Although Spain is a country with many agri-food resources and promotional campaigns remind us that we are the richest country in the world, the truth is that in Spain you don't eat so well. We could say that it is very bad if we think that we have a great raw material at our fingertips. And it is that someone must say it and in this case Vivaz the health insurer tells us and we want to share the information and reflections with you.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, we have quickly forgotten the importance of healthy eating and we are once again getting worse in our habits. When asked about how we eat, 76% rate their diet as remarkable or outstanding. Of course, they all pass comfortably, with an average of 7,3. However, 1 in 3 adults (13,2 million Spaniards) admits to consuming ultra-processed foods 3 or more days a week. Almost 24 million (66% of those surveyed) say they eat pre-cooked dishes and 1 in 10 order food at home 2 or 3 times a week or more.
The reasons why you don't eat so well in Spain
The main reasons for poor nutrition in the country are the result of changes in social habits and work rhythms. All this leads us to consume ultra-processed products or prepared meals and reduce time in the kitchen. In this way the Ultra-processed foods are the main threat to a poor diet. All this due to the excesses of sugars, saturated fats and salt that they are composed of and account for a third of the calories that an adult in Spain consumes per day.
This lack of time and ignorance are the main reasons used by Spaniards for not cooking on a daily basis, at least 6 out of 10 adults say so. The study carried out confirms that only 28% of Spaniards cook from fresh food (vegetables, legumes, meat, fish or eggs) every day. This situation also highlights the little time that Spaniards dedicate to teaching children this activity because only 7% involve the smallest members of the household in the kitchen. Cooking as a family is, according to experts, essential to transfer good eating habits to children from an early age.
We need to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into the diet
A piece of fruit is less caloric, more satiating and nutritionally much more positive than any ultra-processed snack. However, only 4% of the population eats at least 5 pieces of fruit, vegetables and vegetables a day, a recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO), with 2 servings a day being the most frequent (23%).
On the other hand, the Spanish population does not include lasting good habits in their diet. A large part decides to go on a diet despite its proven ineffectiveness in maintaining medium and long-term goals. So much so that, according to the data from the Vivaz study, and in line with other scientific studies, around 6 out of 10 Spaniards claim to have been on a diet at some time and half of those who have dieted have gained weight.
Price is the main reason for purchasing food
Spaniards are guided by price when they buy, according to the study carried out by nutritionist Juan Revenga for Vivaz. All of this is accentuated by the context of high inflation that we are currently experiencing. In this sense, for almost 50% of Spaniards, price is the most important thing when buying ahead of nutritional quality or that the food is fresh. Also, half of the Spaniards acknowledge having changed the composition of their shopping cart due to the rise in prices in recent months.
When choosing an establishment, 60% of Spaniards prefer to buy in the supermarket compared to other surfaces such as the market, which always have a higher proportion of fresh and seasonal products. In addition, 48% of Spaniards do not pay attention to the nutritional information labeled on the products.
Some recommendations
It is important to emphasize the importance of food in our health. In this sense, the study proposes 4 habits that we should take into account and work on, they are:
- Include 5 servings between fruits, vegetables and vegetables a day.
- Reduce ultra-processed foods in our diet.
- Cooking at home mainly fresh food.
- Involve children in the kitchen to transfer and share good eating habits.
