Healthy Substitutes for Classic Arab Dishes this Holiday Season

posted on: Dec 20, 2017

BY: Nisreen Eadeh/Arab America Contributing Writer

Eating healthy meals during the holiday season is a challenge for everyone. Sugary sweets, fried comfort food, and massive portions line the tables at family feasts. Indulging in unhealthy habits for a day or two turn into a week or two, then a month, and before we know it, we’ve gained 10 pounds.

To avoid adding that extra holiday weight this season, try serving these healthier mezze options as equally delicious replacements for classic Arab dishes.

1. Quinoa Tabbouleh

Ditch the burgul while making tabbouleh this year. While burgul is one of the healthiest wheat options around, quinoa has better protein and vitamins than the grain. The taste and texture is nearly the same, too, so you probably won’t notice a difference.

2. Ground Turkey Kefta Meatballs

Beef makes great kefta, but for those looking to maintain heart health, it’s not always a good option. Purchasing lean, white meat ground turkey (90/10 or 95/5) has far less unhealthy fat than lean ground beef. The turkey kefta tastes great with traditional beef kefta spices and, paired with olive oil, gives your body the quality monounsaturated fat it needs.

3. Baghdonsia

Everyone loves falafel, which is often hailed as a protein-rich vegetarian delight. However, the deep-fried chickpea and parsley balls are usually loaded with sodium and bad fats. Consider the highly underrated dish baghdonsia for the table instead. It’s simply a mix of tahini sauce, garlic, parsley, and lemon juice, which can be eaten with vegetables, meat, and crackers.

4. Cucumber Bites

Yes, salad can be unhealthy, too, which is why you can substitute the fattoush with cucumber bites. Layer a slice of cucumber with a small spoon of Greek yogurt or labneh, a cherry tomato, and half of a brown olive. Mix za’atar into the Greek yogurt for added health benefits and flavor. These bites don’t have the same taste as fattoush, but it offers less sugar and carbs than the salad.

5. Fresh Beets, Cauliflower, Carrots, Peppers, and Cucumbers

Arabs love their pickled vegetables, but this snack is not as healthy as it seems. Pickled vegetables are loaded with salt, and nutrients get lost from the heat in the pickling process. Avoid high blood pressure this holiday season and choose the fresh vegetables over the pickled ones.

6. Roasted Chickpeas

Bizzer and mixed nuts are always found on the tables when guests come over, but this pre-dinner snack is laden with high sodium, carbohydrates, and calories. Nuts are an excellent source of protein and healthy fats, but most people eat too many in a sitting for it to be considered nutritious. Replace one or two of the bizzer bowls with roasted chickpeas instead. Simply empty the can, dry out the chickpeas with a paper towel, dress them with light salt and olive oil, spread onto a pan, and bake on high heat for 30-40 minutes.

7. Vegetarian Kibbeh Nayeh

Kibbeh Nayeh is practically a requirement during holiday dinners, but the raw meat dish is unfortunately a heart risk. Consuming raw meat is already dangerous for your stomach, and on top of that, kibbeh nayeh is a very salty and fatty dish that yields too little in protein and fiber. Substitute the raw meat with a vegetarian mixture of ground tomatoes, red lentils, and burgul.

8. Arab Cheese Bite

Instead of eating a traditional cheese dip with Arab bread, substitute the carbs with an attractive 3-layer bite. Cut Arab white cheese into squares, sprinkle with dried mint, add a basil leaf, and top it with a cherry tomato. Use a toothpick to keep it together so you don’t need bread to enjoy your cheese.

9. Lettuce Wraps

Slicing up the traditional Palestinian dish musakhan into little pizzas has become one way of sharing a large plate. However, this oily combination of chicken, sumac, and bread can be made healthier. Make musakhan into baby lettuce wraps by rolling boneless, skinless chicken breast with sautéed sumac, olive oil, and onions into a fresh piece of romaine lettuce. Dip the lettuce wrap into a little lemon juice for added flavor.