Happy AANHPI month! As someone who was born and raised in Hawaii, spam was an essential component of many meals growing up. When I moved to the mainland, I was told to avoid spam due to its high sodium and saturated fat content. Though I understood the importance of limiting this for health reasons, this wasn’t realistic advice for someone whose favorites foods (e.g. spam musubi, fried rice) included spam. As always, I found the idea of “adding” instead of “subtracting” much more helpful (and culturally sensitive)! Instead of completely avoiding spam, I may add more nutrients to my meal to make it higher in fiber, nutrients, and protein. This is one of many examples of how AANHPI individuals have diverse cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and practices that significantly influence their health and healthcare decisions. By having AANHPI representation among healthcare professionals (including dietitians), we can better bridge the cultural gap and provide appropriate nutrition and diet advice that respects and aligns with the unique needs and preferences of these communities. This includes understanding dietary preferences and cultural nuances that may affect our eating habits and, therefore, our health! Obviously, I’m not advocating for people to eat spam every day, but this would be one example of how much more helpful it can be to focus on what to add to, not what to subtract from, your meals.
Hi! I love your videos where you add to things to make it more nutritious.i am looking for more videos and inspo for this as I am prone to cravings lol do you have a website or Instagram or any other socials with more videos/ideas? :)
Me too, I’m a very very picky eater and if I subtract much more from my diet I will literally have nothing left so it’s a much more healthy mindset for me :3
@@lilypad2714 Me three! Diet culture has ruined me because I feel like I’m not deserving of foods like spam and rice. I really appreciate this channel and how she talks about health and nutrition, but not in a restrictive way.
I really like that advice "always focus on what you can add to not what you can subtract from your meals" that emphasizes adding healthy options without sacrificing the foods you love. It also means you end up eating smaller portions of those foods you love when they end up not being the healthiest choices but not without sacrificing the taste you love. Very good advice that will keep people wanting to eat healthier.
@@pookiedookiedoonot a troll, just pointing out how ridiculous it is to think food addicts will replace unhealthy foods with healthy foods if they ADD to their already existing foods.
@@kaydenl6836Yeah, but it’s kind of missing the point. This video is specifically referencing people that get told that a specific ingredient (like spam) is unhealthy and should be avoided. Thats pretty different than what they referenced, which is adding a second unhealthy mean onto the first :D
I just wanna say that your "see what you can add to, not subtract from" advice has been really helpful in shifting how I think about my diet. I always appreciate you showing it in action!
Spam allthough being a processed food is actually a much better option than sausages or store kept minces. It is made of things like smoked hams and is actually considered 'luxurious'
Just because it’s canned food doesn’t mean we poor. Food is food. Just like everyone eat rice. Don’t matter how rich you are. Everyone the same. All colors even spam colors and different spam flavors but it’s still spam. Gave this dietitian a name. Beautiful spam being. Mahalo my sistah! 🤙🏽 auuuuuraaaii
I have issues getting myself to eat, i just forget to do so because i just dont feel the need to eat. But your channel has really inspired me to start setting alarms and eating food ❤
I’m the same way! I only ever really feel the need to eat maybe once a day, in the evening, but that’s only occasionally. I have digestive problems on top of my forgetting to eat and drink, which make it hard for me to eat breakfast because my body is just physically not ready for food when I first wake up. So I have to set alarms for lunch and dinner.
i have the exact same problem!! i dont know what causes it, but i really dont feel the need to eat and i dont know how otherwise feels like, or maybe i have forgotten. nonetheless, EVERYONE already proposes to me the idea to set up alarms but when i get home i just forget that part of the conversation and this is the 9TH TIME i forget to do this. i really wanna find out why i have this issue, but i hope you will deal with it well!!
Thin sliced spam fried to a crisp with some fried eggs on the side and refried beans and a flour tortilla and salsa because I’m Hispanic uff that’s some good eating
@jaimevillarreal3276 thin slices aren't bad but thick slices and all that sodium kills ..thin slices literally daily won't effect you but people eat the equivalent of 6 thin slices in one slice...I'd make it little thicker than paper
@phoenix315 lol..for blood pressure it is ...in moderation it's essential to life you need salt but not a can of spam amount..in moderation everything is fine!!!
I love how you don't put down those who struggle with affording healthy food options but instead show us how to make a healthier dish out of what is affordable. You are so kind and intelligent, I'm really enjoying following you. Thank you for the inclusion and not a shaming attitude. ❤
@@deechomeecho Forcing yourself not to eat the things you like for the sake of losing weight can create an unhealthy relationship with food. Say you want a cookie; rather than restricting yourself from eating it, you can balance it out by incorporating things like Greek yoghurt and fresh fruits for something that's nutritious and will leave you satisfied. Building upon it is much better than having one cookie and then going back for another because you're still hungry. I hope I explained that well? I'm not sure.
@@chaiteeths3373 That actually sounds legit and seems like a good way to prevent binging, but, again, what if someone really wants to lose weight and reduce the amount of food they're eating? Portions do contribute to weight gain. If you're around 5'3 with not much muscle, you can't be eating like a sumo wrestler. Yk what I'm saying?
I honestly love Kylie’s videos so much. She does not shame anyone about their food choices because of preference or circumstances. She always points toward ways to make it work better for you.
I LOVE your approach! “Focus on what you Can add to, not subtract from, your lunch.” This is what I’ve been doing but didn’t know how to put it into words.
You can pull some of the sodium out of regular spam by slicing it up and dunking it in boiling water for a minute or so, before frying it. Doesn't affect the taste much, but it's a lot less salty.
@jordanp7961 sometimes it's not easy to get the low sodium one. I typically will soak my spam after I cut it up in cold water for a while. I do the same with jarred chipped beef. It helps draw some of the saltiness without losing the flavor. The local shops in my community only carry regular spam. So it's not easy to access everywhere :)
I’m Aussie and always think it’s bizarre when people say spam is cheaper or more affordable because here it costs more than fresh raw chicken or pork meat… I’d love to know if it’s the spam that’s more expensive or the other meat is cheaper than other countries
No that's probably because it's imported it's a cheap/ration type food here and honestly it makes me a little sad that so many cultures who have already been so affected by colonialism are now proudly eating the filler/scraps fake meat they were offered by invading governments feeding them the worst quality food possible and claiming any critique of its healthy ness is moot - eat what you want but stop telling us that spreading proper nutritional information about the healing nature of food is bad
Funny you mention because Spam is kind of a luxury here in South Korea lol. We give it as home welcoming gifts and whatnot. It’s not super expensive but it does store very well, has a long shelf life. I suppose tinned food is seen as more “affordable”?
People in the U.S. typically see Spam as poor people's food. It used to be more affordable than fresh meat and had the added benefit of shelf life. I grew up poor so we usually had a few cans to tie us over. I am no longer poor but still love Spam and have it now and then.
@@daveyjones8969There are plenty of things throughout all cultures that are not health foods. She is showing us how we can eat what we enjoy in a nutritious way. This is a filling meal with protein, veggies and a little bit of a guilty pleasure so we can still enjoy what we like while we fuel our bodies.
@@MasterMayhem78 When it smells like dog food, it's not good for you. Just like that Puritan brand stew... I also checked, and there's over 3500mg of sodium in one can...
@@MasterMayhem78 Again, nobody said spam is nutritious. This is an option to add nutrition to something you might eat anyway that is not good for you. Not a health food, you still crave it, nice to be able to eat it in a way that will still feed your body. Unplug long enough to learn how to read for understanding amd conversation rather than a sassy internet clapback.
Spam and avocado? Who would’ve thought! I think the fatty rich taste would really balance out the savory flavor of spam. I know what I’m making for lunch tomorrow :P
Sometimes, it was spam on the side of arroz juntos - other times, it was spam mixed into rice w/ beans on top. It's so flavourful & I definitely miss eating it! Will probably make some soon & serve it w/ a side salad to bump up the nutrition. 💕
I introduced my fiancee to spam cooked the PR way bc apparently white people dont cook spam they eat it raw like vienna sausage, and she thought thats what it was supposed to taste like. I was like... honey.... just because it's edible don't mean it's *edible*
I love the idea of “add to your meals”! I come from a family with poor dietary habits so my first instincts aren’t always the best but I think, as long as I keep portion size in mind, this advice will be super helpful! Thanks! ❤
You always saying to focus on what you can add to your meals, not take away has immensely helped me eat healthier and crave eating healthier foods. Thank you so much for this simple but useful advice.
You're my favourite healthy food person to follow. You're so relatable! You understand the various challenges people are facing and give realistic options and ideas. Thank you!
tbh I agree completely. My mom is a dietician and this is what she has told me and my 2 sisters for our whole lives. Nothing is unhealthy if you have it from time to time and always focus on what you can add to get all the nutrients you need for the day because there’s no need to waste time worrying about what you could have taken out. This is like-the first video where a dietician isn’t like-‘spam is unhealthy’ tysm 💗💗✨✨
Today I was at Costco and they had spam on special, so of course I had to get it. I wasn’t sure how I would use it but now I have this information from your video. Thanks, it was very timely. And let me add that you are the dietitian, who helped me understand the term NET, as in net carbs. Your advice to always focus on what you can ADD to your meals NOT what you can subtract… that’s truly SAGE advice. 🙏😊
I’m half Japanese Spam Musubi is my favorite and lots of people make it without the egg, I’m so happy you included it. *I boil the spam before frying to reduce sodium
I started buying the low sodium spam. Not because I'm worried about my sodium intake , though, but because I often prepare it with things that are also salty, so it can become too salty.
@@IMChrysalis Not all stores carry it, but they make a turkey spam! I do recommend adding some sort of fat when frying it because it definitely is leaner.
I love that you focus on what can be added to a meal for nutrition rather than just saying not to eat certain things at all. It’s definitely more realistic!
one issue with that way of thinking: it's far from being that simple, the problem is not always that something isn't nutritious (enough). Here, the problem is you're eating cured or canned meat that's been cooked, the nitrites responsible for you not catching botulism from that spam unfortunately aren't particularly good for you, and especially when heated turn into nasty stuff for your body to take care of, something quite carcinogenic if I remember correctly. You can't offset this by adding some lettuce or eggs tip: if you're eating spam because it's cheap, chicken thigh is possibly even cheaper, and you can get many lean proteins at a fraction of the cost if you buy them a few days before they expire, when they're on clearance, and you can also freeze those to extend shelf life of course.
@@justalonelypoteto exactly, i've been looking for this comment. if i really only focused on adding to my meals instead of taking away, i'd be at like 300% sodium levels everyday from drinking ramen broth. is that really worth it, even if i'm hitting all my other required nutrients?
@@LaCarteRouge I'm guessing it's because people figure that the average joe has a very low nutrient density intake, but considering the fact that, you know, people don't regularly get scurvy anymore I doubt it's that serious (as in that it's not what we should concern ourselves with first). For sure it's a concern, but like you said this well-meaning advice often could exacerbate other issues that are arguably already more important to fix. I myself noticed this when I tried to apply the, frankly not bad, advice of adding to small meals so they'll actually keep you satiated for long enough to prevent constant snacking, as it turns out while 2 slices of bread with either salted pb or smoked salmon do make a bunch of scrambled eggs and whites more filling, but they also add 2-3g of salt by themselves :/
I know, it’s so refreshing after seeing so many “nutrionists” (not registered dietitians) recommended to me by youtube who provide diet advice that borders on recommending disordered eating!
The best, most important thing my nutrition education taught me was moderation. Restricting things from a diet (unless you have to because of health reasons) is just not going to end well.
“Focus on what you can add, not what you can subtract from” has CHANGED the way I eat/snack. When I’m hungry now, I have more protein and veggie filled plates which is what my journey was missing, thank you so much
You’re really helping me change how I see food. You’re so gentle in your delivery and the way you give advice. My doctor (not a nutritionist) actually gave me bad eating advice that left me so sick and in the hospital 😢 So watching you is healing for me.
I comepletly agree with you on the spam thing. My mom was born, raised, and is Native Hawaiian but moved to the mainland in her 20s. Since Hawaii is/apart of her culture, I have learnt a lot about it. I can make homemade poke, spam musubi, etc. I know those are more local foods on the island rather than traditional Hawaiian food, but a Kalua pig or Opihi is a little out of my resources.😂
As someone who has struggled with an ed for years in and out of recovery, the add don’t subtract tip is absolutely my favourite and helps me prevent binge/purge cycles ❤
I'm so glad you posted this video!! I'm from South Korea, and spam is a popular grocery in my culture. I was quite surprised when people in the States really hate spam 😂 I don't wanna say spam is such a super food... but still, I like pan-fried spam with freshly cooked rice 🍚( and don't forget Kimchi... 😊) thank you for showing your love for food based on your own culture so that people can understand more cultural diversity!
Is spam expensive in Korea these days? I'm Korean too but one can of spam is nearly $4 in the states😢 All of my childhood foods have become too expensive to eat: fried spam, l.a. kalbi😭
@chai lattes it's been a long time for me to buy spam in Korea, but as long as I'm understanding, yeah, it's expensive, lol... at least, a can of spam would cost around or more than 4 bucks 😂
I'm from the states, and spam had always made me "squick"... until I saw this video. Now I'm convinced I've just never seen anyone here cook it correctly! 😅
Absolutely love your add not subtract motto! It really conveys the importance of moderation and balance - u can still have what u like even if it's "unhealthy" so long as u also balance that with things that are good for you :)
grew up in California. My parents loved to go to Hawaii and went nearly every year. The one thing my mom did not understand was the fondness the Hawaiians had of Spam. Mom was wrong. Spam is amazing!
So glad I saw this. I have avoided eating spam for 20 years because it would remind me of when I would visit my Grandparents over the summer. We had it for breakfast a couple times a week. I miss them so much 🥲
Your motto of adding to, not subtracting from meals has done a ton for me in my own life as far as both losing weight and enjoying food i used to feel guilty over. Thank you for spreading your knowledge. It matters
I just love the approach you have to the value of food and the fact that your recipes are 100% realistic, but also healthy and tasty. Thank you for the new perspective you're giving us! ❤
Ok yummm tho. I’m definitely trying this! I love spam too but I don’t eat it because it’s processed and whatever but if I have this once in a while that’s alright right? Ahhh I’m so happy now! I’m gonna make this for my po po and gung gungs lunch today! 😊
I was born in Maryland in a poor neighborhood and Spam was one of the most affordable meats. And while we’re all grown up and living nice lives unlike my siblings I still enjoy Spam. We got teased for eating it but for me Spam brings back memories of cooking with my mom
Thank you so much, I have ADHD and have struggled with my diet and cooking all my adult life. After watching your videos for awhile I really feel like I'm already less stressed when meal planning and cooking. My husband and I both work full time so cooking is always rushed so it's hard to stay healthy. Your videos and tips have made our lives so much easier!
my family, puerto ricans, are obsessed with spam. theres always a can or two of spam laying around, and it was especially helpful and cheap to eat when living in new york. its just overall a great and delicious alternative to super expensive meats. i rlly hate when people say its nasty and nobody should ever eat it, because growing up, it was all i could eat
I grew up in Alabama every summer .I hate this sh!t an was forced to eat it, I hated going down there with my grandmother...I'm still healing from the experience of that lady and that damn spam
@@Katsu_ragi 😂🤣😄 the worse part is THIS IS THE DAMN TRUTH... the lady that was sapose to be my grandmother is my nightmare an all the dumb stuff she forced me to eat that I didn't like. My mother spoiled me and I couldn't wait till summer was over to depart from her hateful azz. My whole family down there is southern blacks an my mom messed around and got with a Sicilian man got married and had me (OOOH BOY) if you know Sicilians don't shut there mouths and use their hands alot, and are fairly violent So with that being said...they couldn't handle me, I was a awfully stubborn and not giving a f#ck child I was bad like really bad, but she was sapose to love me not be my enemy I WAS THE KID IN THE SITUATION
My Pape was in the US Navy during WW2, and they all were served so much spam that he refused to eat it afterwards. I actually really like Spam fried with potatoes!
Mainland Americas sometimes are crazy when they talk about food. In one sentence they tell you spam and ketchup are unhealthy and bad, but in the other they say they eat sugary cereal/donuts for breakfast everyday.
In all 23 years of my life and as an American, I never had spam until 2 weeks ago. I didn't like it because it's wayyyyy too salty, so I threw it out. Now, I buy the Spam with less sodium. And not all Mainland Americans eat the same things for breakfast, we have greek yogurt, grandola, fresh fruit, smoothies, and yes, we do have cereals, and pop tarts but at least it's quick and easy to make if you are running late to work or school. And who says we eat donuts for breakfast?
Looks great! I used to enjoy chicken hotdogs every now and then (sis encouraged me to cut them out after a big health thing), but I often had them in noodles, which I usually added veggies to! If I ever miss them enough to buy them again, I'll just add extra veg for the nutrients. Balance is good, and my diet doesn't have much "junk" in it anyway.
I'm haole but I love spam musubi, mainlanders don't understand what they're missing out on tbh. It's really no worse for you than ham or hot dogs, which is totally fine every once in awhile. Adding veggies and egg is such a great idea, I will definitely do this next time! Thank you for sharing! My southern grandma used to fry us thinly sliced spam until it was brown and crisp on the outside, like well done bacon. I have a core memory of eating this with a full fat glass of milk while playing kirby.
Spam is actually only made from pork shoulder and pork ham and cooked well in the can, etc. It's not your normal mystery luncheon meat. It's not as "unhealthy" (bad ingredients) as people think it is.
@@eggsnspam it’s low quality processed meat that is probably mixed with who knows what on top of having tons of chemicals/preservatives. Therefore, unhealthy af! But, hey…during hard times, we gotta survive and do whatever we gotta do, so like I said, is not a big deal eating unhealthy foods once in a while.
@@analozada9475.... just because it has preservatives doesn't mean its unhealthy. Also there is chemicals everywhere. Even in your water because its a chemical so en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_substance
@@marfa.h3526 Sure. You can Believe whatever you want in order to justify eating unhealthy foods. That’s totally up to you. All I know is that eating fresh unprocessed foods is immensely better than eating processed foods. And I am quite aware that we have chemicals everywhere, hence why I have special water filters in my house so I can drink and shower with super clean water, and I wash my vegetables with water, baking soda and or/vinegar to kill bacteria and neutralize all the chemicals that are sprayed on vegetables cuz even organic vegetables get sprayed indirectly with same pesticides as non organic vegetables. I do my best to consume the least amount possible of chemicals, and it works great for me. You do you! 🤷🏻♀️
sometimes the biggest value food has is that we enjoy it and that it tastes good and we want to eat it. I love food. I love eating food because it's good.
Kylie, I'm a single individual who struggles to make meals for myself, doesn't enjoy going out, so I order out. It's quick, convenient, no mess... You have blessed me and saved me by gracing my Youthbe shorts with your hacks. THANK YOU!
Yes! I love it, no more restrictive diets~ Spam is so versatile too though maybe I can also use her advice to make other dishes like spam veggie soup, spam fried rice etc
So glad you're able to incorporate it if you love it! It's not for me (i don't like the taste or the texture) but I would never shame anyone who likes it.
I made a variation on this tonight. I substituted a wrap for the rice, but basically everything was as you described. Totally delicious and filling. Thank you!
Spam is very unhealthy, mainly cuz of the sodium, but you can just boil it first to get rid of some excess salt and then cook in the sauce after in a pan. This is what I do when I wanna enjoy spam as someone who has kidney failure and has to watch my diet
When I was super broke in my 20s, I practically lived off spam! I wish videos like yours existed then so I could have come up with healthier ideas. I'm doing better now and I still love spam!
Like peanut butter and jelly, they were just cheap foods Americans ate during hard times in 30s and 40s. While older gens get nostalgic over it, newer gens see it as average or subpar. She and many peope around the world don't.
@@angdelr32 well I prefer medium rare stake and fish along with home cooked meals but my family does eat it cooked since older people within my family had distant ties to the Japanese and thier culture.
The only thing that kinda bothers me with spam is the taste. It's too salty but it's easy to alter the taste by cooking it with some sauce mixture or paired with other food to balance that taste. In my household, we seldom buy spam because it's costly.
I don't eat spam anymore cause of a few videos on,..... but what my family did, and kind of still does except my picky arse, which is probably not as nutritious, was toast, American cheese, spam and ketchup... Either that or make sandwichitos de mezcla, with milk, mayo, cheese, some red peppers, sugar and salt? in a blender, wait til texturizing It's been a while so I don't remember.
I grew up in the south and a fried spam or bologna sandwich was one of my favorite treats growing up. I'll definitely have to try your recipe here looks delish!
Sorry man but bologna and spam isn’t a treat in any sense of the word. It’s about as cheap and unhealthy as food can possibly be. You may have a couple screws lose but that’s ok
Your food videos are literally the only ones that don’t trigger me♥️ literally have all other accounts blocked and feel so validated when I watch your shorts!!
It’s worth the price tag! I’ve tried offbrand spam too, but it just doesn’t taste the same. Color’s a bit off too. Hope you try it for yourself someday. It’s really good :P
If you have stomach problems like this lady does, it’s best to keep subtracting until you find out what’s causing your problems, add each food group one at a time until your symptoms return.
In Puerto Rico it’s also a staple 😂. We normally eat it when we are to tired to be cooking something elaborate. We make sandwiches, we chop it into little cube like pieces and mix it with rice, we fry it with some eggs, we also eat it with pasta. Spam, or as we call it over here "jamonilla", is something easy to cook and goes together with a lot of things
