Barley and Kale Salad with Pine Nuts and Cherries, the World’s Healthiest Country, and the Mediterranean Diet
The article started with this paragraph:
“Spain has many attractions —delicious cuisine, a balmy climate, sublime music and a fascinating history. And now it can add another accolade: it has just been named the healthiest country in the world.”
I thought it appropriate to share the recipe for this powerful salad, barley and kale salad with pine nuts and cherries, to accompany this news —I will explain why later.
The 2019 Bloomberg report, crunching numbers from the UN, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization, scored 169 nations on a range of factors from life expectancy to obesity, air quality and access to clean water, among others. The results showed that Spain was the number one ranked country as healthiest in the world. The list placed Italy in second place, followed by Iceland and Japan.
Image: Bloomberg
The ranking showed a correlation between health and wealth, with high income nations in Europe and the Pacific rim dominating the top of the table. But it went on to say that although income was a strong indicator, a glance at the list showed that there were clearly other factors that played, given that, for example, the US, where life expectancy has been dropping partly as a result of opioid overdoses and suicides, only ranked 35th on the list, in part due to a diet rich in processed foods and large portions. The US in fact ranked five places lower than significantly poorer Cuba, which has a long history of investment in publicly funded healthcare and emphasis on preventive medicine. The article mentioned the healthcare system as the most important factor in determining the health of a country, and more specifically how, rather than how much, money is spent on healthcare. Spain’s healthcare system is predominantly publicly funded by taxes, and operates on principles of universality, free access and financial fairness. Essentially, everyone is entitled to the same level of care no matter how much money they have. Its primary care is particularly praised, with specialized family doctors who provide preventative services, and who act as the gatekeepers to the health system. Spain’s spending per capita is actually below the OECD average, and just one third that of the US.
The second main factor mentioned in the article was the Mediterranean diet. Popular in Spain and Italy, the two highest ranked healthy countries in the world for 2019, the Mediterranean diet is plant-based, rich in nuts, fruit, fish and healthy grains, and also rich in fat, the healthy fat that is, that comes from olive oil —or liquid gold, as we like to call it in Spain. Numerous studies have shown that such a diet has many medical benefits, particularly with respect to heart disease and diabetes. The report also stated that by 2040, it is predicted that Spain will overtake Japan and boast the longest life expectancy in the world, with its inhabitants reaching nearly 86 years of age. Wow.
I thought it interesting to mention all those facts to support my advocacy for the Mediterranean diet. But what is the Mediterranean diet, anyway? The Mediterranean diet is the food and recipes eaten by those who live in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. This includes the countries of Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa, although the heart of the Mediterranean diet is often considered to be in Spain, Italy, and Greece, together with the islands in the Mediterranean. Even though the recipes vary widely from country to country, the base ingredients are the same. The Mediterranean diet, however, shouldn’t be hard to follow in non-Mediterranean countries. In fact, I do, even though I live in the US! —because the Mediterranean diet is not only the best diet in the world (according to US News and World Report) but it’s also the easiest diet to follow.
I will leave you with a short checklist of the Mediterranean diet, to get you started:
- It’s high in fat, 40% of the daily calories come from fat, but the majority of that fat comes from extra-virgin olive oil, rich in antioxidants.
- It’s a plant-based diet, rich in fruits and vegetables.
- The number one source of protein comes from beans, nuts and seeds.
- Whole grains are eaten every day in the Mediterranean, in the form of bread, pasta, or rice, with lots of vegetables and olive oil.
- Protein from fish is favored over that from meat (maybe because we have it in abundance!)
- A glass of wine with meals is a widespread custom.
- Above all, the Mediterranean diet is more than a gastronomic recommendation: it’s a way of life that involves preparing food traditionally and enjoying it with friends and family, in a calm and relaxed environment. This is why it has been awarded the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage designation.
The recipe I’m sharing today, barley and kale salad with pine nuts and cherries, clearly encompasses the elements of the Mediterranean diet: pine nuts (nuts), kale, basil, shallots, cherries, garlic and lemon (plants), barley (grain), and extra-virgin olive oil (fat). This lemony, green salad, is hearty enough to be eaten in small amounts, which is also the beauty of the Mediterranean diet: rich in fiber and rich in flavor. I hope you enjoy it!
KALE AND BARLEY SALAD WITH PINE NUTS AND CHERRIES
Ensalada de Col Rizada y Cebada con Piñones y Cerezas
Ingredients:
1 cup barley
5 cups kale, stems discarded
2 Tbs pine nuts
1 shallot
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup basil
3 garlic cloves
3 Tbs lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon)
2/3 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Cut the kale into very small pieces.
Fill a medium saucepan with water and add the barley. When it starts to boil, add 1 Tbs salt. Cook for 30 minutes or until al dente. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
Mince the shallot finely. In a small skillet, heat 2 Tbs olive oil and cook the shallot and the dried cherries, about 3 minutes. Add to the bowl with the barley.
In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over low heat, shaking the pan until golden, 3 or 4 minutes. Add to the bowl with the barley. In a food processor, add half of the kale, the basil, the garlic cloves and the lemon juice. Pulse until finely chopped. With the machine running at low speed, slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil, until smooth. Season with salt and pour over the barley mixture. Mix well and add the remaining chopped kale. Toss and serve.
