Spain: A country with a passion for eating out

Over three quarters of Andalusians visit the local bars at least once a week and around seven per cent do so every day according to a joint study conducted by Madison Market Research and The Spanish Society of Dietetics and Food Sciences (SEDCA). 

The reason for all this dining outdoors is due at least in part to the tapas culture of eating little and often. Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food show that last year €34,539.32 was spent on food and drink consumed outside of the home.  

According to SEDCA eating in bars and restaurants does not necessarily represent bad eating habits as it is often thought. In fact SEDCA commend eating out as long as the food is good quality and not too rich in calories and fats. It also depends on what is on offer at what time as some fatty foods are best consumed earlier in the day. 

Of course dietary advice goes hand in hand with exercise so SEDCA also recommend an active lifestyle which they suggest can be achieved by walking as much as possible. 

Responsible alcohol use is another key component in keeping a healthy diet and as beer is the most popular lunchtime tipple, SEDCA recommends hydrating with pure water before and after any alcohol intake.