It’s interesting to see the spread of Middle Eastern foods amongst the tried and true American traditions. You can tell when a food is popular: McDonald’s will pick up these ethnic foods and make a profit off of them. One British newspaper carried an article calling the falafel the “perfect post-pint (of beer) veggie grub.”
But my interest in Middle Eastern foods, and in the falafel in particular, is the healthy nutrition many of them offer. There’s a reason for the growing popularity and the increasing access we have to these new food choices!
The falafel, an Arabic food that resembles a meat ball or a patty, is made from non-meat products and can be served as a finger food or in a pita, sandwich style. Some folks consider it a form of the kebab, only better. The traditional falafel is made from ground chick peas or fava beans and provides a nice variety in vegetarian or educated non-vegetarian diets.
Now throw in the twist of a gluten free diet, and falafel may be your next best friend. The basis of the falafel is the perfectly safe, gluten free-friendly fava bean (or chick pea), ground up with an interesting mix of spices and made spicy and just right. And some of the gluten free blogs and web sites will happily share great menus and serving suggestions. Check out what the Internet offers for a gluten free falafel mix. Mmm, imagine some falafel on a gluten free flat bread, served with a creamy cilantro sauce.
Now if these ideas of including gluten free falafel in your diet don’t get your imagination going, and your shopping list growing, you may need some encouragement. Start with a few of those pints that the newspaper mentioned. See if the idea of a spicy, terrific veggie snack doesn’t seem more appealing!
