SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Diabetes, which leads to other health risks and complications, is twice as common among Hispanic Americans as among Caucasian Americans, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Currently, 2 million Hispanics have diabetes and more than 60% are overweight. To help Hispanic families address these concerns, Dairy Council of California now has nutrition information available in Spanish on its Meals Matter Web site, www.mealsmatter.org. The site, which went live in early November, provides recipes and nutrition tips, including how to deal with lactose intolerance, how to build strong bones and how to be a healthy role model for children.

The Spanish section of Meals Matter emphasizes the importance of eating meals together as a family and the role a balanced diet plays in a healthy lifestyle.

“With today’s families having less time together due to more mothers in the workplace and busier schedules overall, making every effort to have family meals at home will allow parents to not only watch what their kids eat, but will also give parents the opportunity to instill healthy eating habits and offer milk with family meals,” said Peggy Biltz, Dairy Council CEO. “Through recipes and downloadable tip sheets all translated into Spanish, we are also showing families how to eat a balanced diet that incorporates selections from all food groups, including dairy.”