Know Your Mid-East Food

Middle Eastern food is well known for being healthy and tasty. With the recent increase in interest for healthy foods and greater health, many people have turned to Middle Eastern foods. Cat Cora offers some wonderful recipes for Middle Eastern foods that are original and delicious. While there are many foods that are beneficial to our bodies from this area of the World, there are some foods that have hidden calories, salt, and sugars. There are also a few foods that are just plain bad for your body. Don't let the words "Middle Eastern" fool you when dining out or following a recipe. Read on to learn about five foods from the Middle East that are not healthy.

French Fry Sandwiches are a popular street food among the cities in the Mid-East. Fries with lemon juice are placed in a pita and enjoyed as a fast food. You will also find rich sauces in these sandwiches that can be high in fat. Of course, this is a food that is not advertised as healthy by any definition. Fries in a sandwich may sound enticing to some, but think of the arteries that are so upset by this food choice before taking a bite!!

Tahini sauce is used to enhance the flavor of many Middle Eastern foods. It is a rather simple recipe that consists of sesame seed paste (Tahini), garlic, salt, and lemon juice. There is a lot of hidden fat in this sauce and depending on the amount of sale used; there can also be high sodium content. With 79% of calories coming from fat with only a 2 Tablespoon serving size, you can easily rack up the fat when spreading this on pitas or using as a dip, as many do. There are 12 Grams of Fat per 2 Tablespoon serving; the danger of fat overload is high. You can find the nutrition information here.

Hummus is a food that seems to have exploded upon the Western civilization in recent years. This can be a very nutritious snack when used as a vegetable dip. Every 1 ounce serving has 50 calories and 2 grams of fat. However, there is 68 grams of sodium, based in using very little seasoning in your recipe. You can find this information here. There are many reports of hummus having very high protein content; however, there is a measly 1 gram of protein per serving. With 6 grams of carbohydrates in this recipe, it should not be paired with pita bread or other carbohydrate as a snack. Eating so many carbohydrates will cause a sugar spike later and is not healthy for diabetics.

Moussaka is a dish from Greece that seems to have found increasing popularity with famous chefs such as Cat Cora now teaching Americans how to cook. This can be a wonderful, healthy, and delicious meal. However, using JUST the basics you will find a lot of sodium in your dish. One cup of Moussaka will give you 237 calories, not too bad. But there is 432 grams of sodium and 49% of the calories are from fat. Find this information here. Look for an alternative recipe that has the same basic ingredients with healthier options when creating this yummy dish.

Finally, many Middle Eastern recipes use red meats. Substituting tofu, poultry, or vegetables can work in many of the recipes. However, the taste sometimes is compromised and the need for salt or other unhealthy additions may be added. Be careful to monitor the amount of red meat consumed per week, as well as the additions of seasonings and other ingredients that may not add any healthy calories to your dish.

Middle Eastern food can be delicious and is typically very healthy for you. By educating yourself on the ingredients used, including the seasonings, you can make healthy choices that are tasty and satisfying.