Shopping for food ... vegetables

The Mediterranean diet is good for us with its fish, rice, vegetables etc.  - leads to a healthy heart say the     " medical  experts " and we should all be following this diet.  Have these experts actually lived in Spain and shopped for food I ask ? 

I doubt it !

Spain does not abound in a large variety of fresh produce : that we have found from personal experience. 

"Local produce " is cheaper than in the UK  and plentiful in the supermarkets and in the weekly markets - however there is the clue - local - . All the food is grown locally and sold locally - if it's not seasonal then you can not buy it - thus restricted choice ! Unlike the UK -  food does not seem to be imported from all corners of the world . ( Some supermarkets are actually now importing British and German processed food - for the expats - but this usually is sold at highly inflated prices )

Makes being a vegan or a vegetarian very difficult in Spain !!

Quality of food purchased can vary greatly - here I am talking about vegetables - they can often start to rot just a few days after purchase .

Give me Bury Market in Lancashire any day for a good supply of vegetables from around the world - expensive yes but much more choice and far better quality. Whether  this will always be I'm not sure - different experts are now telling us that food will be getting more expensive and less available in the  " developed nations "