The Mediterranean diet

To The Daily Telegraph

We are adjured to adopt the Mediterranean diet and eat as healthily as Italians do. What is perplexing about this is that Italians, though they do indeed have the longest life expectancy in Europe, seldom embrace this diet themselves.

The Mediterranean diet, we are told, is rich in fruit, vegetables and fish, as well as nuts and pulses, wholemeal grains and olive oil. It also eschews meat and dairy. Yet an Italian’s typical breakfast comprises sticky pastries laden with forbidden sugar. Pizza and pasta are national dishes, but neither is a healthy option; the latter is made from the same ingredients as white supermarket bread. Fish is not a prominent feature of Italian cuisine, and most of it is frozen or farmed. Meat consumption includes a wide range of processed meats, such as prosciutto and salami, that are high in salt and saturated fat. Dairy includes many deservedly celebrated cheeses. That leaves olive oil and tomatoes, consumed by most Italians. The former is also a staple for much of the British middle class. So is it just the tomatoes, eaten in a far greater volume there than here, which give Italians stronger hearts and a longer life? Patrick Hickman-robertson, Eastbury, Berkshire

To The Daily Telegraph

No, it is not the tomatoes in the Italian diet that make the difference. I have lived in Italy for eight years. It is not “cakefilled”, like Britain. Ready meals hardly exist; it would be too shameful for Mama, who cooks all meals from scratch. Sandwiches over your desk at lunchtime are unheard of. They sit down at the table and eat a meal. They are not couch potatoes sitting in front of the television eating crisps and chocolate bars. Italians embrace every mealtime, with a knowledge of cooking. We could learn a lot from them. Diane Senior, Biella, Italy