WE ARE THE BIGGEST ICE CREAM EATERS IN SPAIN

THE Balearics is the champion ice cream eating region of Spain with each person eating nearly two-and-a-half times more than the rest of the Spanish population. On average, 19.9 litres of ice cream are eaten per person per year in the Balearics with the national average being just 8.3 litres per person, per year. However, according to the latest ice cream guide written by professor for nutrition at Barcelona University, Carmen Vidal, ice cream can play an important role in creating a balanced diet... when consumed in moderation that is. Professor Vidal, who presented the new guide, The White Book on Ice Cream, yesterday said that 100 grams of the highest calorie ice cream, such as those topped in chocolate, provides 15 percent of the necessary daily intake of calories. She said that ice cream has a very high calcium content and is a much better calcium provider than cakes and pastries. What is more, the profesor claims that the body benefits more from calcium in ice cream. She also said that there are less calories in a 100 gram milk-based ice cream than in a glass of full fat milk.
As the graphic shows, the Balearic population is literally litres ahead of the rest of Spain when it come to ice cream consumption. Surprisingly, in Andalucia, where the summers are often hotter and drier, ice creams do not appear that popular. On average, Spaniards eat ice cream three times a week with the biggest consumers being in the 16 to 25 age group.