispanic cuisine is pork.
“Pork has been a staple in Hispanic kitchens throughout generations. And today, pork is 16% leaner and 27% lower in saturated fat compared to about 20 years ago, thanks to the pork industry’s response to consumers’ desire for lean pork products,” de Jesus said.
A study conducted by the National Pork Board revealed that pork is a nutrient-rich and high-quality protein that is packed with flavor, making it the ideal protein for any meal. Additionally, pork is a very accessible protein that lends itself to a variety of cooking methods using traditional Hispanic ingredients found all over Hispanic markets across the country, including fresh vegetables and fresh fruit-based sauces, spices such as habanero, ají amarillo, and chipotle, as well as sauces such as Mojo Criollo and Guava.
Traditional recipes from Latin American street-food cuisine that have been revamped with a nutritional twist for this campaign include Tacos de Lechuga con Cerdo y Salsa de Mango, Tostadas de Cerdo al Chipotle and Cachapa de Cerdo Adobada en Cítricos, y Salsa Guasacaca.
For pork recipes, visit PorkEsSabor.com and follow @PorkEsSabor on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Join the conversation using #MenuUrbano Fresh
About the National Pork Board
The National Pork Board has responsibility for Pork Checkoff-funded research, promotion, and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in consumer education and marketing, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, science and technology, swine health, pork safety, environmental management, and sustainability. For the past half-century, the U.S. pork industry has delivered on its commitment to sustainable production and has made significant strides in reducing pig farming’s environmental impact. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. Importers of pork products contribute a like amount, based on a formula.
