Spanish Diet and Food Guide

Spanish diet is famous around the world for its delicious paella, tapas and it's Jamón (ham) but what are the official dietary guidelines in Spain?
In this guide, we will examine what is the official diet as defined by the experts and we will also tell you about some of the most famous dishes of Spain.  Food in Spain is a feast for the eyes and the mouth.

Spanish food is a mixture of European food and North African food.  Only a country occupied by so many civilizations like Spain can boast to have such a rich culinary heritage.  Modern cuisine and its tapas really improved on what was already a fine diet.

Let's examine the basics of the Spanish diet.

Spanish Dietary Guidelines

The basics

The Spanish dietary guide is in the form of a pyramid, just like the American one.  It consists of 7 groups:

• Carbs
• fruits and vegetables
• olive oil
• dairy products
• poultry, fish and legumes
• red meat and cured meats
• sugary foods

The first (Carbs) is the the base of the pyramid and it is recommended to consume daily of the first 5 groups.  Meat, ham, sausages, cakes, etc. are to be eaten occasionally only.

Two pillars support the whole pyramid: physical exercise and water.  It is recommended to drink at least 2 liters of water every day.

The new version of the pyramid

In recent years, Spain has introduced a new pyramid to reflect the new researches made in the world of nutrition.  Here is the new Spanish diet guide:



The Pyramid is "distorted" to take the shape of a boat moving on water. This choice of symbol is to reflect the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is characterized by an abundance of plant foods: vegetables, fruit, unrefined cereals products, legumes, root vegetables, moderate consumption of white and blue fish, poultry, dairy and eggs with a moderate intake of red meat.  The main characteristic is the use of olive oil as the only fat used in cooking and salad dressings.  This Spanish diet is undoubtedly related to an increased longevity and a better prevention of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers

Another change is that of physical activity associated with dietary recommendations, since both aspects are part of a healthy lifestyle.
The goal is to help people, with a visual guide to stop having a sedentary lifestyle and to get moving several times a day.

Each level of food recommendation has an associated type of activity.

The colors:

The first level of the pyramid is green and it means the people should eat or do the physical activities several times a day.
The physical activities listed here are common and easy ones like walking the dog, climbing stairs etc.  Most activities include walking or using your legs as it has been proven that doing so will increase your bowel movement and walking is the best prevention for obesity.

About the fruits an vegetable, it is recommended to take 5 a day.

The second level is yellow, meaning that the things listed in the layer should be done  several times a week.

Exercise-wise, harder, cardio-vascular exercise is listed here: swimming, dancing, tennis and football are some of the examples in this layer.
 
Foods placed on the second level of the pyramid have in common the contribution made ​​by protein to the diet.

The main role of proteins, aside from giving energy, is to provide the necessary components for growth and renewal of body tissues and structures. Therefore, they are known as building block foods.
Meat, fish and eggs are characterized by their excellent protein quality and can be exchanged for one another at meals.

The difference between them lies in the quantity and especially the quality of the fats.

So while chicken fat and especially oily fish is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, meat (beef, pork, lamb) have a high content of saturated fatty acids, so it is important to moderate your intake to prevent disease cardiovascular disease.

This is especially important in the case of sausages. They should be eaten a few times a week only due to the large amount of saturated fatty acids, cholesterol and salt in them.

Legumes are included here because they provide almost everything but in moderation. They are a good source of protein but lower quality than those found in the previous group.



The Red layer:

The foods listed here are to be consumed occasionally only.

In general, these are foods high in saturated fatty acids, sugars and salt, so that a common consumption favors obesity,and cardio-vascular diseases, among others. There is no food to be eliminated from the diet, but we should avoid frequent consumption of these not to interfere with the consumption of healthier foods and to avoid giving a deficient eating pattern to children.

The only exercise listed here is not an exercise at all but is an image depicting a sedentary lifestyle.  Thus, we should avoid staying sedentary and move more.

In 2004, a study demonstrated that the average Spanish child watched 2 hours of television a day and spend another 30 minutes playing video games or using the internet.

By getting in the habit of moving several times a week, the Spanish authorities hope that people will be healthier for longer.

The Blue under-layer

This layer represents water.  It is still 2 liters of recommended daily water intake.  Water is important to life and should not be substituted by sugary drinks like juices and colas.

Source for most of the information above: http://www.naos.aesan.msps.es/

The Modern Spanish Diet

We just examined the Government recommended dietary guide but what do Spaniards really eat everyday?

I turned to the Lonely Planet Spain for more information on the culinary lifestyle of the Spanish people.

Spanish cuisine is characterized by its simplicity.  In modern cuisine, the chef takes the freshest ingredient possible usually serves it as is.  That's it.  The full flavor of the food is put at the fore front in a simple way.  If you look at the picture to the right, you can see a tapas bar, where you can choose fresh bite-size morsels to eat.  Tapas are so delicious that they, not unlike sushi, have conquered the world restaurants.

The Spaniards usually eat dinner late: not before 8:30 and sometimes as late at 10.  So many establishment will cater to their needs and be open for dinner between 8 and 1. 
You have to understand that this is the country which invented the after-noon siesta.  If you sleep two hours in the afternoon, you have more time to spend at night.

So, as I was saying, many establishments cater to the dinners:

The asador specializes in roasted meat.

The bar de copas serves hard drinks.

The cervecria is a beer joint.

The horno de asador is a restaurant with a wood-burning stove.

The marisqueria is a seafood restaurant.

The tasca is a bar specializing in tapas.

The terraza is an open-air establishment where people eat outside in warm weather.

The tabera is the Spanish pub, or tavern, where you can order drinks, eat tapas or set meals in a rustic decor.

The vinoteca is a wine bar where you can order wine by the glass and eat food that goes well with it.

Just by looking at the kind of restaurants available in Spain, we can get an idea of what Spanish cuisine is all about: tapas, booze and friends.  La joie de vivre is part of any culinary experience in Spain.

Spanish specialties

Apart from the tapas mentioned above, Spanish cuisine is famous for its Paella, and the Jamòn.

The Tapas

Anything can be a tapas.  An olive, a piece of bread with pickled fish on it, a cucumber with some spice.  Anything.  For the best Tapas, try the Basque country.

Paella

The Paella is the national dish of Spain.  It's a rice-based dish with food scattered in it, very simply put.  A good paella always includes the following:
short-grain rice, garlic, parsley, olive oil  and saffron.  After that, there will usually be some chicken (vallenciana) or seafood (de mariscos) in it.

Come this way for some easy and delicious paella recipes.

The Jamòn

This ham is a Spanish specialty.  It is made from bold, well fat-marbled meat.  It should smell like meat, forest and the field.  It is regionally classified and each recipe is protected by rules and regulations, not unlike wine.

Jamón serrano (mountain ham) is generally served raw in thin slices, or occasionally diced. The French jambon de Bayonne and Italian prosciutto crudo are similar. A foreleg prepared in the same manner is called paleta.  It is made from a white coated pig. (about 90% of cured hams in Spain are Jamón serrano)

Jamón ibérico, Iberian ham, also called pata negra, is produced mostly in Spain, but also in some Portuguese regions where it is called presunto ibérico. It is made of at least 75% black Iberian pig, also called pata negra (literally, black leg).  This ham is the highest quality of the Spanish hams and its appeal resides in the fat that infiltrated the meat, giving it a great taste.

The Daily Spanish Diet

The following is a generalization of the country's day to day diet but it gives a good idea of how Spaniards eat.

The morning meal is called desayuno.  It usually consists of café con leché (half coffee and half warm milk), and a bollo (pastry).
Croissants and cream-filled pastries are common or sometimes a tostada (buttered up toast).

The mid-day meal is light and will often be taken out as it is when the tapas are the cheapest and it is not worth packing your lunch.  The siesta is several hours long so one has time to enjoy food in a bar.

A set meal for dinner will often start with ensaladas (salad) sopas (soup) entremese (hors-d'oeuvres) and will follow with the main meal.

The main ingredients will be pollo (chicken) carne (meat) mariscos (seafood) pescado (fish) and arroz (rice)

The different meats will be: cerdo (pork), ternera (beef), cordero (lamb) and the main fish are bonito (tuna) sardinas (sardines), anchoas (anchovies), merluza (hake) dorada (bream) and lenguado (sole)

Come here for more food related Spanish vocabulary.

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