Greek food! What to do?

Hi everyone, 

I'm on CC for weight gain/ ED recovery (Although I've reached a healthy size!!!) but I'm for once having a problem that doesn't involve me. Tomorrow, my grandmother is coming to visit me (I'm away at college) to hear about a recent study abroad trip I took to Greece and I would like to take her to a Mediterranean style restaurant in town. The problem is, Greek food, albiet DELICIOUS, is high calorie (I don't count any more but it saved my life weight gain wise so I know it is ;)) and she is on a pretty strict diet and has to eat around 500 cals per meal or something like that. She wants to go to the restaurant, to try the food I ate all summer, but asked me to find a low calorie option for her. I really don't want to start googling calories in Greek food, I like not knowing about calories anymore, but does anyone have any advice of what she could eat? She's had a lot of serious health problems lately, and is allergic to both dairy and shellfish, so I really want to help her out without sacrificing my sanity by looking at nutrition facts. 

I attached a link to the menu below. Thank you so much if you can help! 

http://www.mediterraneandeli.com/Menu/menu.ht ml

omg, greek is my favorite!  i dont know whats low cal, she could just have a bit of  diff things but gyros and moussaka and greek salad are amazing!

wow tori, all of those choices look amazing! they have so many more options than the greek places around here. Can I go eat with you?? I think any of the greek specialties would be good and they all look pretty healthy, grape leaves sandwich, garden pita, grilled veggie pita; she could get chicken souvlaki and a side salad. I like how you can get individual items too so she coudl try a bunch of different things, or you could share a larger dish. Enjoy your dinner!

Thanks!! I go there all the time and often get the grape leave sandwich. And they have an open bar with olives and tzakiki and tahini where you can get all you want. It's my favorite restaurant and favorite way to gain! I thought about suggesting the garden pita. I'll stick with the fattening gyro loaded with tzakiki and hummus. :) Sooo good.

 

any other ideas anyone?

the problem with most Greek restaurants is that they drown everything in olive oil.  The Greek diet is really healthy, and the reason Greeks have a lower incidence of heart disease is olive oil, but it can be high calorie.  Greek American food is another matter.  In Greece, people seldom eat red meat.  They eat more vegetables and small amounts of fish and chicken.  Restaurant food usually is what a Greek might eat, very rarely, on a holiday.  It's not everyday food.

There's bound to be something on the menu that will work.  Ask that they not add olive oil at the end. 

My favorite is Octopus. Get some octopus, grilled or even baked, and ask for your sides to be vegetables -- preferably not something that's been baked for hours in olive oil, but something like green beans.

Sadly, they don't have octopus and at least on the salad, I know that olive oil is already included. They have kind of deli-like set up where you can get salad, etc. by the pound so they just sort of scoop it out.

 

But, if we're going to talk about Greek food, I would just like to add my two cents saying that bread and tzakiki is perhaps my favorite food. :) And I do love Octopus! I was scared to try it in Greece, but when I did actually enjoyed it!

Well if you order a salad ask for dressing on a side. So what you can do is have a nice salad (minus the dressing), maybe an appetizer, then split an entry with your grandmother. Another option (if there is enough self control) is to order entry each, but eat half of it. The rest take home for dinner, or lunch the next day.

The pita's are really high cal so maybe if she ordered the chicken gyro and only ate half the pita and all veggies and chicken (no feta since she is lactose intolerant).  The chicken kabob with a small portion of hummus would be good.  Note that the tzaziki (I know i just mispelled it, but you know) is made from greek yogurt and think is considered dairy so check on that (so the best part of greek food).  Have her stay away from rice, mostly bc there are so many other yummy choices for the same calories.  Don't be afraid to let them know her diet, they will work with you if you tell them she has health issues.  Maybe call them ahead of time and let them know her situation and ask them for suggestions on how to order so she won't feel embarrassed or feel like it's a big deal.  Enjoy!