The health benefits of a Spanish diet

Mediterranean cuisine, which heavily influences Spanish cooking, is widely regarded as the most healthy, balanced diet you can adopt. It emphasises on fresh ingredients and bold flavours, all associated with numerous health and well-being benefits, that include a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and improved longevity.  When ‘healthy recipes, healthy diets, low fat and vitamins and minerals’ are talked about, the recommendation is always to follow the foods we associate with the sun and our holidays – which is when we come home revitalised. 

Why are the ingredients in Spanish cooking so good? Here are some facts about the benefits they bring to our bodies:

Paprika: Known to be a rich source of vitamins and minerals, Paprika has been claimed to have potential health benefits like weight loss, digestion improvement, blood pressure reduction, and brain function improvement and is used as an alternative to salt.

Olive oil: Is high in antioxidants as well as minerals such as potassium, calcium and iron, as well as vitamins E and K. Olive oil has been the focus of numerous health studies, and experts continue to find new and impressive health benefits. Consider it liquid gold for your body.

Whole grains: Switching to whole-grain bread, cereals and pasta, as well as other whole grains, such as bulgur, barley and farro. You can get 1 ounce from a slice of bread, a cup of ready-made cereal, or half a cup of cooked rice or pasta. Whole wheat, rice and oats are a great source of fibre for sustained energy.

Bomba rice: Bomba rice is a rich source of complex carbohydrates, which is essential for healthy digestion and release of energy. Along with that, it has several vitamins and the presence of iron and manganese. It is a great base for dishes and can give you a fast, one pot meal making it a quick and easy ingredient for any meal.

Legumes: The legume family includes foods such as lentils, beans and peas.  

Brown lentils stay firm, making them an easy replacement for black beans in burgers and soups. Green lentils are especially good in salads.

A little goes a long way when it comes to the health benefits of lentils. One-half cup of cooked lentils contains 140 calories and 12 grams of protein.  

Getting started can be difficult, so we’ve put a few recipes together which include some of these key ingredients.

Recipe 1: Spanish lentil stew with smoked chorizo

Recipe 2: Arroz Negro