Nutrition and gastronomy in Canarias

Abstract

Objectives: part of the cultural and social identity of a population is its gastronomy. Currently, the extensive offering of processed meals, the influence from different cuisines, and "fashionable trends" (such as the various "foodie" trends) has led to confusion amongst consumers and the abandonment of traditional recipes. Deep dive in the study of gastronomy, its evolution and the nutritional consequences. Methods: bibliographic search in relation to the subject in Google and other manual searches. Results: the gastronomy of the Canarian Community is characterized by its sobriety and by having simple recipes, with dishes made with few ingredients. The consumption of food per capita stands above the national average. They consume more non-alcoholic beverages (mineral water, juices and soft drinks), dairy products and derivatives, oils and fats, legumes, sugars and sweets, however the consumption of fruits and vegetables is slightly lower than the national average. Other food groups remain around the national average. As a result, this change in their dietary habits, together with physical inactivity has favoured an increase in obesity and diabetes. Conclusions: the link between nutrition, gastronomy and territory can help alleviate the health problems derived from poor food choices in the Canary Islands.