Healthy Eating Around the World

Every country has its unique and interesting culture of food – cuisines and tastes, eating habits, food related customs and traditions, celebrations and festivals surrounding food, myths and folklore. Senior dietitian Victoria Taylor of British Heart Foundation thinks that there is a lot to be learnt from the food habits of different countries. She goes on to share the valuable insights she has gleaned from diets across the globe:

Spain

Healthy snacks

Spanish cuisine includes a variety of nuts. Nuts are sources of protein, vitamins, minerals and fibres. Nuts are best consumed in the natural state, rather than salted, sugared or dry roasted. Snacking on fresh fruits, vegetables and small amounts of natural nuts and dried fruits helps to increase nutrient intake and reduce saturated fats, salts and added sugars in diet. It can also help in managing weight, cholesterol levels, blood pressure and risks of heart disease.

Italy

New ways to eat fruits and vegetables

Italians consume more fruits and vegetables as part of their diet than any other country in Europe. They have experimented and discovered new ways of including fruits and vegetables in their food. For example, soffritto which is used as a base for traditional dishes is made of finely chopped onion, garlic, celery, carrot, rosemary and bay leaf cooked in olive oil. It imparts an authentic flavour to the dishes. Also the finely chopped vegetables easily blend into the dish and can even go undetected by those who are reluctant to eat vegetables.

Finland

Choose unsaturated oils instead of saturated fats

In the late 1960s, Finland was notorious for the highest death rates among men due to coronary heart diseases. A long-term national public health programme set up to tackle this problem tried to change behaviours leading to cardiovascular risk factors. Finland had many dairy farms. Butter and milk production was subsidised and vegetable oils were imported. The health programme increased vegetable oil production in the country. It also started an education programme, to create awareness about the direct link between consumption of saturated fats and cardiovascular diseases.

Butter, milk, cheese and meat are all sources of saturated fats. So, it is important to control the consumption of food items like pastries, cakes, biscuits and ice creams.

Environment influences the food choices

Finland is a reminder of how the environment can influence food choices. Hence, it is important to be in control of the micro-environment – home, office and the surroundings. For instance, keeping chopped vegetable sticks at eye level in the fridge, a fruit bowl at the work desk and small bags of dried fruits in the car’s glove compartment will go a long way in reducing and resisting the temptation of unhealthy snacks.

Japan

Tasty, low saturated fat diet

Traditionally, the Japanese balance tastes, textures, colours and flavours in their diet. Their diet is also low in saturated fats. Most of their foods include oily-fish and soya found in beans or tofu. And because of this, Japan has one of the lowest rates of cardiovascular disease in the world.

Making time for meals

Japanese strongly believe in setting aside time for their meals, so that they appreciate food, cook from scratch, and follow healthier eating habits instead of relying on snacks and ready-made foods which are consumed “on the run”.

Portion Control

They also believe in controlling the portions of food they consume. For instance, the deep-fried tempura is eaten only in small amounts. The idea is not to eliminate all foods containing fat and sugar, but to consume them in small amounts so that they are not detrimental to health.

South Asia

Meat-free meals

Many South Asians follow a vegetarian diet. Although meats need not be completely eliminated from the diet, including some meat-free meals in diet can be an easy and simple way to boost fruit and vegetable intake and reduce saturated fats.

Eating more pulses

The South Asian diet includes a lot of lentils and other pulses as protein sources. An added benefit of including these is that the soluble fibres (also found in wholegrain foods such as oats) lower cholesterol levels.

Be wary of foods high in salt and saturated fats

Traditional South Asian foods are high in salt, which can lead to high blood pressure. It is therefore important to use herbs and spices like chilli, garlic and ginger, thereby ensuring that dishes are not only tasty but also healthy. Also avoid ghee or the clarified butter used in South Asian cooking, which is rich in saturated fat. It can raise cholesterol levels. For example, Ghee can be substituted with unsaturated oils as a healthier alternative.