Craving Lebanese Food? Here's How to Order Healthy and Skip the Calories

While social distancing, one thing that will certainly cheer you up is food. We are sure, you have ordered takeaways and binged to your heart’s content and are now wondering how to shed the bulge. But then what do you do about cravings that strike unannounced? Before you delete food ordering apps from your phone in an attempt to cut down on calories, let us tell you that you can still order without piling on weight. How? Simple, choose wisely, balance out dishes and dig into healthy food. So if you are craving for Lebanese food, do know that is generally considered to be one of the healthiest in the world thanks to the popular high-protein dips, grilled meats and salads. However, not all Lebanese food is healthy. There are many high-fat options as well, especially those that are lamb-based or have butter in them.

To help you navigate the menu and order healthy options, we list some expert-approved tips below.

Order hummus with a side of olive oil

Jitendra Chouksey, the founder of FITTR (SQUATS), an online fitness platform that provides professional assistance for people’s fitness and health goals, says, “Hummus is incomplete without a generous drizzle of Olive Oil. But did you know that each gram of fat contains 9 calories? Ask the restaurant to hold the oil. Instead, get them to pack the oil separately so that you can add as much (or as little) as you want.”

When it comes to dips, go for Babaganoush

If you didn’t know calories hide very well inside dips. So play it safe by ordering Babaganoush,  a creamy eggplant dip that tastes like it contains mayo, but is actually made from eggplants, tahini sauce (made from sesame) and olive oil.

Fill up with Tabbouleh

One of the most popular salads in Lebanese cuisine is also one of the healthiest. It is made of chopped parsley, tomatoes, scallions, bulgur wheat and seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice. Bulgur which gives the salad a crunchy texture contains 8 grams of fibre per cooked cup, so it will keep you satiated for long.

Watch out for falafel and kibbeh

Falafel is made of ground chickpeas but is deep fried. So eat a few, don’t go overboard. Kibbeh is made from ground meat and bulgur and then deep fried. “Choose falafel over kibbeh if you are watching calories. Some restaurants have baked falafel and kibbeh too, check before placing your order,” says Jitendra.

Stay away from shawarma

Yes, we understand your love for shawarma, but if you don’t know it usually contains the fattier cut of meat (lamb, beef or chicken) and is cooked in generous amount of fat. It also contains high calorie sauces and wrapped in pita bread.