Spain Lives Longest in Europe: Spanish Style Mediterranean Diet Explored
By now everyone has heard the Mediterranean diet is found to be the
healthiest but it is Spain’s Mediterranean version that promotes longest life
expectancy. The most recent study published in 2013 by The Lancet, not only
placed the Spaniards as the longest living in Europe but the country also beat
Australia, Canada, Norway and the U.S.
In order to calculate life expectancy, researches are charged with
examining death certificates. Age, race and gender are incorporated with other
data to find national population’s life expectancy. Lifestyle and social
systems also play a beneficial role. The World Health Organization ranked Spain
number seven for the healthcare system in place. While the actual infrastructure is
important, how people arrive to the hospital should also be considered. Spanish
people are arriving to the hospital healthier as a result of the Mediterranean
diet.
The vast Mediterranean Sea is home to many countries in Europe, Africa
and the Middle East. Larger similarities in food exist between countries closer
to each other. The Spanish diet is more similar to the Moroccan while the Greek
diet is similar to the Turkish. Comparing the Mediterranean diet in Egypt to
food consumed in Spain would produce an abundance of differences. However,
there are common factors such as higher intake of fish and olive oil.
Spaniards are the foodies of Europe. They spend more per head than any other nation, which is a
shocking statistic when considering how inexpensive food is in comparison.
Also, their relationship with food is more open. Spaniards do not obsess over
calorie intake and low fat alternatives. The obesity epidemic does not exist in
Spain either. This could be attributed to the mass market of Western food that
has not yet penetrated Spain. While it is possible to find a burger in any
city, the majority of the food in Spain remains rigidly traditional.
Furthermore, chefs in the north of Spain are renowned for their cuisine. San
Sebastian has more Michelin stars per square meter than any other city in the
world.
The Spanish Mediterranean diet consists of fruits, vegetables, cereal
grains, olive oil, seafood, nuts and wine, which are Spain’s traditional
agricultural products.
Across the country, there are different regional varieties consumed. The
north experiences heavy winters and the meals tend to be heartier with steaming
broths and rich stews. The southern diet is typically lighter since the weather
is warmer. For this reason, the cuisine of southern Andalucía will be explored.
BREAKFAST
Sweet and savory foods are consumed for breakfast. Churros are the
sweetest and most popular option.
The fried dough is rolled in sugar and served with a warm mug of hot
chocolate. This is more common if you grab breakfast from a local cafe, a normal
practice of Spaniards even on weekdays. Toasted bread topped with olive oil,
garlic, Serrano ham or fresh tomatoes are among the savory options available.
LUNCH
The Spanish Mediterranean lunch is the most important meal and the
longest affair. Despite an influx of foreign businesses and their practices, this still remains indigenous
and unchanged.
Typically, Spaniards enjoy a three-course meal consisting of soup,
tortilla, meat, rice, vegetables and then fruit for desert. Wine and water are
enjoyed during the meal with coffee served at the end.
The soup offered the majority of the year is Gazpacho. It is a cold,
tomato based soup blended with other vegetables such as bell peppers, onions,
cucumbers, garlic and olive oil. Spaniards drink it in a glass or eat it from a
bowl.
Paella is the most popular for lunch and considered so filling by
Spaniards that they customarily do not eat it for dinner. Only tourists are
found consuming paella in the evenings. There are different variations of
paella but the base remains the same consistency of white rice, green
vegetables, peppers, beans and seasoning. The variants are then created with
the inclusion of either meat from land such as rabbit, chicken or duck or the
seafood option including calamari, mussels, fish and shrimp.
DINNER
Spaniards eat late, very late, where dinner begins at 10pm and can last
until midnight even on weekdays. It is not uncommon to see an entire family in
a restaurant with their kids very late in the evening.
The Spanish Mediterranean dinner is lighter than the long and heavy
lunch. Quite often it is just tapas, or Spanish appetizers. Tapas are served
hot and cold. It is usual for Spaniards to order various types of tapas and
consider the combination a full meal. Tapas typically accompany beer or wine
and encourage conversation because nobody is focused on sitting down and eating
an entire meal. Often times, people enjoy tapas and drinks from more than one
restaurant in the same evening.
At home, the Spanish dinner diet is simpler and smaller. Cuisine could
include fresh seafood, chicken or lamb combined with a vegetable and rice or potatoes.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development also ranked
European countries and found Spain below average for household income,
employment, education, literacy, math and science, air pollution and water quality. By contrast, they ranked above average in life
expectancy and good health despite smoking more than average. The Spanish style
Mediterranean diet is serving the population well and allowing them to live the
longest in Europe as well as longer than most parts of the world.