Tradition and eating habits worldwide

I've always be curious of the nutrition and health habits in different countries. This may be from recognising them when going away on holiday, but from this i'd like to identify these habits and traditions, looking at the effects they have on the population.

Let's start with France...

One thing that the french are known for is drinking wine. Red wine is actually healthy for the heart and although shouldn't be consumed in high quantities, it does help prevent heart disease as it increases levels of the good cholesterol. So, the fact that they enjoy a few glasses of wine with their lunch most days is a habit which is surprisingly going to fall in their favour.

Compared to us in Britain, the french take time out of their day to sit down and enjoy a sociable, long and more nutritious lunch. Even shopkeepers will close up for a few hours to do this. French women are stereotypically seen as being skinny and healthy, and this is probably due to the fact that snacking is less likely to occur because of the time taken out to enjoy a meal- which is different to Britain where we often have lunch on the go which may only result in a small sandwich.

And then there's Spain...

The Spanish take siesta's in the afternoon which involve a few hours of sleep and rest mid-day. This usually occurs when the sun is at it's hottest. The spanish tend to eat dinner rather late- around 9.30pm - which would be the most comfortable time to eat as it is cooler then. However, research has shown that eating too late is not good because the stomach is still working to digest lots of food which can cause a sleepless and uncomfortable night.

The spanish have a Mediterranean diet which consists of lots of vegetables, lentils and fresh herbs. As well as eating lots of fish and lean meats which is more nutritious than heavier red meats.

The Japanese...

In Japan, the diet consists of a low amount of saturated fats and high amounts of fibre and vitamins. Examples include sushi which consists of seaweed and tofu being high in iodine and protein, and the rice which is filling.

Compared to other countries, Japanese people consume less dairy, milk and butter which is potentially one of the reasons behind the extremely low obesity rate. They drink lots of green tea which is full of nutrients and antioxidants, so improves brain function and helps with fat loss.





I personally like the idea of the French's long and sociable lunches as well as their consumption of red wine as a casual matter. I love sleep - especially naps during the day - so the Spanish tradition of taking a siesta would be enjoyed immensely. How about you? What tradition or variety of food from different countries would you enjoy?