Regional Recipes: Travel Around the World with These 8fit Meals
We love having such a multicultural user base because it shows that, no matter where we live in the world, we’re all working towards the same goal: live a healthier lifestyle. That said, healthy meals don’t look the same for everyone. Geography, climate, and general accessibility vary greatly across the globe and, in turn, affect the which foods each of us has access to. What you’ll find at your local shop in New York will differ greatly from what your fellow 8fitter in Rio might find at theirs.
To eat regionally, or to get a taste of what your 8fit pal across the globe is eating, we’ve combined a list of our favorite regional recipes for you to experience and enjoy. Give one of these a try next time you’re looking for a healthy meal fit for your part of the work or next time you’re feeling like visiting a new region with your taste buds.
Embracing international cuisines
8fit HQ is very international. When our team of nutritionists develops new recipes, they collaborate across the company to make regional recipes as authentic and healthy as possible. You can find the selection of recipes below inside the 8fit app. They’re inspired by many different cuisines including Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Indian, Latin American and African.
Editor’s note: We categorize the cuisines by region instead of getting overspecific. This is because the availability of ingredients within regions is often quite similar. Of course, you can enjoy any cuisine you fancy or one that fits your cultural environment.
Regional Recipes from the 8fit App
Asian
You really can’t go wrong with Asian-inspired food — it’s full of vibrant colors, crunchy textures, and powerful flavors. Plus, it’s usually super healthy as it’s packed with fresh veggies and light sauces. If you want to cook any recipe that calls for a grain you can’t find where you are, feel free to replace it with rice and vice versa. Try our Sesame Seared Tuna with Broccoli.
Some of our other favorite Asian-inspired dishes include:
Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad
Asian Salmon with Spinach and Rice
Asian Salad with Peanut Dressing
Fresh Rice with Tofu and Tomatoes
Thai Chicken Coconut Soup
Chicken Pineapple Stir-Fry
Summer Rolls with Shrimp
Mediterranean
Mediterranean cuisine is all about simplicity and utilizing the fresh flavors of the sea. The region’s slow-cooked stews and bakes tend to be tomato-based and packed with the abundance of bright, local veggies. If you’re looking to recreate a Mediterranean fish recipe but don’t have the fish in question, use any local fish or seafood. Try our Baked Fish with Vegetables.
More Mediterranean delights from the 8fit app:
Mediterranean Baked Fish
Ratatouille with Beans
Basque Chicken
Tuscan White Bean Stew
Pasta Primavera
Italian Turkey with Polenta
Ham & Cantaloupe Salad
Indian
Indian food is full of delicious sauces and coatings that are made from countless fragrant spices. The diet contains great sources of plant-based protein and fresh side salads too. If you need to, replace conventional bread with roti or whole grain paratha and use your usual fresh yogurt instead of Greek yogurt. Also, If you’re struggling to find the cheeses we mention, don’t be afraid to use paneer. Give our Indian Turkey with Rice & Kachumber a try!
More Indian dishes to fall in love with:
Tadka Dal with Chapati
Indian Rice & Kidney Beans (Rajma Chawal)
Red Lentil & Sweet Potato
Cauliflower Dahl
Tomato, Coconut, & Chickpea Soup
Indian Aloo Palak Subzi with Tofu
Curry Chicken with Mango Rice
Latin American
For us, foods found in Latin America always satisfy — mostly because avocado, fresh salsas, garlic, and lots of herbs are always involved. When it comes to bean-forward Latin American dishes, feel free to interchange one bean for another. Hummus can also easily be substituted with guacamole when avocados are scarce or too expensive. Try our favorite savory breakfast: 8fit’s Breakfast Quesadilla with Salsa.
Other must-try Latin American-inspired recipes include:
Warm Chicken, Beans & Veggies with Avocado
Mexican Spice Beans & Sweet Potato Mix
Mexican Chicken Chili
Veggie Burrito Bowl
Crispy Black Bean & Feta Tacos
Spicy Turkey Tacos
Tortilla Soup
Argentina
Though part of Latin America, we know that ingredients for typical Argentinian cuisine can be a bit tricky to find. The cuisine retains many qualities from its region but is highly influenced by Mediterranean food, with beef being a signature protein at BBQs. If you can’t find something like a condiment, feel free to leave it out and keep the dish simple. 8fit’s Steak with Chimichurri & Parsnip Fries is an Argentinian-inspired favorite.
Try other Argentinan flavored dishes in the 8fit app:
Beef Steak with Broccoli & Potatoes
Baked Fish with Vegetables
Burger with Caramelized Onion &
Mustard Lamb Cutlets with Sweet Potato
Italian Rocket Salad with Cured Ham
White Fish with Polenta & Orange Crust
Middle Eastern
Eating a Middle Eastern dish is like having a bazaar of flavors, aromas and colors hit your plate. It contains lots of chickpeas and lentils, with the meat of preference being lamb. Every meal is seasoned with powerful spice blends — but, like we say often, feel free to adjust the spice combos to your taste and to use fresh herbs instead of dried. Try 8fit’s Falafel Burgers!
Other great Middle Eastern dishes from the 8fit app include:
Lamb Kofta
Minced Beef & Zucchini with Poached Egg
Lentil & Chickpea Burgers
Middle Eastern Rice Salad
Homemade Oat Pita with Rocket & Hummus
Ground Beef Spinach with Rice
Tahini Noodles with Roasted Carrots & Chickpeas
African
Deliciously exotic, much of the African diet consists of lots of tropical fruit and veg. There’s an abundance of cassava, coconut, corn, banana, and peanuts, and the cuisine is heavily influenced by the influx of immigrants over the last centuries. If you’re based in an African region and your recipe calls for sweet potato or polenta, feel free to use cassava or ugali instead. To cook a healthy African meal in your home, try our Spiced Corn in Coconut Milk recipe.
If that one looks good, here are some other dishes you might like:
Red Lentil & Sweet Potato
Lime & Ginger Lamb Chops
Caramelized Banana with Avocado Cream
Minced Beef & Zucchini with Poached Egg
Beef & Green Bean Stew
Egg Masala Toast
Curry Chicken & Tomato
