Nutrition in Morocco

Since I teach about nutrition I was particularly struck by the healthiness of the traditional Moroccan diet. People eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and fried and highly processed foods are rare. Since the Moroccans live in a temperate climate, cooks have fresh produce and milk available all year and no need to resort to cheeses, canned foods, jams and the preserved fruits of pastries. Our meals began with a wide selection of fresh salads. Our deserts were usually oranges, clementines and apples. American food preferences are having their effects, however. In the smallest towns on the edge of the Sahara we saw signs in store windows advertising coca cola. We even met a camel who had learned to chug bottles of coke. Sadly, along with cokes have come increased rates of diabetes and high blood pressure.
-Carol Lauer, Department of Anthropology