JeanneinDoha's Guide to Healthy Eating in Qatar

Having lived in Doha for over five years, I know how hard it can be to commit to staying in shape and eating healthily. That said, with a little preparation, flexibility and willpower, you can easily avoid putting on the Doha stone. In this post, I will share a few tips to guide you on your healthy eating journey whilst living in Qatar.

A couple of caveats before I continue: diet and exercise are partners when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. This post will focus on the 'diet' portion of this equation. Secondly, I have no nutritional training aside form my personal experience transitioning from a life of obesity to one of healthy eating and fitness. I've kept my 25+ kg. (55 lb.) weight loss off for the past 12 years, and it is one of my proudest achievements.

Plan your meals.

Whatever your lifestyle and regardless of whether you work or not, meal planning is a great way to begin your healthy eating journey. As a rule, I plan my meals on a weekly basis and do a large grocery expedition once a week. Meal planning ensures that you focus on eating the right foods in appropriate potion sizes. It also helps you save money: you are less likely to impulse buy items not on your shopping list or waste food. Find the time over the weekend to prepare meals for the upcoming week, especially if you need to take lunch into work on a regular basis.

The Budget Bytes blog has heaps of awesome meal prep ideas. Check it out!

Replace white carbohydrates with brown and vary your grains.

Exchanging white carbs for brown ones is a simple way to eat healthier. In addition, sweet potatoes are an excellent alternative to white potatoes. (Sweet potato wedges are one of my favorite side dishes: cut potatoes into wedges, generously cover with paprika, a little cumin, coriander, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and some olive oil. Bake on a greased tray at around 200°C until tender to a prong by a fork.) In addition, seek out alternative grains, e.g., quinoa, farro and kamut - all high in protein and fiber and less likely to bloat you or give you an afternoon carb-induced slump.

Read your food labels.

I cannot stress enough the importance of reading food labels. Prior to paying attention to the ingredients in packaged foods, I was fairly confident that I ate well. So, I never understood why eating some chick peas out of a can could leave me feeling so bloated. Reading my food labels was eye-opening. I realized, for example, that a healthy-looking box of Almond Breeze nut milk contained all kinds of unpronounceable chemicals, that my innocuous hot sauce counted xanthum gum as one of its ingredients, and that my tin of chick peas was laced with E numbers. 

Nowadays, I generally buy organic condiments (e.g., ketchup, mustard, soy sauce), canned beans, nut butters and other packaged foods. Here in Doha, some of the best organic, additive-free food deals can be found in  Lulu Hypermarket. That said 'organic' does not equal 'additive-free', so continue to read ingredient labels.  

Check out 100 Days of Real Food as you begin your additive-free journey.  

Shop around the edges of your supermarket.
As you become more aware of the contents of your food, you will invariably choose to eat less packaged food. The more fresh fruit, vegetables, lean and plant protein contained in your shopping trolley (items usually found around the outer edges of a supermarket's interior), the healthier you are likely to be eating.

Moderate (better yet, significantly reduce) your alcohol consumption.

I'm broadly teetotal these days, so I know it's easy for me to prattle on about this. However, it's hard to ignore that alcohol contains a lot of wasted calories. Cocktails are some of the worst offenders, as they are filled with sweet syrups and (often) poor-quality fruit juice. Consider swapping your calorific beer or cocktail for lower-calorie alternatives such as a vodka and soda. Even better, try find ways to enjoy the world around you that don't involve copious alcohol consumption.

Be mindful of what you eat rather than obsessively counting calories.

I have counted calories and lived off calorie deficits. Whilst this might work for some people, more often than not doing so left me hangry. As my husband will confirm, I am decidedly unpleasant when hangry. So, I now focus on eating nutritious food, feeling pleasantly full and never restricting myself when it comes to lean (or plant-based) protein, fruits, vegetables and nutrient-rich grains. 

Don't live for cheat days. Instead focus on consistently eating well and feeling satisfied.

I'm not a fan of the cheat day concept. It's far better to eat consciously and sufficiently every day rather than barely eating through the week and scoffing over the weekends. 

Treat yourself.

Life is too short to live without cake. That said, try to make healthy dessert choices. Vegan cakes such as those from Raw ME or Evergreen Organics are some of my favorites. Based primarily on nuts and naturally occurring sugars, these desserts are anything but unhealthy.