Last Updated on August 17, 2025 by Krista Linares, MPH, RD and Bethany Carrasco, MCN, RD, LD
When I hear the phrase “hay comida en la casa”, I immediately think of my grandma. My grandma Cristina was the definition of someone who used food as a love language and I knew there’d always be delicious food at her house when I visited.
She was the type of person to make sure that everyone in her house was well fed and took offense if you declined a snack or a plate of her cooking. Her desire to make sure everyone around her was comfortable and happy could be felt anytime you were around her.
This article is featured in the “hay comida en la casa” issue of our zine! Read the whole issue here.
Cooking for the Community
As a cafeteria chef and amateur baker, she expressed her love and creativity with food and was eager to share with anyone who was interested.
She worked at a cafeteria during the days of scratch cooking and she never let you forget how much time and effort were put into those meals. Every meal for every student was made with care and genuine excitement to share her creations.
Not only did she cook for the students, but she of course used her talents at home to cook for her family.
Nourishing Generations
When my dad (her son) was growing up, all of his friends, little league teammates, and neighbors knew that my grandma would have something delicious for them to eat after a long day hanging out together. She loved nourishing the people around her.
After my mother passed away, my grandma made sure that I wouldn’t miss out on home cooked meals and made me dinner every afternoon. Every day after school from kindergarten to high school, my dad and I would head to my grandma’s house and have dinner with her.
She made anything from hamburgers to enchiladas to caldo de pollo. Regardless of what she made, it was made with love. No one asked her to love us this way but she took it upon herself to make sure we were cared for.
It wasn’t until I grew up and had to regularly feed myself that I realized what a tremendous act of love cooking dinner for a family can be.
Cooking as Care … And Labor
As a dietitian, I am familiar with the several barriers that prevent people from having home cooked meals such as time, energy, and of course cooking skill. My grandmother showcased her love despite these barriers as many women do.
I wouldn’t be the first to recognize that cooking and food preparation has historically been expected of women. Especially in more traditional hispanic households, mothers and grandmothers are often responsible for feeding the family.
This means that women can be uniquely positioned to uphold and nurture cultural food traditions.
It’s because of my grandmother that I know how to make some of my favorite Mexican dishes that I grew up eating at her house.
Without her passing this knowledge onto me, I wouldn’t be able to express this part of myself when I cook for others, which has become very important to me.
The Challenges of Home Cooking
When I talk about cooking at home with my patients, there can be a lot of feelings that come up: overwhelm, disdain, and frustration to name a few. It’s not an easy task to feed oneself, let alone an entire family.
It takes time and effort to create balanced, tasty, budget friendly meals and that is time and effort that not everyone has to spare.
Personally I’ve found that reframing cooking and meal preparation as an expression of care is a worthwhile strategy for overcoming some of the negative emotions that come with it.
When I incorporate a meaningful or cultural component into my meals, I enjoy both the food and the process of cooking it more.
Sometimes food is just enough to meet our nutrient needs and stave off hunger but often it’s more than that and honoring that fact can make food preparation a more fulfilling task.
Home Cooking Doesn’t Have to be Perfect
I learned from my grandma that there are many ways to construct a nourishing meal. Although she was the type to go above and beyond to make tortillas from scratch, she also knew when to opt for convenience in the name of saving time and energy.
For example, she would use canned and frozen vegetables, pre-made sauces, and the occasional ready to eat sausage or rotisserie chicken.
From this, I learned that delicious, nourishing meals don’t have to be made from scratch and that utilizing the resources available doesn’t subtract from the quality of a meal.
Passing Down Love Through Food
As much of a daunting task it can sometimes be, making a home cooked meal is one of the ways we can honor our culture, our elders who passed down their knowledge, and our own nutritional needs.
When I make a recipe that my grandma taught me, I remember her and the way she cared for me.
With my own cooking, I pass along the love and hope those who eat my food can feel it too. I’ve inherited my grandmother’s love of cooking for others and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to share not only mine, but my grandma’s love, when I make a homecooked meal.
This article is featured in an issue of our digital zine, titled “Hay Comida en la Casa”! Read the whole issue for more insights into Latin American home cooking and nutrition.
About the Author
Bethany Carrasco, MCN, RD, LD
Bethany Carrasco MCN, RD, LD is a Dallas-based transplant dietitian specializing in kidney, pancreas, and liver transplant nutrition. Credentials and Education: Master of Clinical Nutrition – Coordinated Program: UT Southwestern Medical Center School of Health Professions. Registered Dietitian since 2023.