Healthy meal at Porto Bello in the UAE

In a region where restaurants advertise all-you-can-eat offers and roll out international buffets galore, where fast-food outlets compete for customers in every mall and corner shops are prepared to deliver junk food straight to your door, healthy eating doesn't come easy in the UAE. That said, if recent face-lifts to restaurant menus are anything to go by, things are changing. From nutritional information appearing on lunchtime salads and sandwiches, to new menus with a clear health focus, the food industry seems to be waking up to the fact that increasingly, people want to be able to make informed choices about what they are eating. Andreas Borgmann, the co-owner of Kcal in Dubai's Jumeirah Lake Towers, says the idea for this healthy fast-food restaurant - every dish on the varied menu contains 300 calories or less - was born out of a recognition of the importance of transparency. "People in the UAE were becoming more aware of the need to eat healthily, but this was proving to be very difficult. Even ordering a 'healthy' salad from a takeaway is not always ideal, very rarely is any nutritional information displayed on the menu," he says. Not only are all the dishes on the menu at Kcal (from the beef burger and whole-wheat bun to the sweet banana sushi with chocolate sauce) calorie controlled, they are also approved by registered nutritionists who, Borgmann says "work closely with the chefs to perfect every dish. Each gram of protein, carbohydrate and fat is counted and all our food is grilled or baked, never fried." The bonus, however, is that this information is readily available. "We strive to provide our customers with honest and truthful information detailing the nutritional value of each dish," says Borgmann. As part of an ongoing initiative, prompted by the results of a global survey which found that 83 per cent of their international guests agreed with the statement "I am focusing more on eating healthy and well-balanced meals today than I was in the past", Fairmont Hotels and Resorts worldwide is attempting to provide its customers with healthier dining options. Consequently, the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi has launched Lifestyle Cuisine Plus, an eclectic menu available in all the restaurants at the hotel. Diners can select from a list of heart-healthy options (with dishes such as herb-roasted chicken breast with chickpea and tabbouleh salad), a menu suitable for people suffering from diabetes (offering a range of grilled meats and seafood and even a sugar-free apple and cinnamon bread pudding), vegan starters, including roast beetroot salad with horseradish dressing, main courses (such as spicy penne arrabiata) and desserts, as well as items suitable for those following a gluten-free diet (for example Cornish crab cake with cucumber salad, seared scallops and lobster with pea purée). This enthusiasm for promoting healthy eating is being felt across the region. Just before Ramadan, in late July, the Millennium and Copthorne hotel group began a campaign to provide menus for people with diabetes in all its hotels in the Middle East. The menu was designed by the Grand Millennium Al Wahda's executive chef, Gus Moustakas, in collaboration with a diabetes expert from Mafraq Hospital in Abu Dhabi. It debuted at Porto Bello, the hotel's Italian restaurant. Moustakas explains that while the menu was created with the intention of providing those who suffer from diabetes with nutritionally balanced options, he also had something to prove. "Healthy meals don't have to be bland or uninspiring. It is very possible to create great-tasting food using natural flavour enhancers - herbs, spices, fruit, things like that. "The menu is suitable for anyone who wants to eat restaurant food without worrying that the meal is laden with fat and calories," he says. At the moment, diners can choose from dishes such as shrimp and coriander soup, filet mignon with steamed barley and peppercorn sauce and salmon with wilted spinach and cumin black beans.