When people start changing their diets and gearing up for a healthier lifestyle, they often cut out a tremendous amount of flavor and diversity. As a result, it is not uncommon for amateur health aficionados to stick to the basics, such as grilled chicken, tuna, and simple salads.
Unfortunately, while healthy, eating a stripped-back diet is usually not sustainable. People will quickly get bored with plain grilled chicken. Dieters will long for spice and variety. Thankfully, there is no reason to cut out all variety and flavor from your meals to become healthy.
Healthy eating is about avoiding overly-processed foods and controlling proportions; it is also about eating nutritionally sound meals. A dieter should focus on international cuisine with exciting flavor profiles. Most international diets consist of lean proteins and exotic flavors. There are at least three international diets that represent healthy choices and benefits without stripping out the flavor.
1. Greek
One of the most popular diets is the Mediterranean diet, originating in Crete, a popular Greek island. The diet is popular because it focuses on the traditional Greek palette, including olive oil, fresh vegetables and fruits, and yogurt.
The life expectancy is greater in Crete than in other countries in the world, and citizens show lower heart disease risk. Research suggests that longer lifespans and healthier populations are due to the typical Greek diet.
Grilled fish, Louvi, and souvlaki are simple and traditional Greek dishes. Louvi is a black-eyed bean salad. If you are not known for your cooking, there are plenty of authentic Greek restaurants in larger cities.
2. Japanese
Like Crete, Japanese citizens have a higher than average life expectancy. In fact, Japan has some of the highest recorded life expectancy averages globally.
Traditional Japanese cuisine consists of seafood and vegetables. Fish is particularly popular in Japan, making most diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Additionally, Japan makes many meals out of fermented soy products rich in probiotics — Miso is among the most popular.
Vegetable stir-fries, sashimi, and miso soup are among the most healthy dishes in the country. Each plate is rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
3. Mexican
While many people consider Tex-Mex and Taco Bell traditional Mexican, they are not even close. Traditional Mexican food is rich in veggies, fruit, and beans. The fruits and veggies that make up most Mexican cuisine include:
- Avocados
- Tomatoes
- Chili peppers
- Corn
An authentic Mexican diet contains crucial vitamins and minerals. The diet is rich in iron, magnesium, zinc, and potassium.
It would be best to get away from the Americanized versions of Mexican dishes. For instance, avoid loaded nachos or sour cream-topped enchiladas. Authentic Mexican cuisine is vegetable-heavy. When made with the right recipe, guacamole, fajitas, carnitas, and carne asada are all examples of healthy and flavorful foods.
A healthy diet does not have to be a bland diet. While it is easy to fall into the trap of removing all flavor from your diet when cutting calories, you can avoid it. Select a healthy international cuisine and master a few flavorful meals. Once you master a few dishes from one cuisine, select another. Keep expanding your tastes. Even healthy diets can be adventurous and fulfilling.