It’s impossible to discuss Mediterranean cuisine without discussing olives. This ubiquitous part of Mediterranean culture is part of nearly every meal, whether it is pressed into olive oil or served in a dish. Although no one can say for sure, it is rumored that Anatolia is the birthplace of the olive tree itself.
Beyond their delicious flavor and the sheer variety of dishes that can be made from them, olives are an important part of Mediterranean food for good reason. They are a powerhouse of nutrition.

Amazing Antioxidants
Olives are packed with antioxidants. These are an important part of nutrition because they neutralize free radicals in the body. Free radicals can damage your body. They are the reason why things like paints and plastics degrade, and can cause the human body to degrade as well.

Cancer, strokes and heart attacks have all been associated with free radicals. This is part of why it’s so important to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, including olives, to help keep your body healthy.

Low in Calories
There’s a reason why people in blue zones like the Mediterranean tend to be a healthy weight. Many of the delicious ingredients included in Mediterranean food are low in calories, and that includes olives. One olive has only about 7 calories in it. (Not including of course, olives that are preserved in oil.)
This means the olive itself may even take more calories to consume than it offers the body, giving it a negative calorie load.

Heart Healthy Fats
It’s a myth that fats are bad for the body. They’re actually a macronutrient, one of three major nutrient profiles needed for life. The three major nutrient groups are fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. While fat is necessary for the body, some fats are better for you than others.

Olive oils are a monounsaturated fat, one that’s called oleic acid. Oleic acid may help improve heart health by reducing blood pressure and may have anti-inflammatory effects.
Fabulous Fiber

Finally, olives are a good source of fiber with 1.5 grams per olive. Although fiber doesn’t offer any nutrients to the body, it helps the body in other ways. It helps clean the digestive system, aiding in pushing out old remnants, but more importantly it feeds the healthy gut bacteria in your digestive system.
Your gut bacteria play a vital role in the health of your entire body, helping you to access certain vitamins that otherwise are not digestible, keeping bad bacteria out, and working as your immune system. Gut health plays an important role in the overall health of your body, and fiber is essential to that health.

Turkish olives are incredibly delicious, with no less than 5 varieties of olive out there. Each one has a different role, from being pressed into olive oil to being served as is. The next time you bite into an olive, know you are getting a powerhouse of nutrition along with it.
Not only are you getting flavor, but you are taking steps to make your body healthier.

Turkey has a rich history in its cuisine. With a wide range of ingredients at hand, the Turkish culinary art has developed a wide range of incredibly delicious dishes. Here are our 5 favorite traditional Turkish dishes.

Yaprak Dolma
Dolma is food wrapped up in a grape leaf. Grape leaves are edible and have a mild flavor to them, which combines nicely with the rich filling. In the case of Yaprak dolma, the filling usually consists of rice, parsley, tomatoes, olive oil, onions, and various seasonings.
The result is a delicious, yet surprisingly healthy dish. If you’re looking for something with a bit of greenery to it, this one is melt in your mouth good.

Kebabs
Chances are you have delighted in kebabs at one time or another in your life. Kebabs are an important part of Turkish cuisine and have many different possible combinations. They most often include meat such as lamb, and sometimes vegetables as well.
Meat for kebabs is carefully cooked and may be sliced off a spit that has been slowly cooking for as long as 12 hours. The result is a succulent and tender meal well worth the wait.

Baklava
One of the most iconic Turkish desserts is Baklava. This delicious pastry dish is best made in a temperature-controlled room, while layer after layer of tissue thin pasty sheets are drizzled with honey syrup and sprinkled with pistachio.
If you’ve never had Baklava this is certainly a dish you will want to try at least once in your life. It is a delicious combination of flavors from the sweetness of the honey, the crunchiness of the pistachio, and the flakey layers of pasty sheet.

Manti
Nearly every culture in the world has some sort of dumpling included in their cuisine. Turkey is no different, and Manti is their answer to that bread and meat filled food. Served in butter flavored with mint, the dumpling is packed with seasoned meat.

Baba Ghanoush
Baba Ghanoush comes from the Eastern Mediterranean but is still considered a Turkish dish. It’s an eggplant dip usually served as a starter and usually includes yogurt, garlic and olive oil as well. It’s often paired with meat dishes or olive oil inspired dishes.
Baba Ghanoush is similar to hummus, and is used the same way. Pita and fresh, raw vegetables are some options commonly dipped in it.

Köfte
Rounding up our list is Köfte, or Turkish meatballs. These delicious balls of meat are typically served in wraps, or with a salad. Köfte is usually made from beef or lamb, and sometimes a mixture of both. Despite it most commonly being made this way, there’s even a few vegan variants that taste just as good.

Turkish cuisine is filled with amazing flavors. You can expect delicious spices, tender meats, and healthy vegetables in every meal. If you’ve never tried Turkish cuisine and are curious about it, head on down to Aladdin’s to try some here.

We serve many different types of Turkish cuisine and are happy to help make some recommendations to you.

The Ketogenic diet has been around since the 1920s, originally used as medical treatment for patients with seizures. Although it was originally used for a very narrow scope of the population, many people have now adopted the diet for weight loss.

The keto diet is high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbs. The body normally burns carbs first, turning it into glucose. Only after all carbohydrates have been burned will the body burn fat stores.

When the body has exhausted all glucose in the body and is prepared to burn fat, the liver starts producing ketones. These ketones are what allow the body to burn fat, and a big part of the keto diet. The keto diet is followed in an effort to go into ketosis, or fat burning.

While this may sound appealing, it can be difficult. Carbs are a big part of our diet, and include things like potatoes, rice, and chickpeas. That’s quite a bit of most foods! The only real vegetable most keto diets allow are green leafy vegetables. With a diet so narrow, what can you eat?

The good news is there’s an enormous number of Mediterranean dishes out there, with a wide range of food options. This means that on top of being delicious, it’s also remarkably flexible. Enough so that even if you’ve decided to go on a Ketogenic diet, you can still eat at a Mediterranean restaurant.

If you’re on a Keto diet, here’s what to order:

Chicken or Beef Shawerma Salad
While root vegetables and cucumbers do have a small amount of carbs in them, the value of them compared to the rest of the salad is low. Leafy greens and meat are both extremely keto-friendly, making a chicken or beef Shawerma salad a great option.

These salads are loaded with protein and leafy greens, making the bulk of it delicious, refreshing, and keto-friendly.

Mixed Grill
Kebobs and lamb shanks are high in protein and fat, and of course don’t have any carbs to them. Aladdin’s offers a mixed grill which is a plate of various meats, without the Basmati rice that is not so keto-friendly.

Order this and a salad on the side for a balanced and delicious keto friendly meal.

Kebabs
Kebabs are also keto-friendly. Shrimp, chicken, lamb and beef are all quality proteins that are keto-friendly and delicious. As many of these kebabs are served with rice or hummus—not so keto friendly—you may want to ask if you can get a salad to replace them.

Mediterranean foods have a broad range of flavors, ingredients, and styles. There’s room for keto and for your favorite Mediterranean dish as well. Keep in mind that fats and proteins should be your main foods, followed by green leafy vegetables. Turn down carbs like rice and chick peas.
Eating a ketogenic diet doesn’t mean you have to go without flavor, and most Mediterranean dishes are packed with it. If you’re starting or on a keto diet, stop by your favorite Mediterranean diet and look through the menu. You’ll be sure to find something you can eat.