Dining Out: Greek & Middle Eastern Cuisines
Restaurant-Specific Strategies
-- By SparkPeople
Characteristics:There’s more to Greek food than gyros, baklava and Greek salads. Many dishes include low-fat dips, but many desserts and pastries are loaded with fat. Overall, this is generally a healthy way to eat; even the higher calorie items are usually not that high compared to other cuisines.
Common Ingredients:
Olives and olive oils are a signature. Legumes (especially chickpeas), eggplant, okra, garlic, lamb, beef, and yogurt are very popular. Feta cheese is also a staple, especially in salads. Fresh meats, grains and vegetables dominate the menu.
Hidden Dangers:
- Take small portions of yogurt dressing, unless it’s low-fat.
- Feta cheese can be high in sodium.
- Falafel (vegetable patty made of fava beans and chickpeas) is a deep-fried favorite that is surprisingly full of fat.
- Hummus can be high in fat, depending on how it’s made. A quarter cup serving can pack 420 calories and 12 grams of fat, but it is also a good source of vegetarian protein.
- Watch for pan-fried dishes.
- High-fat salad ingredients include anchovies, kalamata olives and feta cheese.
- Spanakopita (spinach pie) may be small, but it has 290 calories and 21g fat
- Although these dishes are be high in fat, it’s the good kind, but you still need to watch your portions:
- Baba ghanoush (dip made with eggplant and olive oil)
- Tahini (ground sesame paste) is almost all fat
- Hummus
- Saganaki (thick kasseri cheese fried and flamed in brandy)
- Any pastry made with phyllo dough, which contains a lot of butter and oil
- Bechamel (rich white sauce)
- Baklava: 400 calories and 21g fat
- Moussaka: 350 calories and 22g fat
Healthy Finds:
- To boost fiber, look for dishes and soups with fava beans and other legumes.
- One skewer of Kafta has only 85 calories and 5g fat.
- Chicken or veggie shish kabobs
- Greek Salad
- Tabouli (bulgur mixed with tomatoes, parsley, mint, olive oil and lemon juice) has just 170 calories per 4-ounce serving
- Dolmas (stuffed vegetables, such as peppers, cabbage leaves, eggplant or squash)
- Couscous (steamed wheat cereal)
- Pilafs (rice dishes)
- Midya Dolma (rice-stuffed mussels)
- Yalanji Yaprak (rice-stuffed grape leaves)
- Lah Me June (Armenian pizza)
- Bulgur (cracked wheat)
- Plaki (fish broiled with tomato sauce and garlic)
- Pita Bread, especially whole wheat pitas
- Tzatziki (creamy yogurt and cucumber dressing/dip)
The Big Tip:
Any menu item that contains the word “lathera” means that it is cooked in lots of olive oil.
Substitution Ideas:
| Try This |
Skip That |
| Gelati | Baklava |
| Tzatziki | Olive oil for dipping |
| Appetizers stuff with rice |
Appetizers stuffed with meat |
| Roast lamb shish kabob |
Moussaka (lamb/beef casserole) |
| Chicken pita sandwich |
Gyro |
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