Healthy Pleasures
Here’s a sampling of healthful dishes from ethnic cuisines:
Cuban Tortilla: Typically contains eggs, potatoes, onions, garlic, and spices; the eggs become the “tortilla,” similar to an American omelet; protein in the egg balance the carbohydrates in the potatoes making it a good combination of nutrition and flavor.
Moroccan Bissara Soup: Made with dried, pureed broad beans; most recipes also include garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices; topped with cumin and paprika.
Peruvian Loma Saltado: This is one of Peru’s most popular meat dishes made with beef, flame cooked in a wok and smothered with aji chilies, tomatoes, and red onions, giving it a distinctive smoky flavor. This dish is often served with fried potatoes. To improve the health profile, order a side of vegetables instead of potatoes.
Indian Chicken Tikka Masala: Bite-sized pieces of chicken marinated in yogurt and seasonings like
guram masala ( a spice mixture that includes black and white peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom pods, bay leaf, and cumin), garlic, ginger, cilantro, and turmeric.
For more great tips on savoring the flavor of ethnic fare, click here to download a sample chapter of the Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World.
Constance Brown-Riggs, is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, national speaker and author of the Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World, a convenient guide to help people with diabetes enjoy all the flavors of the world while still following a healthy meal plan. Follow Constance on social media @eatingsoulfully