Health benefits of different cultural cuisines

Let’s face the truth. Trying to make foods from different cuisines isn’t that easy. Often, we like to stay in our own comfort zones and cook foods we are familiar with. However, certain cuisines and their style of cooking are considered to be quite healthy and may help with different types of disorders. Trying to cook other cuisines can also be exciting and allows you to experiment and try out new flavours.

Greek
The Mediterranean diet is a trending diet filled with leafy vegetables, grains, beans, seafood and healthy fats. Olive oil is also used extensively in Greek cooking. The Greeks also tend to incorporate vegetables with every meal and consume legumes frequently. Greek cuisine is considered healthier than most diets because they use raw and whole foods and they consume meat in smaller portions. Healthy Greek dishes include hummus, fakes soupa (lentil soup) and baked sardines.

Try this awesome Mediterranean chicken thigh recipe!

Japanese
According to recent studies, people in Japan continue to have longer life expectancies compared to those from other countries. Japan also has the lowest rates of obesity and this is mostly attributed to their healthy traditional diet. Japanese cuisine consists of fresh unprocessed food with little or no sugar. They also consume a lot of fish and fresh vegetables. Soy products and fermented foods are also a large part of their diet. The method of cooking is also healthy as it usually involves a simple steam or a light stir-fry. Miso soup, sashimi and spinach ohitashi (spinach salad with sesame seeds) are some of their great dishes you should try making.

Here’s a Japanese inspired recipe, we call Mama’s Chicken Soba Soup!

Indian
The vibrant colour present in various Indian curries is because of the healthy spices like turmeric, cardamom, garam masala and coriander powder found in traditional Indian recipes. Not only are they packed with bursting flavour, but these spices also have medicinal and healing properties. Indian food consists of a lot of legumes, grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. Fermented foods like yogurt, which is great for the gut is also used extensively in Indian cooking. Recipes to try are rajma (kidney bean curry), aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower stir fry with spices) and sambar (curry with legumes, spices and vegetables.)

Lentils play a key role in Indian recipes, check out this guide to lentils!

Thai
Thai cuisine is regarded as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. Coriander, lemongrass, ginger and red chilies are some of the prominent spices and herbs used in Thai cooking. These ingredients are known to have immune boosting properties (I recommend trying tom yum soup the next time you catch a cold). The traditional curries also contain coconut milk, which is high in healthy fats. Thai cuisine is also veggie-centric and most of their meat dishes are paired with vegetables. Healthy, tasty dishes to try include tom yum soup, beef and broccoli and som tam (papaya salad).

Try this zesty Thai noodle recipe we call Spring Fling!

Mixing different cuisines from various cultures can help not only your overall health, but introduce you to new favourites and new flavours! Think of it as an adventure! The your taste buds and your family on an around the world adventure through food!