Healthy food habits from around the WORLD

Give your diet a boost this summer by enjoying these nutritious foods from across the globe

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Eating at hotel buffets and cosy tavernas often means experimenting with new cuisines, which can be ideal for good gut health. ‘Not only does it diversify our microbes, it increases our consciousness around food, and this has been shown to lead to less overeating,’ says nutritionist Sophie Thurner. If you’re not going away, head to your local supermarket, fishmongers or butchers and sample foods from these diverse destinations.

Japan

A Japanese diet – low in fat, high in grains, bean products, tofu, miso, vegetables and fish – can reduce early death by 15%, found scientists in Tokyo. ‘Meals consist of small plates of different dishes,’ says Sophie. ‘This increases the variety of food taken in a meal. The Japanese diet is associated with a lower risk of cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.’

Green tea contains the highest amounts of amino acid L-theanine, which is thought to ease stress and improve sleep.

✱ TRY Hampstead Organic Pure Green Tea (£3 for 20 sachets, Ocado).

Scandinavia

The typical Nordic diet contains very few processed items, but plenty of seafood, seeds (chia, pumpkin, sesame) and pulses (beans, lentils, peas). This could be why obesity levels in Sweden and Norway are around half of those in the UK. ‘There are many reasons why Scandinavians are not fat, and diet is one of the main ones,’ says Trine Hahnemann, author of