If you want eating that is fun, delicious and exotic, there is no better choice than Middle Eastern food. Nothing is better than eating this food fresh in a good restaurant. If you are interested in Eastern culture, learn more about Middle Eastern foods and restaurants.

The Basics of Middle Eastern Food

There are numerous Middle Eastern dishes that may sound familiar. These foods are popular throughout the Middle East, North Africa and the rest of the world.
Hummus is a mashed dip made of beans or chickpeas and blended with seasonings. Falafels are balls made of beans or chickpeas that are deep fried and topped with sauce or vegetables.

Middle Eastern foods are found in street markets and grocery stores. However, no replacement is found for the fresh food being served in authentic Middle Eastern restaurants.

Healthy Eating

Middle Easterners enjoy many of the same ingredients that everyone else does. Common ingredients include olive oil, sauces, pita breads, chickpeas and vegetables. Since many ingredients are natural, it is easy to benefit from a healthy lunch. Vegetarian food is not always easy to find in any kind of restaurant. Chefs find it easy to create vegan food based solely on Middle Eastern ingredients.

When people go to restaurants, they assume that the foods are overindulgent and unhealthy. That is not true if you go to the right restaurants. At many places, the customers receive menus with detailed nutritional labels. Restaurant chefs know that the new trend is healthy eating, so they are using healthier ingredients and creating fuller dishes.

Reasons to Eat Out

At any restaurant, it is important to have options. Choose how much food you want and where you want to eat. Sitting in the restaurant and eating good food is only one option. Customers should be able to take these dishes home with them.

Another version of eating out is catering out. Find a good Middle Eastern place that provides catering to any event, whether it is a birthday party, office meeting or home dinner. Middle Eastern dishes are sophisticated enough to satisfy the needs of corporate catering. When you need a change from fast food, choose foods from this part of the world.

Armenia, Persia, Iran and India are countries that you know about. If you really want to know these countries, you have to know about the cuisines. From this part of the world, the dishes are healthy and filling to anyone who tries them. Find a restaurant that provides a variety of authentic dishes from the Middle East.

A true Mediterranean diet that is full of fruits and vegetables, garlic, seafood, olive oil, lemon juices, and hearty grains can help fight against diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and cognitive decline. This type of diet can help you live a longer and healthier life, while also having the benefit of being delicious. Here are some specific health benefits of eating a Mediterranean diet.

When paired with regular exercise, a traditional Mediterranean diet can:

Protect against type 2 diabetes. Mediterranean food is rich in fiber, which helps to slow down digestion and prevent swings in blood sugar.

Prevent heart disease and strokes. One of the health benefits of garlic is that it helps to reduce cholesterol, which may lead to a lower risk of heart disease.

Reduce risk of Alzheimer’s. Research has shown that olive oil has beneficial effects on brain function, including the prevention of buildup of plaque in the brain cells that leads to Alzheimer’s disease.

Help with weight loss. A lot of the ingredients used in Mediterranean food, especially the lemon juices, help with weight loss. Lemon has been shown to reduce body weight.

Reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Mediterranean food has high levels of antioxidants, which helps to prevent cells from undergoing oxidative stress, which helps to cut the risk of Parkinson’s disease by about 50%.

Increase longevity. With the reduction in all of these health ailments, following a Mediterranean diet can reduce your risk of death by 20% at any age.

How to Switch to a Mediterranean Diet

If you feel overwhelmed about the thought of changing how you eat, here are some helpful tips and dish ideas to get you started.

Eat plenty of vegetables. You can do this at home with an easy plate of sliced vegetables with some feta cheese, or you can try some traditional dishes such as Baba Ghanouj or Falafels.

Eat seafood every week. Fish such as halibut is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which has benefits for both brain and heart health. Try the Halibut Arabiata for a flavorful dish with great health benefits.

Eat a vegetarian meal once a week. Pick one or two nights each week and leave out the meat for your dinner. Dishes such as the Vegetarian Meza Platter or Tabouleh are popular choices for vegetarian meals.

Choose your drinks wisely. Rather than reaching for liquor drinks or multiple glasses of wine each night, opt for some healthy teas to go with your dinner. Some popular herbal teas are Jasmine Green, Ceylon, Apricot, and Passion Fruit.

Eating a Mediterranean diet is not only healthy, it is also filling and flavorful. Try some new dishes or pick an old favorite and enjoy a great tasting and healthy meal.

Since the 1990s, people who study nutrition have touted a Mediterranean diet as a model for healthy eating, and Middle Eastern food is a great example of this type of diet. Its use of olive oil, fresh vegetables, legumes and grilled meats are all keys to a healthy diet. Studies show that eating in this way leads to a reduction in heart disease and an increase in overall health. Even diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s occur less frequently in people who eat a Mediterranean diet. At Aladdin’s, you can take advantage of this kind of delicious and healthy food.

Another advantage of eating at a place like Aladdin’s is that Middle Eastern food naturally accommodates a wide range of eating styles. If you have ever tried to choose a restaurant that will suit meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans, you know what a headache it can be, but Aladdin’s caters to all of these. Good vegan food can be particularly difficult to get at a restaurant, and too often, vegans are left eating something unappetizing like a plain salad with no dressing. At Aladdin’s, vegans can choose from a variety of flavorful dishes such as tabouleh, falafel or fattoush. There is an even wider selection of vegetarian food including a Greek salad.

Vegetarians and meat eaters alike who are unfamiliar with Middle Eastern food and want to ease in to this new cuisine can try one of the delicious wood-fired pizzas. These aren’t your traditional pizza toppings. Among the offerings are a chicken shawerma pizza, one made with grilled lamb and two vegetarian-friendly options including one with grilled vegetable and another with feta cheese seasoned with herbs.

Because of the variety of meat, vegetarian and vegan options as well as its healthy qualities, Middle Eastern food from Aladdin’s is also a great choice for corporate catering or any other kind of catering. Whether it’s a mandatory event like a staff retreat or a celebration like a birthday or wedding, people appreciate the opportunity to eat food that is both healthy and delicious.

Some of the oldest civilizations originated in the Middle East, and this means that its cuisine has a rich, vibrant and ancient history. People have literally been eating versions of these dishes for thousands of years, and the ingredients that make their way into Middle Eastern cooking are the result of the climate, geography and culture. Typical ingredients such as pistachios and dates were among the first harvested after grains when people turned from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies while other flavors and spices were introduced over the centuries from other cultures. From ancient times to today’s dishes at Aladdin, Middle Eastern food has remained healthy and delicious.