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Read on for her go-to bite to make for a crowd, and how she’s making the most of time with family.

Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Key Points

• Empanadas are Sofia’s go-to appetizer for gatherings, offering a quick, crowd-pleasing option.

• Vergara’s Toma brand brings her favorite Colombian dishes, like croquetas and pandebonos, to family meals.
• Sofia Vergara shares her mom’s health journey and promotes early screening for heart and kidney disease.

Millions of fans know Sofia Vergara through her hilarious on-screen portrayal of Gloria on Modern Family. Now the beloved actor is taking on a new stage to promote a mission close to her own family’s heart. This World Cup, she’s using the global stage to bring light to Detect the SOSa new early screening test that can help identify heart disease and chronic kidney disease risk.

Many Americans have high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, which puts them at risk for chronic kidney disease and events like a heart attack or stroke. Sofia’s mom is one of them. She has high blood pressure, and as her care partner, it’s Sofia’s personal mission to help her do everything she can to take control of her health.

We connected with Sofia ahead of the World Cup to talk about enjoying delicious meals with her family, celebrating and making the most of time together.

Do you have a favorite memory of the World Cup?

It’s a little sad for me because I haven’t lived in Colombia for decades. Over there, that’s what you do on weekends. It doesn’t have to be a World Cup to watch a game or go to a stadium; it’s part of our daily lives. But of course, since I moved to the United States, it’s gotten a little difficult. Nowadays, there’s a lot more soccer in the U.S., but when I moved here 30-something years ago, it wasn’t as big a thing.

The World Cup is the time that I, as a Latin who doesn’t live in Latin America, get to enjoy more of these things with my family. I’m lucky to be able to go to some games and experience the energy they bring. I’ll be watching both in Miami at the finals and at home. It’s amazing. I’m really excited for this summer, the World Cup and to bring this message that’s not easy to talk about to light.

Get-togethers and watch parties are often a favorite part of big events like the World Cup. Do you have any go-to appetizers you make for parties?

I don’t cook, but every gathering for Latin people means food. I am very lucky because one of my companies, Tomawhich I started with my son Manolo, is all about making delicious, gourmet Latin food. Empanadas are one of my favorite foods and something we usually eat at family gatherings like these. No one wants to be in the kitchen cooking for hours, because everyone wants to be part of the fun. Empanadas are the simplest thing to throw into an air fryer or oven, and you can feed 40 people very easily. They’re perfect for the World Cup.

Do you have any favorite family recipes from your mom that you look back on fondly or still make today?

We were always craving my mom’s cooking, and she doesn’t want to be in the kitchen making food anymore. Now we don’t have to crave her cooking; it’s all right there with Toma whenever we want. I missed food from Colombia—the croquetas, the empanadas, the pandebonos—that’s what we love!

Can you tell me about your partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim?

It’s been the perfect combination. I’ve been working with Boehringer Ingelheim for quite some time. Detect the SOS is a public health mission with Boehringer, the American Diabetes Association, the National Kidney Foundation, Mended Hearts, WomenHeart and my fellow actor Octavia Spencer, who also has high blood pressure and diabetes. This mission is very close to our hearts. It’s been amazing to pass along this important message, and the World Cup is the perfect place to do so. Detect the SOS aims to educate people across the country to prioritize a simple urine test, called a urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR) screening, which can help uncover kidney damage earlier and lower the risk for cardiovascular events like heart attack or stroke.

There are resources available in both Spanish and English at DetectTheSOS.comincluding a downloadable caregiver’s guide and a discussion guide for how to ask your or your loved one’s doctor about a simple uACR screening.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.