Five Best Greek Foods You Should Be Eating Now

1. Vegetable Pies. Yes, you read right. Pies, a health food? Yes actually as long as they are made the Greek way. Pies - or pites as we call them here in Greece (not to be confused with pita bread) - usually contain a bunch of vegetables along with herbs, olive oil and sometimes cheese, wrapped in phyllo. The most popular one is the spinach pie (spanakopita), but you also find greens pie (hortopita), leek pie, pepper pie and the list goes on and on. You get the goodness of vegetables all wrapped up in the crunchy phyllo. They are great to take along on picnics or for a quick lunch or as a side dish.

2. Greens. In Greece they are called horta. Wild greens are the best if you have the opportunity to find them, but cultivated ones will do just fine. This is a unique part of the Greek diet; eating wild plants and leafy greens, lightly boiled with a bit of olive oil and lemon. They are rich in vitamin A, C and calcium, but mainly in antioxidants that play a role in protecting against cancer and other chronic diseases.

How? Buy some leafy greens and boil them. Serve with lemon juice and olive oil, accompany with bread and a piece of feta cheese.

3. Cretan Barley Rusks-Paximadi. These barley rusks are not only a popular food in Crete and the rest of Greece but they are extremely good for you. The authentic Cretan rusks are made from 100% barley flour baked till they are hard. It is a source of whole grains, which means that keep you satisfied, and keeps your appetite under control. Several studies have shown that consumption of whole grain products (at least 3 servings a day) can reduce the risk of diabetes by 30 percent. Furthermore, research conducted by the USDA (U.S Department of Agriculture) showed that a diet rich in barley may reduce cholesterol levels. Barley contains tocotrienol, natural form of vitamin E, which inhibits the production of cholesterol. Finally, preliminary investigations showed that they might reduce the risk of ulcers.

How? Find them online or specialty markets. Soak the rusk in water, drizzle some olive oil, load with tomato and cheese and enjoy.

To read more and to get more recipes with these ingredients, visit Food and Leisure International Guide