Healthy options during World Tapas Day: Try these four tapas to boost your vision

AHEAD of World Tapas Day, the tapas with the best properties for maintaining healthy eyes have been identified.

Celebrated on the third Thursday of June – this year June 15 – World Tapas Day is dedicated to honouring perhaps Spain’s best-loved culinary tradition.

And while they can often involve a staple of fried food, they are of course part of the legendarily long-living Mediterranean diet.

And the four most beneficial tapas for healthy vision? Well, it won’t be too much of a sacrifice to add these two your diet: Pimientos de Padron (fried green peppers), espinacas con garbanzos (spinach and chickpeas), boquerones en vinagre (little fish in vinegar) and gazpacho and salmorejo (cold soup).

tito tapas pimientas padron — Pimientos de Padron contains the all-important Vitamin C

Pimientos de Padron are a good source of vitamin C, which is essential for maintaining healthy blood vessels in the eyes and may help prevent cataracts

Spinach is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that help protect the eyes from age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

Chickpeas are also a good source of zinc, which supports eye health.

Boquerones provide a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation and support healthy retinal function.

Tomatoes in gazpacho contain lycopene, an antioxidant that may help protect the eyes from oxidative stress and reduce the risk of developing age-related eye diseases.

andalusian gazpacho — Andalucian gazpacho – this has been hailed for containing lycopene, an antioxidant that may help protect the eyes from oxidative stress and reduce the risk of developing age-related eye diseases

Lisa James from Specsavers Opticas in Guardamar said: “Eating a well-balanced diet is great for your health and some foods can also benefit your eyes and vision.

“When choosing eye-healthy foods, look for foods with vitamin A, C and E, Zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

“These include; red peppers, leafy green vegetables, oily fish, nuts and seeds, citrus fruits and berries, eggs, carrots and other orange-coloured fruits and vegetables, beans and peas and whole grains.”

Wise words for when chowing down your favourite tapas this Thursday – for those who wear glasses and those who don’t want to need to wear glasses.

READ MORE: