Lebanese Restaurant

It's posible to eat a very healthy meal at a Lebanese restaurant, though you're going to have to toss away part of a meal combination if you want to go really low calorie. One of the best things about Lebanese food is the use of good olive oil as the only oil. I have also found the meats used to be universally lean and flavorful.

Some healthy items:

Taboulleh - Lebanese taboulleh is an especially healthy version - almost all parsley with very little wheat.

Fattoush - a tomato, cucumber and lettuce salad with a vinegarette dressing

Kabobs - chicken kabobs provide the protein

Lentil soup - always delicious, the Lebanese versions tend to have good vegetables as well

Hummus and dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) are less nutritious than these other items, but can be eaten in small quantities. I often dip my fork or spoon in hummus and then in the taboulleh. The combination is really great.

Things not to eat:

Rice - not enough nutrients to make it worth the calories
Pita - same problem
Falafel - fried in oil, these are too high calorie and no doubt full of acrylimides
Kibbeh - if they weren't fried, these might be okay

Full service Lebanese restaurants often serve very healthy main dishes. A commonly available one that is a good CR choice is Sapanekh - spinach and lamb. Okra, tomato and meat stews are often available. Look for meat and vegetable stew combos that don't mention oil and when you get them, skip all or most of the rice.