Arabic Food: Delicious and Healthy

Arab cuisine is very rich and uses many fresh foods, low fat, herbs, spices, cereals and some types of meat such as beef, chicken and lamb. This “Arabian” wonder encompasses regional elements from countries such as Morocco, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, and influences from other cuisines such as Turkish and Indian. All this mixture resulted in delicious and also very healthy dishes.

It's hard for those who don't like Arabic dishes, such as tabbouleh, esfiha, roasted or fried kebab, kebabs, kaftas, grape leaf cigar and so many mouth-watering options found in most of the scattered Arab restaurants. for Brazil.

However, for those trying to restrict calories, it is necessary to resist so many delights or knowing how to dose the portions is possible to eat a little of everything? TodaEla gives some tips below for you to enjoy Arabic restaurant recipes with pleasure!

How to choose?

If you go to an Arab restaurant that has the service per pound, it is easier to balance the portions on the plate and usually you only go to the buffet once to serve yourself and also control the amount so as not to weigh too much in your pocket, correct?

For a la carte or fixed-price restaurants where you can eat freely, you may well overdo it. After all, who resists, is not it?

Eggplant, hummus, raw kibbeh, dried curd, kibbeh, beirut, esfihas, kaftas and lentil rice are the feast for the eyes and stomach. But calm down. You need not deprive yourself of all this. Between hot and cold dishes, there are several options for you to eat without fear of extrapolating calories and making the right choices.

Cold dishes

Generally, cold dishes are served as starters and already make fans of Arab food happy. There are several options between salads and pastas such as babaganuche, which is made of eggplant and is one of the least caloric items. See below some delights and the amount of calories:

  • Hummus: Chickpea paste is delicious, but it's also the most caloric of them: a 100g serving has about 313 calories. So consume in moderation. To go with it, try carrot and cucumber sticks and set aside the flatbread;

  • Babaganuche: The eggplant paste is super tasty and has only 83 calories per 100 gram serving;
  • Dry curd: another delicious and much more calorie tart than it looks: in 100 grams it has about 320 calories. In the same amount as fresh there are only 60 calories. So stick with the last one;
  • Tabbouleh: The dish made with tomatoes, cucumbers, wheat, onions, mint and spices has only 138 calories in each serving. In addition, it is an excellent source of fiber;

  • Fatuche: Similar to the tabbouleh, this salad has more lettuce and pieces of toasted flatbread. Each 100 gram serving has 160 calories;
  • Raw kebab: Made with raw ground beef and wheat, this dish is a good choice, not too caloric. Each 100 grams has about 142 calories.

Hot dishes

Arabic cuisine has a plethora of hot dishes made with vegetables, meat, chicken, wheat and many aromatic ingredients and spices. Below you can check the main and most popular dishes in the restaurants here in Brazil and their caloric amount:

  • Fried kebab: Although very tasty, it's fried, so it's best to stay away. A 100 gram fried kebab has about 250 calories, while its baked version has 180 calories;
  • Esfiha: Both the open and the meat-filled options average 130 calories. The stuffed version with vegetables low to 110 calories;
  • Kafta: This option is made with ground beef and over-seasoned. A 100 gram serving of kafta has 116 calories;

  • Stuffed Zucchini: One serving of 100 grams has 126 calories and is a good source of fiber;
  • Cigars: These are supersaudible and low-calorie options. The stuffed cigar made with grape leaf has about 100 calories per 100 grams, while the cabbage cigar has only 65 calories in the same serving;
  • Beirut: Prefer those that have the filling without mayonnaise or cheese that make the dish more caloric. In the restaurants you can find options of chicken, roast beef and turkey breast. The latter has, on average, about 450 calories;
  • Rice with lentils: This dish goes well with other menu options, such as cigarettes and kaftas. Each 100 gram serving has 193 calories;
  • Chicken with rice and almonds: Each 100 grams of this dish has about 250 calories.