Nestlé Observatory of Nutritional Habits and Lifestyles

2023-05-26 08:45:02

Nutritional habits have evolved and changed a lot in Spain in the last decade. They eat more fruit for breakfast, tend to have a single dish at lunch and a light dinner

Photo courtesy of the Nestlé Observatory

This is reflected in the study of the Nestlé Observatory of Nutritional Habits and Family Lifestyle, which celebrates its 10th anniversary.

This work, which is presented within the framework of World Nutrition Day, May 28, has made a retrospective to verify and compare how we were and how we are at the table a decade later.

Nutritional habits: breakfast

54% have modified their breakfast. Although toast with coffee, milk or other alternatives to milk continue to be what Spaniards eat the most for breakfast (34%), fruit has already become the second option.

10 years ago, only 7% ate fruit at the first meal of the day, while now 20% do. This is the percentage previously obtained by cookies and pastries, which occupied second and third place in the ranking of usual breakfasts. Today only 14 percent of those surveyed opt for these foods.

“The Observatory reveals an important change, since more than half of Spaniards, 54 percent, say they have changed their breakfast nutritional habits in the last 10 years. For example, the bowl of yogurt with cereals and the toast with avocado burst into force. Its intake has more than doubled in the last decade,” says Laura González, head of Nutrition at Nestlé Spain.

Family breakfast/EFE

Nutritional habits: to eat, only one plate; the scantiest dinner

One in four Spaniards (25%) now opts for a single dish at noon, compared to the first and second courses of years ago.

The 25 percent who used to include meat at lunch very often today avoid it.

Along these lines, almost half (45%) claim to consume more vegetables than a decade ago and up to 35 percent claim to include more legumes.

At dinner, more than 20 percent who ate a traditional menu in the past now opt for something quick and light. Instead of dishes with a variety of foods, today they eat a more limited dinner: yogurt or fruit.

Dessert

As for dessert, fruit is the main option for 44% of those surveyed -13 points more than 10 years ago-, followed by natural yogurt, for which 14 percent choose, five points more than years ago.

On the contrary, if before about 20 percent chose a piece of cake or a pastry as the culmination of lunch or dinner, now only 8 percent maintain this nutritional habit.

“There are nutritional habits that are maintained -says Laura González-. It is the case of pecking. More than 30% ate between meals a decade ago and still do today. It is a very ingrained custom. In case of doing so, let’s opt for foods of high nutritional quality such as a handful of raw or roasted nuts, or fruit. Both are good options.”

Evolution of other foods

He Observatory offers more data.

• Four out of 10 Spaniards say they eat less bread than a decade ago.

• 34% say they now drink less milk than before.

• 10 years ago, three out of 10 ate lunch or dinner with other drinks. Now his main drink is water.

New habits for the planet and sustainability

• Today, 65% plan the purchase thus helping to avoid food waste.

• 44% order the pantry to control the expiration of the products.

• Now, four out of 10 respondents include recipes for use in their weekly menu.

Fruit provides a large amount of water to our body EFE/ Elisa Laderas