Diet while on holiday in Middle East

LCong

Has anyone traveled in Egypt while on their diet? Any tips on trying to stay within calorie allowance? I've been advised to stay away from salads, fruit, etc that isn't cooked so not sure if there are many low calorie options. I'll be travelling the Nile, Luxor and Cairo so will not have hotel food readily available. Thanks for any tips!!

bachooka

focus on whole grains and steamed/boiled veggies. stay away from the words sauteed, or reduction etc... those pack in the calories. And meals on a stick... are generally lean meats and vegetables. as long as you arent too concerned wtih what they are, you should be alright.

McKayMachina

Limit breads. Go with soups and drink plenty of H2O to counterbalance the sodium. Fresh greens. I don't know if there is an Egyptian version of Tabbouleh but that comes to mind. Portion control will be key. Eat a bit less than you think you need.

Above all else, have a wonderful trip!

stormieweather

I would limit sweets and breads. Other than that, just enjoy and don't stress it too much. I went there years ago and loved it!! (Alexandria, too).

This may help some:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=553

strapple

omg sounds like a great trip. im totally jelly!
ive never been but ive had friends who went and i enjoy egyptian and pakistani / mediterranean food often

"Egyptian cuisine is notably conducive to vegetarian- and vegan diets, as it relies so heavily on vegetable dishes." - from wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_cuisine

here are some dishes that ive eaten and can totally recommend as tasty and good for you


~Baba Ghannoug- A condiment made with eggplants, chickpeas, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, cumin and oil.

~Du'aah- A dry mixture of chopped nuts, seeds, Middle Eastern spices, and flavors.

~Maḥshi- A stuffing of rice, seasoned with herbs and spices, into vegetables like green peppers, aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes, or cabbage leaves. The stuffed vegetable is then placed in a pot and topped with tomato sauce and lemon or lime.

~Maḥshi waraa enab - Grape leaves stuffed with a rice mixture that can be made either with sauteed ground beef or vegetarian style. The rice is seasoned with crushed red tomatoes, onion, parsley, dill, salt, pepper and Egyptian spices. This mixture is then stuffed and rolled into an individual grape leaf, placed in a pot and topped with tomato sauce and lemon or lime. (THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!)

~sa'a`ah - Sliced eggplants that are lightly grilled and placed in a flat pan with sliced onions, green peppers, and jalapeños. It is then covered with a red sauce made of tomato paste and Egyptian spices. This pan is cooked in the oven for 30–40 minutes at 350 degrees.




basically if you avoid anything with too much milk or yogurt and of course anything fried im sure you'll be pleasantly surprised

rori_74

Hi LCong , i live in Egypt , first i hope you'll enjoy your visit it's a great place to be , stay on fresh fruits and veggies limited bread , lots of water it's really hot here this time of the year , and for the calories in fruits it's the same kinds every where apples and bananas , oranges nothing different , the fish are great and any lean meet will be fine .
enjoy the Nile , have a nice trip

redefiningmyself

I went to Egypt 2 years ago.
Its going to be hard to stay on your diet because of the options available to you and its very hard to know how its been prepared and cooked.

My advice is to keep away from any fresh fruit or veggies unless its been peeled. But your best bet is to keep to things that are thoroughly cooked.

Also keep away from dairy products eg cream, cheese etc. And be cautious of cold cuts as they are often not kept cold enough.

Anopther thing is you need to watch for how long things have been left out, and whether or not its been covered before you eat it.

Plus, I recommend only drinking bottled water - never tap water even though they say its safe in some parts.

On our tour we met people who were also on a tour, they said their whole group got sick because of the food - 22 out of 23 people.
So bring some imodium with you, just in case.

fortunately we followed those rules and never got sick.

My last bit of advice, is to just make good choices (as in don't go crazy at the desert table) and enjoy the trip.
Get in as much walking and exercise as you can, and it should all work out fine.

Have a fabulous time! Its a wonderful country with unparralled history.

LCong

These are all great suggestions. Thanks everyone and I'll heed the advice of keeping away from dairy, meats, peeled fruit and veg etc. I'm really looking forward to it!!

LCong

Hi LCong , i live in Egypt , first i hope you'll enjoy your visit it's a great place to be , stay on fresh fruits and veggies limited bread , lots of water it's really hot here this time of the year , and for the calories in fruits it's the same kinds every where apples and bananas , oranges nothing different , the fish are great and any lean meet will be fine .
enjoy the Nile , have a nice trip

Thanks, I'm really excited. I've always wanted to visit and now have my 'dream trip' one week away. I'm ready for some warm weather :happy:

marcobraynio

Eat what you like, you'll end up with the runs anyway...he he! FISH, stuffed vine leaves. Keep exercising Laura and eat what you want, you're on holiday.