The best tapas dishes to enjoy for healthy eyes

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specsavers femalefocusonline june23 foodFOR World Tapas Day (June 15), Specsavers Ópticas are celebrating the best Spanish tapas dishes that not only taste good, but also contain properties which can benefit the health of your eyes.


Lisa James from Specsavers Ópticas in Guardamar comments, ‘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.’[1]

Top Tapas for Healthy Eyes

Here are four tapas dishes that provide lots of these eye healthy ingredients and are perfect to enjoy on World Tapas Day.

  1. Pimientos de Padrón: They are a good source of vitamin C, which is essential for maintaining healthy blood vessels in the eyes and may help prevent cataracts.
  1. Espinacas con garbanzos: This dish combines spinach and chickpeas - a winning combination for your eyes. 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.
  1. Boquerones en vinagre: These provide a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation and support healthy retinal function.
  1. Gazpacho and Salmorejo: Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that may help protect the eyes from oxidative stress and reduce the risk of developing age-related eye diseases.
  2. Andalusian Gazpacho

    Here is a recipe for a classic tapas dish that includes a variety of eye-healthy foods and is easy to make at home. This dish is packed with vitamins and antioxidants that can benefit eye health, and of course, it’s delicious too!

    This recipe combines tomatoes which are a great source of the antioxidant lycopene. Studies have shown that this helps protect against age-related macular degeneration and cucumber, which is rich in vitamin C and caffeic acid. This can help reduce inflammation and promote eye health. The peppers, garlic, olive oil, wholewheat bread, parsley and coriander all contain vitamins and minerals which are essential to good vision, so why don’t you give it a try?

    Ingredients:

    • 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped (about 500g)
    • 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped (about 250g)
    • 1 red bell pepper, chopped (about 150g)
    • 1 green bell pepper, chopped (about 150g)
    • 1 small red onion, chopped (about 100g)
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 30ml extra-virgin olive oil
    • 30ml red wine vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
    • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 475ml water
    • 1 slice of wholemeal bread, toasted
    • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, chopped

    Directions:

    1. In a blender, combine the chopped tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, red onion, and garlic. Blend until smooth.
    2. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sea salt, black pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, and water to the blender. Blend again until all ingredients are well combined.
    3. Add the toasted bread to the blender and blend until the soup becomes thick and creamy.
    4. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
    5. Serve the chilled soup with fresh parsley and coriander leaves on top.

    Specsavers Ópticas is passionate about protecting the eye health of their customers and offers a free, comprehensive eye test, which checks both the health of the eye, as well as the vision. There are six stores on the Costa Blanca, in Javea, Calpe, Benidorm, Torrevieja, Guardamar and La Zenia. You can find more information about eye health on their website www.specsavers.es

 

[1] https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/ss/slideshow-eyes-sight-food