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Is Lebanese Food Healthy? | The Benefits of a Lebanese Diet

tabbouleh

It’s a common question, is Lebanese Food Healthy? Traditional Lebanese food is well known for being delicious; however, it is also a fantastic choice for those looking for a healthy food option. Here we take a brief look at a few of the many reasons why Lebanese cuisine is among the world’s healthiest, so if you care about your health prepare to meet your new favourite food.

is Lebanese food healthy
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The health benefits of staple Lebanese ingredients such as chick peas have been well known since ancient times, and classics dishes such as hommus and falafel showcase their healthy qualities to the fullest.

 

Fresh ingredients

Lebanese cuisine has always utilised fresh local ingredients, ensuring that you get the maximum nutritional benefits from every bite. Using fruits, vegetables and herbs from the local area also minimises the impact on the environment as there are no resource intensive transportation efforts required.

healthy lebanese food sydney
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Spices not sauces

The mouth-watering taste of all those delicious Lebanese dishes comes from carefully selected herbs and spices rather than heavy sauces. This ensures that each dish has the maximum amount of flavour but the minimum amount of saturated fats.

healthy lebanese food

The use of olive oil

Instead of cooking with butter, cream or other dairy products, Lebanese food relies heavily on olive oil, which can do wonders to lower cholesterol, control blood sugar levels and boost overall heart health. While olive oil is still relatively high in fat content, its mono-unsaturated fatty acids make it extremely good for you.

Low in starch

Unlike most western cultural diets, Lebanese food uses very few starchy ingredients. You are far more likely to find a small serving of rice or lentils as opposed to huge helpings of potatoes, noodles or highly processed white bread.

Lots of lamb

In Lebanon the meat of choice has always been lamb, which is considered a lot healthier an option than red meat. Grass-fed lamb is high in protein, niacin, selenium, vitamin B12, zinc and phosphorous, as well as a fantastic source of essential fatty acids.

vegetarian pizza toppings

A focus on vegetarian options

Lebanese food has a huge focus on wholly vegetarian meals. Some delicious vegetarian pizza toppings we use include mushrooms, olives, feta, haloumi and jalapeños.

Helping herbs

The herbs used in Lebanese cooking are not only fresh; they are also extremely good for you. Mint freshens your breath, aids your digestion and has been found to assist everything from weight loss to preventing headaches, while parsley is high in vitamins K, C and A as well as folate, iron and copper.

Ancient and magical spices

Fresh za’atar is one of Lebanon’s most widely used spices and it has been linked to all manner of health benefits. From being touted as a cure for leprosy in Biblical times to its cancer fighting properties and the widely held belief that it helps to boost your brain power, za’atar is a super food to say the least.

healthy food sydney
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Two words – chick peas!

The health benefits of chick peas have been well known since ancient times and Lebanese staples such as hommus and falafel showcase their healthy qualities to the fullest. Apart from being high in protein, chick peas are full of calcium, magnesium, phosphate, iron and vitamin K, which together help to strengthen your bones, lower blood pressure, fight cancer, reduce inflammation and lower cholesterol.

healthy takeaway inner west
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Whether you are new to Lebanese food or have been eating it for years, you won’t find a healthier, more delicious or authentic version than right here at OOSHMAN (formerly known as Manoosh). Simply order from us online or drop by and see us in person – we guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Categories
Blog Lebanese Food Traditional Ingredients

Awesome Traditional Lebanese Ingredients & Cooking Techniques

Lebanese Ingredients

Lebanese cuisine has been around for thousands of years and amazingly little has changed since ancient times, with the secret to this healthy and delicious food still being fresh ingredients and time tested techniques. As Lebanese food continues to rise in popularity around the world, we look at some of the most awesome traditional Lebanese ingredients & cooking techniques. Let’s take a look at a few of the essential elements of traditional Lebanese cooking.

Awesome Traditional Lebanese Ingredients & Cooking Techniques
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Traditional Lebanese food is famous for its fresh ingredients with everything from mint and parsley to cucumber and tomatoes playing key roles in classic dishes.

 

Traditional Lebanese Food Ingredients

Fresh herbs and vegetables

Traditional Lebanese food is famous for its fresh ingredients with everything from mint and parsley to cucumber and tomatoes playing key roles in classic dishes. Regardless of whether you are preparing a falafel wrap, a shawarma or salads such as tabouleh or fattoush, they simply wouldn’t be the same without the burst of flavour provided by fresh local ingredients.

top lebanese ingredients

Bread

In Lebanese cuisine nothing is more important than bread as we eat fresh baked pita with every meal of the day. Pita provides the perfect way to enjoy our many dips, such as hommus and baba ghannouj; it is the ideal vessel for encasing falafel balls or marinated meats, or you can simply slather your pita with labne for a fast and healthy breakfast.

main lebanese cooking techniques
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Tahini

Made from crushed sesame seeds, tahini has been a core part of Lebanese cuisine for thousands of years. Apart from being a central ingredient in any authentic hommus, tahini is added as a dressing to everything from falafel wraps to shawarmas, making it an essential element in any Lebanese kitchen.

traditional lebanese food

Legumes

Our cuisine also includes plenty of legumes, particularly chick peas and lentils, both of which have a wide range of health benefits. Chick peas are the star of the show in classics such as falafel and hommus, while one of our most popular dishes, mujadara, basically consists of lentils, onions and rice.

traditional lebanese cooking

Lamb

While Lebanese food nowadays can contain anything from beef to lamb to chicken, lamb is the traditional meat of choice. Our many mouth-watering lamb dishes include our national dish, kebbeh nayeh, as well as our wildly popular ground lamb kufta kebabs.

lebanese cooking techniques
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Traditional Lebanese Cooking Techniques

Vertical roasting

Since the early days of the Ottoman occupation Lebanese cooks have been roasting meat on vertical spits; this enables the meat to cook in its own fats and juices making it tender and delicious. Our most famous dish utilising the vertical roasting technique is none other than shawarma.

Grilling

Few cultures have been grilling longer than we have, with our traditional ground lamb kufta kebabs one of our most famous grilled specialties. Lebanese cuisine also includes a variety of grilled skewers that can include all manner of meats and vegetables.

Baking

Wood fired ovens have been in use in the Middle East for eons, so it should come as no surprise that Lebanese people have mastered the art of baking. Our many baked specialties include the flat bread ‘Lebanese pizzas’ known as manoosh, as well as our impossibly delicious baklava.

Frying

While Lebanese don’t tend to cook in oil very much frying certainly has its place in a true Lebanese kitchen, particularly when it comes to preparing the perfect falafel balls or a delicious batch of fried kebbeh.

Get the year started off right by treating yourself to some of Sydney’s most delicious and authentic Lebanese food. Simply drop by OOSHMAN (formerly known as Manoosh) or order from us online, because you haven’t lived until you have tasted our traditional Lebanese cuisine.