It’s hard to stick to a specific diet, but for people like coeliac sufferer Chelsea Clinton it’s essential. For others it’s a lifestyle choice. Julia Roberts is one of the many celebrities who swears by all things organic. She has an organic garden at her Malibu home to ensure that her children grow up knowing where vegetables originate.
It’s a big commitment not only to stay the course but to source the desired foods. The UAE does have its fair share of specialist food providers, if you know where to find them.
Supermarkets such as Choithrams, Spinneys, Waitrose, Carrefour, LuLu and Al Maya stock a selection of dairy, egg, wheat and sugar-free products, besides organic products. Some have extensive ranges; others are just a token. However, availability is growing along with the city.
Gluten-free gems
The Organic Foods & Café in Abu Dhabi and Dubai stock all special foods including gluten-free items. In Dubai there is also Park n Shop, Milk & Honey Gourmet, Sweet Connection and in Carrefour, Spinneys and Union Coop, Italian Schär products (also free from lactose, eggs and soya) are available.
Gerblé products from Nutrition & Santé are in Carrefour, while Choithrams has Livwell gluten-free bread flown in from the UK, plus Barkat gluten-free pastas and Alara gluten-free cereals.
Many baked products — from Arabian pitta bread (also dairy and egg-free) to German speciality bread Das Sonnige — can be delivered to your door. The Naked Pizza in Dubai Marina dispatches “amazing gluten-free cheese pizza for only Dh39”, says secondary school student Josh Fryer of Jebel Ali, although these are available in a ten-inch crust only.
Gluten-free afternoon teas are available in many five-star hotels across the emirates but consumers need to warm them at least 24 hours beforehand. The Jumeirah Zabeel Saray on The Palm makes superb gluten-free red velvet scones but says Katie King, its PR and Communications Manager, “These need to be ordered in advance, as with the other gluten-free afternoon teas.”
Gluten-free products can also be ordered online at www.glutenfree-supermarket.ae.
Ordering organically
The Organic Foods & Café caters for sufferers of conditions including coeliac disease, lactose intolerance and diabetes. “We aim to provide healthy nutritious food the way it was meant to be,” says owner Nils El Accad.
Ripe Middle East is an organic fruit and vegetable company that holds weekly markets for local farmers to bring in their fresh produce. Ripe markets are at Safa Park and The Courtyard in Al Quoz, Dubai, and Jones the Grocer at Al Raha Gardens Plaza, Abu Dhabi.
Orders online can be taken at www.ripeme.com/orders
Organic Francine flour has been added to Carrefour’s shelves. “This is a famous ‘fluid’ flour, which doesn’t need to be sieved,” says the distributor.
Maybury supermarket in Dubai Marina has special foods such as corn pasta, organic teas, Doves rice flour and Linda McCartney’s vegetarian frozen meals.
Baker & Spice Dubai’s menu concentrates on seasonal fruits and vegetables. Its various outlets offer local, organic, fresh and home-made fare and there’s a wide choice for vegetarian diners. It also holds a farmers’ market on the Terrace at Jumeirah Emirates Towers.
Balance Café in the Oasis Centre, Dubai, focuses on a concept of holistic lifestyle through exercise, therapies and food, the idea being to make you feel good inside and out.
Victuals for vegans
Vegans may not all be as dedicated as actress Alicia Silverstone, who works with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to promote veganism and has a blog and book dedicated to the vegan lifestyle. She also created a line of environmentally friendly vegan make-up.
The UAE vegans can buy 100 per cent raw, organic and vegan super foods that come from sustainable sources at Be Super Natural food store in the Galeries Lafayette, Dubai Mall.
This can also be ordered online at www.besupernatural.com.
“One of the greatest things about eating organic clean food is not just the additional nutrients you receive, but the nasty things you remove,” says Hayley Mac, founder, Be Super Natural.
Choithrams offers a vegan product from Fry’s Family Foods of South Africa. “Being a pescatarian myself, I have found this a great substitute to meat. Our vegetarian/vegan customers have responded well to this. We also have vegan cheese from the US,” says Dinesh Pagarani, Group General Manager, Choithrams. The group recently announced an alliance with 24 Mantra’s range of organic spices, lentils, rice, flour and other products.
Vegans in Dubai (and the UAE) is a community Facebook page at www.facebook.com/vegan.uae that offers updates, recipes and tips on a vegan lifestyle plus where to buy and eat vegan. Another good website for vegans isLoving-it-raw.com, created by Dubai-based South African Alison Andrews who tells her story for all to gain inspiration from.
Healthy habitats
Bestro Restaurant, opening soon in the Be Super Natural store in the Galeries Lafayette, Dubai Mall, will offer raw, live, organic and vegan food. Chef Mac believes that all food should be organic as a minimum prerequisite for the health benefits and the long-term sustainability of the environment.
Other organic and specialist restaurants include The Organic Foods & Café, The Taste Initiative, the Park Hyatt in Dubai (it notably uses sustainable local fish) and Aryaas opposite BurJuman in Bur Dubai has been cooking top southern Indian vegetarian fare for a modest fee.
Kamat Vegetarian Restaurant outlets specialise in south Indian food and offer north Indian specialities including masala kulcha bread blended with spices, as well as Jain food.
Just Falafel has home-grown, meat-free fast food for all tastes from the classic Arabian falafel of cucumber and turnip pickles, parsley, mint, tomatoes and tahini dressing in tortilla bread to world cuisine adaptations including American, Japanese, Egyptian, Indian, Greek and Mexican.
Comptoir 102 opposite the Beach Centre on Jumeirah Beach Road offers wholesome healthy choices to vegetarians and there are some meat and fish options too. The lunch menu changes daily and also provides gluten free, dairy-free and raw food choices.
Marta’s Workshop inside Marta’s Kitchen headquarters in Swiss Tower, Cluster Y, Jumeirah Lake Towers, has a lunch-only set menu prepared by chef Marta Yanci, owner and founder of Marta’s Kitchen. While the restaurant is all about quality, creative, freshly prepared foods and limited servings, Marta’s Kitchen can also prepare long-term personal catering for special diets including detox, gluten-free, low-calorie and vegetarian.
