How to Make Healthy Lebanese Food
Lebanese food is characterized by plenty of vegetables, lean meats, healthy grains, nutritional nuts and rich oils. As many people seek alternatives to fast food and heavy Western fare, healthy Lebanese food is becoming more popular, through restaurants and making recipes at home. It is considered by many to be one of the most healthful diets in the world. Learn how to make healthy Lebanese food and you won't sacrifice taste for calories. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Learn to make laban. This yogurt-like food is the basis for many Lebanese dishes and is made up of milk and yogurt cultures. It can be made salty or sweet and is used in a variety of dishes such as zucchini with laban, meat stew and laban or labneh (curdled milk).
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Use meat sparingly. Beef is hardly ever used in Lebanese cooking. Instead, lamb, goat and chicken are the meats of choice. Healthy dishes such as lamb bajeen, kibbeh nayyeh (mutton with onion), kibbeh kbeibat (meatballs) and kafta mishweh (skewered meat) are timeless meat entrees that are generally grilled or baked. Seafood is also very common in Lebanese cooking.
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Load up on nutritious vegetables and fruit. In Lebanon, cuisine evolved based on what fruits and vegetables were in season. The most popular vegetables in Lebanese cooking are cucumbers, olives, onions, tomatoes, garlic, chickpeas, lentils, spinach, eggplants and potatoes. Vegetables are traditionally eaten either pickled or raw, leaving in as much of the nutrients as possible. Fruits include lemons and lemon juice, dates and figs.
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Identify grains in Lebanese cooking. Many of the recipes typical to Lebanese cooking include healthy grains, such as ground wheat (burghul) and rice. PIta and marqoug are the traditional breads served with Lebanese meals. Butter and animal fat spreads are never used; instead, oils or vegetable spreads are put on these breads.
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Get familiar with some of Lebanon's most famous healthful dishes. Try out recipes for tabouleh (salad), fattoush (stuffed pita bread) and hummus (mashed chickpeas). Don't overlook falafel (spiced chickpea cakes) and stuffed grape leaves. For dessert, go with kaak b'halib (sweet cakes), baklava (sweet pastry) and mhallabiyeh (sweet cream rice). Eventually, you can work your way up to preparing the "mezze," which is 30 traditional Lebanese dishes served as a series of small dishes along with beverages, usually coffee and liquor.
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Tips & Warnings
Although Lebanese food is often lumped in the same category as other Middle Eastern foods, the cuisine of the country features several characteristics that make it healthier than most--less animal fats and more whole grains and raw vegetables.
