After immigrating to the United States, many people of Latin American descent change the foods they eat, usually increasing their consumption of fat, sugar and other high-caloric foods. One way Latinos can avoid these pitfalls and the risks associated with them, such as diabetes and obesity, is to reacquaint themselves with the many healthy, traditional foods in their native diet, according to Eunice Romero-Gwynn, a nutritionist at UC Davis Cooperative Extension. Romero-Gwynn is developing a glossary of native foods from Mexico and Central and South America, including suggestions for preserving healthy eating practices and for making the native diet even healthier. Fresh fruit drinks, salsas, beans, chiles and corn tortillas are some of the items that Latinos and others would be better off in choosing over cookies, ice cream, soft drinks and other high-fat, processed foods.