Regionally specific healthy foods from around the world

jonaseva5252
jonaseva5252 Posts: 26 Member
edited April 2019 in Health and Weight Loss
Basically we known with lots of foods. There are much more foods in the world. But Question is which are the best, have you idea about this. If you know properly which are best foods, then share with me details so that we'll become great.
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Replies

  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    are there any specific countries you are looking for?
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    There are no "best foods," because a healthy diet requires a range of foods. A healthy diet ideally requires vegetables (I can't think of any unique to my area), protein (huge range of sources, I can't think of any unique to my area, although I grew up in the PNW eating lots of fish, especially salmon), some fat (I mostly use olive oil for added fat, which is not from my area), and IMO a range of other foods, depends on taste. I tend to think a diet based on whole foods without excessive added fats (I don't think you'd normally add sugar so no point in saying that) cooked with herbs and spices for flavoring can be a good base for a healthy diet, but there are other ways to eat healthfully too.

    My dad's wife is Korean and is going to teach me to make homemade kimchi. I think that's a low cal way to add flavor. I also use fish sauce and sriracha, along with a range of other hot sauces from different areas (often Asian or Latin) to add flavor without cals. Also our local (Chicago) style of giardinera (typically more cals, but you don't need much for flavor).

    Avocados and guacamole are healthy, although not low cal, and can add great flavor.

    Really, there are lower cal/high nutrient dishes in all cultures, so exploring the wide variety of options and not trying to find just a few best foods can be very helpful. That I live in a city with a ton of different options for cuisine and groceries and so on can be inspiring to me in trying new things.
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
    sammidelvecchio wrote: »
    I'll just share some of my favorite foods from the different places i've been!

    China - there was bok choy everywhere! I really loved the veggies I had when I was in China. I was near the coast, so there was a lot of fresh fish my colleagues enjoyed but I am not a fan of fish.

    Costa Rica - the fruit here is just delectable. From stopping to grab fresh picked strawberries from a road side market, to the guacamole, to the fresh fruit smoothies all over - I was in heaven. And literally, the pineapple smoothie was half a pineapple, ice, and water. But it was so fresh that it was a big favorite of mine while I was there.

    Mexico - I actually tried sea bass my last time in Mexico and was not disappointed. Big deal for someone who doesn't like fish! Very fresh!

    Italy - well, to be honest I found all foods in Italy to be amazing. And even though I felt like I was eating more whenever I was there, I always lost weight. Some kind of sorcery I can't explain. I have been to the east coast, by the Adriatic sea and there is a dish there called Arosticini. It is mostly found in the region of Abruzzo, and it is cubed sheep, grilled in olive oil and finished with salt. If you go there, please try it :) you'll need about 20 skewers - trust me LOL. Other than that, literally everything I ate in Italy I would eat again.

    Germany - I enjoyed a lot of soups in Germany. I was mostly in the country, around farms, so the produce was very fresh, a farm-to-table kind of vibe. My favorite was asparagus soup. I recreate it at home a lot.

    Belgium - I have no input here, because I was not a big fan. I was in Brussels and it was mostly french food everywhere I went, but I will say the frites were very good, and the street waffles too. Well, ok - the chocolate was awesome as well. I mean...it was Belgium. But all of those i'd say eat in moderation, and I don't think they're generally considered "healthy" foods, but I didn't find too many traditionally considered "healthy foods" where I was.

    USA - California, everything was so fresh when I was in San Diego. I ate a lot of salads because they have such interesting ingredients that we don't have in Ohio in terms of fruits and veggies. Everything just seemed fresher there. In Ohio, the food we are well known for is not traditional healthy food, so no advice there. Most of the other places I've traveled in the USA I've kinda taken to the "foodie" scene and not really paid too much attention to what was "healthy" or not.

    I was saying yesterday about how Italy is such a welcoming place and the food is incredible. I think when one visits Italy, if it's the summer you sweat off most of what you eat but you also walk a ton because you want to see everything. I remember being in Sorrento and all the fresh oranges and lemons. Easy to OD on vitamin C there
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
    @AliNouveau I was always there for work, and the town I stayed in is Pescara. Everyone is so inviting, and kind, and you feel taken care of everywhere you go. One of my favorite places in the world for sure.
  • simcon1
    simcon1 Posts: 209 Member
    Here in the US Pacific Northwest, the best known healthy foods are probably salmon and berries—these are also some of the foods that are still central in local Indigenous communities (Coast Salish nations). Wild salmon (sockeye, coho, king, and silver are perhaps most common) are especially abundant (and inexpensive!) in the summer months, and often barbecued on a grill. Berries are also really nutrient dense, super tasty, and everywhere (in stores and farmers markets, growing wild in cities and along trails) in the summer. Marionberries and huckleberries are particularly special to this area, but there are also blackberries, raspberries, tayberries, blueberries, and many others.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Here in the Great Lakes region of the US we are known for dairy and lake/river fish. Locally caught walleye, trout, and perch are frequently available at restaurants. If you go anywhere along northern Lake Michigan you can get a fishboil which is whitefish boiled with potatoes and maybe onions. The cooking method is an elaborate presentation that serves a purpose: the oils in the fish rise to the surface of the water and are burned off in a giant whoosh of fire. What remains is flaky and tender.

    Our cheese is famous all over the world, but the best is made by small cheesemakers who only sell locally.

    One thing anyone must try in summer is a fresh spinach salad with hot bacon dressing. The dressing slightly wilts the spinach and really brings out the flavor. Typically it is made with spinach, sliced red onion, bacon, and a sliced hard cooked egg. The dressing is made with apple cider vinegar (along with bacon drippings and a little salt and pepper). All summer long you can stop at roadside stands everywhere you go and buy fresh, locally grown vegetables.



  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
    Generally, when I travel abroad, my first instinct is to 'eat like the locals', where possible. If I'm looking for 'healthy' options, I focus on dishes that are mainly comprised of vegetables and lean meats and fish, and use lighter cooking methods like grilling or sauteeing. I go easy on dishes that are primarily starch, breaded/pastry, fried, or heavily sauced.

    Simple rules of thumb are best since there are so many variations from place to place. If you have specific regions you will be travelling to, it would be best to indicate which ones.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,053 Member
    MikePTY wrote: »
    I'll approach it from this direction: "what are some foods that are prevalent in your culture/location that may be different than in others?" As an American living in Panama, I have a somewhat unique insight of that. I agree that "healthy" is a subjective term that means different things for everyone. For the purpose of this post, I'm going to define it as "food that is high in nutrients and/or would fit well in a calorie restricted diet." Obviously all these foods are available in America as well for the most part, but they may not be considered as much a staple of the diet as they are here.

    Pineapple: pineapples are abundant and cheap here, and wonderfully tasty if cut at the right level of ripeness. They make for great workout recovery food as their are hydrating and a good source of electrolytes.
    Tropical avocados: the avocado's that are local to Panama are not the Hass avocados, but rather the larger, greener avocados that are the tropical avocado, or the "Slimcado" as they are sometimes known. I know that many people do not like the taste as much as a Hass avocado, but to me they are similar and the tropical avocado has about 40% less calories per ounce than Hass. I know that much of the calories in avocado is considered "good fat", but to me the lower calorie nature means I can eat more per sitting than the Hass avocado. These avocados can sometimes be several times the size of Hass.
    Corvina: a white fish similar to sea bass that is used as the standard white fish here. Has a bit more flavor than most white fishes.
    Cerviche: a seafood dish where the seafood is not cooked through heat, but rather the acidity of lemon juice. Covina, shrimp, and octopus are common components.
    Langostinos: most similar to prawns, these are extra large shrimp (they range from the size of jumbo shrimp to small lobster) served whole with the head on.
    Sancocho: a traditional chicken soup cooked with various roots.

    Some other local foods that might not fit this definition of healthy but that others may find healthy and that I have eaten at least some point during my weight loss.

    Arroz Con pollo: a rice dish with chicken and vegatables mixed into the rice and cooked with various spices that turn the rice yellow.
    Sao: Pickled pigs feet. The texture is very weird, but it tastes good once you get used to it.
    Empanadas: corn or flour stuffed pastries filled with various fillings such as chicken, beef, cheese, or fish.
    Plaintain: similar to a banana but more calorie dense and also needs to be cooked. Often prepared with some sort of sweet sauce or sugar coating.
    Hojaldre: large fried flour tortilla. Served with breakfast.

    I spent a few months in south Costa Rico, almost to the Panama border, and saw a lot of those same foods there. I will add mangos and coconut to your list.

    In addition to plaintains (platanos), we had regular bananas and small bananas. Since these spent no time in trucks or supermarkets, they were SO good. Massachusetts supermarket bananas are good, but the bananas I had in Costa Rico were ambrosia.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    Kangaroo because us Aussies like to eat our emblems! Such a tasty and lean red meat!
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited April 2019
    I ate ostrich meat and eggs in South Africa (among other things OP would likely not consider healthy, or eating). They were good and likely to be considered healthy. Not sure where the other poster gets that the OP wants to know about our specific region from: "There are much more foods in the world. But Question is which are the best, have you idea about this. If you know properly which are best foods, then share with me details so that we'll become great." Does not seem to me that she's asking about my region in particular. More likely she wants something like "the Med diet as eaten in Crete" (which is not accurately an answer to her question, which contains an inaccurate premise, but fine, whatever, its one of various healthy diets). But please let's not pretend the question is asking for healthy options around the world or where we are from.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,474 Member
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    Kangaroo because us Aussies like to eat our emblems! Such a tasty and lean red meat!

    It is lean ... sort of like elk or moose in Canada.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    I also find the OP's question and then the translation confusing. I live in Italy. Italy is broken up into regions--all with their specialties. Italian food and way of eating is healthy, however, the same dish varies from restaurant to restaurant. I could tell the OP that eating linguine with pesto is a regional specialty and is very healthy--in correct portions, but not all restaurants will be what Italians consider good quality. We have our favorite restaurants for this reason. Especially in cities or towns that have many tourists, there will be lower quality because 1. many tourists don't know the difference in quality, and 2. most will only pass thru once.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,141 Member
    Sigh: no single food can be healthy in any quantity and frequency. Every food can be healthy in an *appropriate* portion and as part of a balanced diet. For some foods the *appropriate* portion may be smaller or larger than any one individual and their goals may prefer it to be!
  • vanityy99
    vanityy99 Posts: 2,583 Member
    AliNouveau wrote: »
    Here in Canada our best foods are definitely not healthy.

    I guess in the fall we have an abundance of apples
    summer we have the best peaches from Niagara
    If you go to any maple syrup festival you will learn maple sap is very high in calcium

    Sadly Canada is more known for poutine and beavertails and beer and nanaimo bars and butter tarts. not at all healthy haha

    That makes Canada sound so sad. Thank God it’s so multicultural, can find different cultures of food anywhere.

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