Stories from Saudi: You are what you eat

A food lover family on their own special way…everything related to diet and healthy books…
Fat free and athletic environment…cares less about traditional food.
This is what we figured out from our meeting with um Mishaal, a 34 year old housewife having 2 attractive fit young girls.

Obesity and overweight status gets to her and she can’t stand seeing big fat persons around her.
Her daughters and husband totally agree with her way of thinking and cooking…diet and nutritious magazines are spread all over her place…though no sign of sickness or disease in the family…

“You are what you eat! According to her, “diet” doesn’t mean deprivation…Diet is an organized way of eating that by time becomes a life style…We do love food and sweets of all kinds but also quality and quantity control is “health” by itself” she clarified.
…and the idea of having 2 daughters according to her means fit shape and quality food control should start from an early age of life.

All kinds of fresh vegetables, low fat products and fresh fruits exist in her cuisine…including low fat butter… always on the menu and the provision list…Lurpak (unsalted) and Flora light. Lurpak is used in all her cooking as well as cakes and pastries…quite convinced that Lurpak is “light and easy to digest”. Flora is used at breakfast and mainly school sandwiches for the kids.

Neither heavy traditional food nor margarine is on the list of their eating habits. Grilled and boiled food are basically on her daily menu…including some light sweets from time to time…“My kids have pleasure in eating bread and butter but they always know control is there” she stated. We concluded that Lurpak is used in all her cooking, sweets, cookies and pastries...tasty, healthy and light. Mazola oil and olive oil are used when necessary. Food control lies in the quantity according to her.

Home provision is done on a weekly basis and she enjoys shopping at “Safeway” since all kinds of fresh vegetables and fruits and low fat dairy products and other diet products are always available there.

Lurpak (the silver pack) and Flora (the yellow pack) are always spotted from a distance…According to her, Flora pack is more practical and it is kept well reserved after it is opened.
We simply followed her to the kitchen to prepare lunch…spaghetti was on the menu…a small tea spoon Lurpak butter was dropped at the bottom of the pan… “Gives it flavor” she sighed. The stew was a combination of fresh minced meat, onions, fresh mushrooms, fresh green pepper and garlic. The recipe was amazing…all fried together with a little piece of Lurpak butter.

According to her butter is required and…nothing is fattening when in low quantities.