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Dietary Information Assessment for ICELAND

 

Dietary needs

Just like any other Country Iceland has a guideline for dietary needs for her citizen. The country uses a food circle that is divided into six categories:, cereals and cereal products, animal source foods, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and finally, oils and visible fats.

Some of the available food include

Simple plates. A lot of food is freshly produced and used. Less use of GMOs and fertilizers in food.
Lean meats such as lamb (sheep are free range in Iceland), and salmon.
Cod and salmon main types of fish for Icelanders.
Cattle are feed and finished by grass feed. Similarly, they have cheese and yoghurts.
Famous for hot springs- Blue Lagoon- collected for bottled water.
The hot springs are believed to have medicinal and health benefits to Icelanders.
Restaurants (fine dine) usually have a tasting menu for foreigners wishing to sample Iceland cuisine.
Cod liver oil and vitamin D rich supplements.
Odd offerings on menu of restaurants like dung smoked lamb and beef.
Skata- a meal of meats, liver, lamb cured in whey and has strong urea smell.
Traditional smoked rotten fish with strong ureic smell- taste is sour
Hakarl- a food widely sold made of rotten pieces of shark
Sur hvlur- a traditional Icelandic meal of whale blubber cured in sour milk
Brennivin- an alcoholic beverage served during celebratory occasions. The drink is however loosely translated as “black death.”
Beer is central to Icelandic culture, they drink a lot, most bars have frequent and long happy hours.
There is even an app for happy hour Reykjavik Appy Hour.
Beers cost at between 700-900 kroner, though cheaper in shops than at the bar.
Harofiskur- popular snack, like roadside hotdog but served with butter.

Common food safety best practices 

The country requires her citizen to practice food safety practices at all times by eating food that is well served and cooked. On the other hand, fruits and vegetables are to be washed thoroughly before being eaten and cooked

 

Concerns

Follow recommendation by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) on eating fish twice a week.
In traditional meals expect to find served – sheep wool, ram testicles, rotten fish, sheep heads
Very little sunlight in Iceland about 4 hours during winter.
Suggests tourists and locals substitute vitamin sunlight sources with cod liver oil and olive oil. Icelanders drink shots of olive oil.
Other sources readily available in Iceland, fatty fish like cod and salmon.

 

Limitations

Do not be surprised to see wild birds like puffins and horse on the menu.
Legal drinking age is at least 20 years.
Easy to have and order pizza, pasta and burgers-no culinary limits
No widespread use of peanuts in case of allergies.
Important to know own allergies in sea food and milk.
Tipping is not exactly customary.
Some restaurants will only accept credit or debit card payments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work Cited

“Iceland.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, http://www.fao.org/nutrition/education/food-dietary-guidelines/regions/countries/iceland/en/