UNIT

3 The longer read

What to eat or not to eat?

All around the world, different countries take pride in their cuisine: Spanish tapas, Mexican tacos, Turkish Kofte
… but which diets are the healthiest? The general consensus seems to be that the Mediterranean diet is the
best. However, the Nordic and West African diets are close behind. So, let’s find out their health secrets.

The Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean covers a lot of countries including Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey, so
there are a wide variety of dishes. However, in general this diet has lots of fresh fruit
and vegetables like melon and oranges, tomatoes, olives and salad. People also eat
cereals, nuts and legumes, along with a good amount of fish and dairy products,
but less meat. This diet uses a lot of olive oil for cooking and as a salad dressing.
Olive oil is thought to help protect the heart. Famous dishes include lemon chicken and tabouli,
a salad made with finely chopped vegetables and bulgur wheat with lime juice and, of course, olive oil.

The Nordic diet

The Nordic countries include Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. As a result of
the cold climate, this diet contains a lot of fresh berries and root vegetables like carrots
and squash, which are rich in beta carotene. Beta carotene is the main source of vitamin A,
which is important for normal growth and healthy skin and also aids your immune system.
People eat some meat and dairy products, but they eat more oily fish such as herring. Rye
bread is also a staple ingredient in this diet. Its high-fibre content is beneficial because it
releases energy slowly, helping you feel full for longer. Famous dishes include rollmop which
are raw, rolled, pickled herrings and meatballs with lingonberries, a local fruit.

West African diet

West Africa also covers a large area, including countries such as Chad, Senegal and
Sierra Leone. This diet contains a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables like guava and
mangoes, okra and leafy greens, as well as nuts and yams. Yams are a tuber vegetable
that are full of antioxidants and are a good source of potassium. People also eat a lot of
wholegrain foods like rice and maize and also smoked and dried fish. These types of food are
high in fibre and rich in omega-3 which can help reduce the risk of heart disease. People usually only eat meat on
special occasions. Famous dishes include jollof rice and groundnut (peanut) stew.
What can we learn from these diets? They all contain a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, more fish and less meat.
In addition, these diets include a lot of freshly cooked dishes rather than processed foods and few sugary treats.
These diets are based on food that is grown locally, so certain fruits and vegetables will only be available when
they’re in season.
Based on this information, my advice is that you should eat more plant-based foods and use fresh ingredients to
cook. You shouldn’t eat so much meat and you should cut out sugary snacks. You can also help the environment
by eating locally grown food rather than food imported from other countries or continents.

Eat seasonally! This gives you a good excuse to enjoy your favourite fruit when it’s in season.
Top I’m looking forward to strawberry season: strawberry smoothies, homemade strawberry ice cream,
tip maybe even a strawberry salad!

Influence 3 · © Macmillan Education Limited 2020 · Your Influence B1

 UNIT
3 The longer read
1 Look at the pictures and skim the article
quickly. What is the text about? Which
three geographical areas does it focus on?
Match the pictures with the correct regions
in the text.
2 Read the article and choose the
correct option.
1 The Mediterranean diet includes fresh
fruit and vegetables such as
a melon, tomatoes and olives.
b apples, tomatoes and potatoes.
c oranges, olives and mushrooms.
2 The Mediterranean diet uses a lot of olive
oil which people believe
a helps you to lose weight.
b protects the heart.
c is good for the immune system.
3 The Nordic diet contains a lot of berries
and root vegetables because they
a need warm, wet climates to grow well.
b keep the skin healthy.
c grow well in cold weather.
4 Rye bread is a useful food because
a it makes you feel full quickly.
b it releases energy slowly so you don’t
feel hungry quickly.
c it’s full of vitamins and minerals.
5 Okra, yams and leafy greens are
a vegetables in the West African diet.
b fruit and vegetables in West Africa.
c vegetables in the Mediterranean diet.
6 Yams are an important source of
a beta carotene.
b potassium.
c vitamin A.
7 The advice in the article says
a you should cut out meat and fish and
you shouldn’t eat so many snacks.
b you should eat more meat and fish and
less sugary snacks.
c you should eat more fresh fruit and
vegetables and less processed food.
Influence 3 · © Macmillan Education Limited 2020 · Your Influence B1
Subskill: Understanding new words
Look at the structure of the word as it
might have a prefix or suffix that helps.
Finally, use the context to give you some
idea what the word might mean.
3 Use the clues to help find the italicised
words in the text that match definitions 1–6.
• 
prefix bene- means well
• 
prefix im- can be used to mean in
• 
-ed suffix shows word is a verb in past
tense or adjective
1 food that is cut into pieces
2 when a product is brought into a country
for sale
3 good for something
4 when chemicals are added to food to
keep it fresh longer
5 an idea that most people agree with
6 to be soaked in vinegar for a period of
time
4 Word work  Complete the sentences with
the underlined words in the text.
1 In Mexico, mangoes are usually
in the summer.
2 The helps the body to fight
off illness.
3 Olive oil is a ingredient in
the Mediterranean diet.
4 I made a beef which
I cooked for a few hours with vegetables.
5 is the opposite of cooked.
6 are important because
they help cleanse the body of
harmful substances.
5 Answer the questions for you.
1 What are some staple foods in your own
diet? Are they healthy? Why/Why not?
2 Which diet would you choose? Why?