Is the Mexican diet healthier than the Mediterranean diet?

According to the UNAM portal, Nutrition and Health, the consumption of processed foods in Mexico and other Latin American countries is 6 tons per capita. This is a shocking figure, especially in our country, where the cuisine is acclaimed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage not only for the quality of its dishes but also for the vastness of its gastronomic culture.We Mexicans love to eat well and a lot, but do we like to eat right? The Mexican diet has evolved too much over the centuries. We are the story of many stories that include wars, migrations, exiles, free trade agreements, and even love between souls from different geographies. Centuries ago, the Mexican diet was based on what grew in the milpa, the mountains, or the nearby ecosystem; animal protein was almost celebratory; there were rabbits, dogs, deer, and even some insects that are now considered superfoods. The source of our proteins was primarily plant-based, mainly with beans, amaranth, and for a few, cacao, a ceremonial drink. Of course, there was always room for spicy food, for our chilies rich in vitamin C and zinc. Currently, industrialized foods and fast food are easily accessible, to the point that there is a danger they may become part of the usual diet of Mexicans. Junk food has integrated into the lives of the population due to accessibility and marketing strategies that skew preferences. To this, Jennifer Asencio, a clinical nutrition specialist, suggests preferring the snacks made by the lady on the corner – let’s think of corn quesadillas without frying, with strips, ricotta, and salsa, made with ingredients straight from the milpa – over a packaged bread or fried chicken that was born, grew, developed, and died in a factory. Raquel Lobatón, an inclusive nutrition specialist, states that there is no bad or good diet considering that the primary function of food is survival. However, eating enough of something will bring us closer to having more or less health. In essence, the diet of Mexicans or any other individual from another country is marked by access to food, meaning how feasible it is to obtain a certain ingredient. Thus, it seems crazy that governments, doctors, social media, and society demand to standardize the diet of a population of nearly 129 million. No. It is impossible for us all to eat the same because our basal expenditure and physical activity are different, our ecosystems are diverse, and sadly, the income levels are too variable. “It is to a certain extent racist or colonialist to say that there are better diets than others based on regions.” What is true is that many of the diets we are asked to adopt involve Eurocentric ingredients, such as those in the Mediterranean diet, and not necessarily those that are affordable or easy to obtain. We must not forget that local foods are cheaper, fresher, contain fewer preservatives, and their consumption implies a smaller carbon footprint due to the proximity of their distribution. Raquel asserts that dominant hegemonic cultures are the ones that dictate what constitutes “the proper nutrition,” as if there were a single way to achieve it. Eating olives or blue or fatty fish, cooking every fry with excellent olive oil, making artichoke, asparagus, and caper salads every Tuesday is not accessible for the general population. “If something is not accessible to a person, then it is not proper nutrition. It would be unfair because most Mexicans do not have access to foods like these omega-rich fish, such as salmon or fresh tuna,” says Raquel.At what point did corn stop being nutritious for society? Which government traded our delicious tortillas for bread? Why is artichoke better than nopal? Nutritionally, it is not. Corn, a fruit of America, is a carbohydrate with only 83 calories per 100 grams and is rich in minerals and vitamins such as B1, B3, folic acid, vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc. Great attributes are found in our quelites, rich in iron; zucchini, beans, nopal, chayotes, combined and seasoned as only we know how, result in a plate of good Mexican food that has nothing to envy from those of other continents. Do you remember that our gastronomy is also a UNESCO heritage?Nutritionist Jennifer Asencio states that “Mexican food has a great amount of colors, flavors, textures, but above all, it is nutritious!” And this is worth emphasizing. Mexican food goes beyond snacks or delicious chiles en nogada. The diversity of vegetables that only grow in our country, as well as fruits, provide us with a unique pantry with great nutritional value.A recommended nutrition requires varying foods, as this offers the opportunity to cover the vitamin and mineral needs of the body. In the Mexican diet, this variation is provided by nature. There are seasons that provide us with the fruits and vegetables our bodies require at each moment of the year. Additionally, we have incorporated ingredients that, while not endemic, such as rice, lentils, and potatoes, are of good nutritional quality, and when cooked in balance are quite healthy. Raquel recommends not to demonize any ingredient or dish, not even snacks or tacos. The dose is what makes the poison, so even discussing flours, sugars, and fats in a measured and conscious way is part of a healthy emotional diet. Urban living makes it almost impossible to eat 100% organic ingredients unless one is in a privileged situation. One cannot eat salmon with asparagus seven times a week because it is expensive, because there is a significant carbon footprint involved, and because the lack of dietary diversity is also not recommended. The Mediterranean diet is healthy, of course, but the Mexican diet is too. The great diversity of endemic ingredients combined with meats like turkey –native to North America–, trout, chicken, or even rabbit, result in delicious, nutritious, and economically sustainable dishes. “We just need to know how to choose the foods: that they are not cooked with too much oil, nor too much sugar, nor battered in flour. It’s better to prefer egg for battering,” recommends nutritionist Jennifer.The region dictates the food culture, and that food culture was born from what nature has organically gifted it, with all its wisdom. Everything else –culinary globalization– is an entertaining, enriching, and fabulously fun phenomenon to try when the opportunity arises. In terms of health, the Mexican soil provides us just and abundantly with what we need.