When Lucy Taing-Cheam’s parents arrived in Long Beach as refugees from Cambodia in the ’80s, their focus was survival. In practice, that meant a lot of affordable, sometimes less-than-healthy carbs on the table.
They made sure their family was fed, but didn’t realize the importance of a balanced diet until their kids were older. While growing up, fruits and vegetables weren’t a regular thing for Taing-Cheam, and now as an adult, she struggles to eat fruits and vegetables on their own.
“Just the thought of me putting a blueberry in my mouth and trying to chew it, the texture is kind of, I don’t know, but if it’s in a smoothie or juice, no problem,” Taing-Cheam said…