The Mediterranean diet, where vegetables, fruit, fish and olive oil are the protagonists, is known for its various health benefits. Spain’s life expectancy is the second highest of the world’s countries, and there’s no doubt that the typical Mediterranean diet found in areas like Barcelona contributes greatly to the country’s lengthy life span. Spain has consistently been one of the main exporters of a variety of agricultural and livestock products, which are grown and raised in good health and in high global demand for their quality. In Barcelona, a large amount of the population eats very well thanks to the accessibility of healthy products such as produce, as well as the quality of the city’s markets, which are major providers of basic, fresh and essential foods. Today in this article from ShBarcelona we will talk about shopping in the variety of markets in the Ciudad Condal.
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Barcelona’s markets – an excellent option for healthy eating
Photo by perceptions (creative break) via VisualHunt
The markets in Barcelona have developed from alternative shopping areas into central meeting places for neighborhoods throughout the city, creating a community of vendors and buyers where the latter learns to trust in the former through regular visits to their stalls to buy their products. Some vendors acquire their products from Mercabarna, while others receive them from local farms and ranches or even their own farms. All in all, the locally-focused and community-centered system of markets in Barcelona means that the food is high quality and locally produced.
In the face of the increasing boom of large supermarkets, local markets offer buyers benefits including proximity, quality and trusted relationships with vendors. Markets are also plugging into areas that are in need of a local food source. Recently, markets are also tackling the issue of parking and accessibility to their locations. While previously it was understandable for most people to prefer to complete their shopping in large supermarkets where they can park their car and load it up after a large shopping trip, markets in Barcelona are now this problem by offering parking close to their locations. Markets are also adjusting to new technologies that make shopping and payment as easy as in a large grocery store. There are also cases where you can go to the market to view and select products and then ask vendors to deliver them to your home.
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Photo by Ronel Reyes via VisualHunt
Barcelona’s markets also do a great job of promoting their products and encouraging healthy life habits. They also liven up traditional parties when it comes to completing food shopping needed to fulfill the most rooted traditions and recipes, something that can continue to tie the bonds of the culture and idiosyncrasies of a society. Lastly, the Ayuntamiento de Barcelona is designating funds to rehabilitate and modernize the old market spaces in the city in order to keep the areas usable and continue to attract young residents and newcomers. If you want to know where to find the markets closest to your home, you can view the map provided on the Ayuntamiento website.
*Main photo by Paco CT via VisualHunt
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