Kleftiko, stifado, pasticcio – and any other Greek food that ends in an ‘o’ (or any other letter!) – they’re one of the big reasons I love visiting this sun-drenched destination so much. So when I was holidaying in Kefalonia this summer, I couldn’t wait to find the nearest taverna!
Sticking to a healthy eating plan on holiday is something we talk about a lot at Slimming World, and thankfully Food Optimising gives us the flexibility to enjoy our precious time away. We’re encouraged to pick a strategy (even if it’s to forget healthy eating altogether and get right back on track a week later!); whichever tactic works best for us in eliminating guilt, and helping us feel confident to regain control over our weight loss.
With this in mind, I was determined to make healthy choices where I could in Kefalonia – and here’s how I got on with the gorgeous Greek recipes…
My holiday menu
Breakfast: Everything of course tastes better when it’s sunny and I made the most of fresh home-grown fruit with delicious Greek yogurt, cinnamon and honey. I was also partial to boiled/poached eggs with tomato, cucumber and feta cheese.
Lunch: Greek salad of course! Juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, olives and feta cheese sprinkled with herbs – yum! I also devoured a tomato, mozzarella and basil omelette right next to gorgeous Xi beach in Lixouri – heaven.
Dinner: Loads of Greek recipes are prepared by grilling, which is great news when you’re determined to stay on track. On a day trip to the town of Lassi, we tucked into barbecued meat (pork souvlaki, mmm!), fish and seafood, with jacket potatoes and grilled veggies.
Out and about: There’s so much fresh fruit and veg available in the Med, even the smallest mini markets have a variety of melons, nectarines and bananas.
Before you present me with my halo, I did of course indulge in some not-so-healthy food – there are some Greek recipes I just couldn’t say no to! Check out this selection of traditional Greek meze (courgette fritters, cheese pie, saganaki, tzatziki, houmous, vine leaves).
Holidays and eating go together hand in hand in my opinion, and there was no way I was missing out on the local cuisine. That’s how Food Optimising works though – it’s all about choice power!
Exploring the island
Because it only takes an hour or so to get across, it’s dead easy to visit famous beauty spots in Kefalonia (eg Antisamos beach, Melissani cave).
Although our trip was 99% about relaxation, we did squeeze in a few exploration hikes, and a journey to the capital city, Argostoli. The harbour there is well-known for the giant sea turtles that visit, but sadly not on the day we were there!
I even managed to slip in a bit of beach Body Magic, with bat & ball rallies (aka fetch-the-ball-back-a-thons) and swimming (mainly retrieving the lilo) to keep me active between soaking up the rays.
Slimming World Greek recipes
To try and banish the post-holiday blues I’ve been trying out some Slimming World Greek recipes in my kitchen. It’s not quite the same as sitting in the sunshine with a soundtrack of cicadas, but it’s a pretty good second best!
Watermelon and feta salad – This was one of my favourite Greek recipes. I’m dead chuffed that I brought back some traditional herbs to top it with too!
If you’re also a fan of Greek recipes, these Food Optimising versions give a taste of the Med – and they’re all completely Free.
- Quorn moussaka: with tomato and Quorn mince ragu topped with sliced aubergine, it’s a low-Syn Greek-style favourite.
- Speedy houmous: the perfect Greek dip to go with cucumber and pepper slices. (If you’re a big houmous fan, there’s a 3-ways with houmous feature coming up in the Nov/Dec Slimming World magazine!)
- Pork souvlaki: A marinade of oregano, mint, lemon and garlic gives these skewers their authentic Greek flavour.
Show us your holiday food! We’d love to see your sunshine plates and holiday Body Magic.