A lot of global cuisines are built around healthy, natural ingredients, with dishes prepared using methods that haven’t changed over the centuries. Unprocessed foods are used sparingly, if at all, and fresh, wholesome flavors are celebrated not just for their flavor, but for their nutritional value, too.
Mouth beginning to water? Well fortunately, with so many world best cuisines to be found in restaurants right on our doorsteps, we don’t need to jump on a plane to enjoy tasty, healthy foreign fare.
Here are some global cuisines well-known for their healthy dishes and fresh ingredients:
Greek
With fresh vegetables and fruits, yogurt and olive oil featuring heavily in many Greek dishes (as with the majority of Mediterranean cuisines), it’s easy to eat great tasting food, without piling on the pounds.
Recent research has found that inhabitants of the Greek island, Crete, have a higher life expectancy, and reduced risk of developing heart disease than a lot of other countries, as a result of their healthy diet.
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Japanese
Rich in fresh seafood and vegetables, Japanese people also have higher life expectancies than residents of many other countries, perhaps due to the amount of omega 3 fatty acid-rich fish they consume, and probiotic foods such as fermented soy, that promote heart and gut health.
Korean
Delicious and healthy, Korean cuisine features its most famous dish of kimchi, made from fermented vegetables, which isn’t just a probiotic, but also has cholesterol-lowering properties found in the other ingredients such as ginger, garlic, and red pepper.
Thai
Intense and flavorful, Thai cuisine uses a lot of different spices and flavors like ginger, lemongrass, coriander, chili peppers, garlic, onions, and turmeric, an ingredient specifically known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Spanish
Home of tapas – small plates of food designed for sharing – Spains’ Mediterranean cuisine features a lot of fresh vegetables and seafood, and the sharing of smaller plates can help you keep a check on your portion sizes.
Italian
While cheese-heavy pizzas and creamy lasagna’s might spring to mind when you think of food in Italy, there is a more traditional side of their cuisine that focuses on fresh and healthy ingredients such as tomatoes, olive oil, and herbs. In fact, traditionally, Italian cuisine has been all about fresh seafood, whole grains, legumes, herbs, vegetables, spices and seasoning, and not about processed foods at all.
Indian
Some Indian dishes use a lot of ghee (clarified butter) and cream, but once you learn a little more about the country’s cuisine, you’ll discover that there are plenty of tasty and nutritious dishes featuring healthy ingredients like cinnamon, cardamom, and turmeric. Many Indian dishes are also vegetarian, in which fresh vegetables, nuts and seeds are the stars of the show.
French
Depending on which region of France you visit, you’ll find many dishes cooked using fresh, healthy ingredients and few processed foods. But wherever you go in the country, chefs look for ingredients that are locally sourced, and which are prepared simply, so as to preserve their flavor and health benefits.
Lebanese
Similar to Greek food in many ways, Lebanese cuisine is home to the tasty, healthy dipping dish: hummus, and when you order a meze, you can indulge in a range of heart-healthy foods, in small portions.
Ultimately, many of the most popular cuisines in the world feature dishes prepared using fresh, tasty, and wholesome ingredients, and nowadays, finding a restaurant or café serving up such fare, has never been simpler.