Recent dietary changes in Portugal

The Mediterranean diet is said to be so healthy... but it is changing, and soon we will have the same obesity problems in Portugal as they have in the USA and the UK...

And still people tell me "You are vegetarian? You must be very carefull to have a balanced diet". Being vegetarian is not equivalent to having a balanced diet, sure, but eating meat isn't a precodnition or a synonym of balanced diet either!

A study by INE (2006) comparing per capita food intake between 1990 and 2003 revealed that the consumption of meat and dairy products increased significantly, while Portuguese diet is now deficient in fruits, vegetables and pulses. The importance of cereals in the diet increased at the expense of potatoes and other tubercles. Potato consumption decreased 37% and was substituted mainly by rice and pasta (refined stuff with little nutritional value).

The Portuguese consume now 3 times more proteins derived from meat, fish and eggs than the daily recommended guideline, while the amount of vegetables corresponds only to about half of the recommended amount.

The excessive meat consumption is especially worrying because meat production consumes so much energy and produces so much environmental degradation and animal suffering (industrial meat production). Watch http://www.themeatrix.com/

The amount of meat consumed increased especially regarding pork (61% increase in daily per capita consumption) and poultry (45% increases). The amount of dairy products in the diet increased as well in the period between 1990 and 2003.

The overall consumption of alcoholic beverages decreased, because wine consumption diminished by 25% (less children may be fed with sopa de cavalo cansado/"soup of the tired horse" now, which is positive). The consumption of refrigerants and juices increased to 29% of daily liquid intake. Bottled water consumption increased 123% and consumption of refrigerants increased 89% (Coke will have it's share...).

Caloric intake reached 3793 Kcal per day in 2003, an increase by 6% in relation to 1990, this exceeds the recomended amount of energy intake, while daily energy expenditure certainly decreased during the last decade, as we are becoming increasingly sedentary skyscrap-cavern dwellers.

The diet related health epidemic is underway! Bon apetit...

Data from: www.ine.pt "Balança alimentar Portuguesa" (2006)