http://ijh.sciedupress.com International Journal of Healthcare 2017, Vol. 3, No. 1 REVIEWS Understanding “nostalgic inequality”: A critical analysis of barriers to Latinos’ healthy eating practices in the United States Anahí Viladrich * Queens College, The City University of New York, United States Received: December 6, 2016 Accepted: February 7, 2017 Online Published: February 22, 2017 DOI: 10.5430/ijh.v3n1p58 URL: https://doi.org/10.5430/ijh.v3n1p58 ABSTRACT Based on two mixed-methods studies conducted with first and second generation Latinas in New York City (NYC), this article questions simplistic notions of acculturation by stressing the impact of structural conditions (at the individual, social and physical levels) in determining Latinas’ food practices in the United States (U.S.). The term “nostalgic inequality” is used here to argue that Latinas’ retention of, and adaptation to, their traditional staples (i.e., nostalgic foods) tends to favor affordable and fat-saturated items (e.g., fried and processed foods) that through time contribute to higher rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease, among other deleterious health conditions. In the end, this review is aimed at raising awareness about the barriers to healthy eating experienced by disadvantaged minority groups in the U.S. urban milieu. Key Words: Acculturation, Latinos, Hispanics, Food, Inequality, Nostalgia, United States 1. I NTRODUCTION This article discusses the consumption of traditional foods (labeled here as “nostalgic foods”) among Latinas in the U.S. Based on the results drawn from two mixed-methods research studies conducted with first and second-generation Latinas in NYC (N = 83), I build upon the concept of “nostal- gic inequality” to argue that participants’ preference for (and reliance on) traditional foods is greatly shaped by structural factors, such as social and economic resources and place of residence. Instead of abandoning traditional diets in favor of American food (i.e., dietary acculturation) Latinas tend to favor high-calorie, low-cost and accessible traditional staples in detriment of healthier ones (e.g., fruits and vegetables), which are more expensive and harder to access. The discussion of these research findings are placed in con- versation with related studies found in social sciences and public health databases (including Lexisnexis, Medline, So- cial Sciences Citation Index, Sciences Citation Index, and CINAHL). The key terms used in the searches were the fol- lowing: Hispanics, Latinos, diet, nutrition, eating behaviors, eating patterns, obesity, overweight, weight gain, memory and nostalgia. These relevant keywords were used alone and combined leading to new literature findings. 2. RISING OBESITY PATTERNS AMONG LATI - NOS IN THE UNITED S TATES According to the U.S. Census, Latinos (or Hispanics) are the fastest-growing immigrant population in the U.S. and * Correspondence: Anahí Viladrich, Professor; Email: Anahi.viladrich@qc.cuny.edu; Address: Queens College of the City University of New York, Department of Sociology, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Queens, NY 11367-1597, United States. 58 ISSN 2377-7338 E-ISSN 2377-7346