If you thought eating healthy meant boredom, then think again!  You can enjoy a delicious, hearty meal bursting with flavor and still receive the health benefits you need to enjoy life.  A centuries-old approach to eating, touted by scientists as one of the healthiest in the world, is available on the menu at Zorba's Mediterranean Café.

What makes the Mediterranean diet, as studied by scientists, so beneficial?  A diet rich in olive oil and plant foods can lead to a longer life, and can prevent problems with heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

Plant foods--such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, herbs and spices--provide copious amounts of antioxidants, micronutrients, vitamins and minerals that enhance your health and provide protection against disease.  They also supply the body with fiber, which helps to stop wild swings in blood sugar.

Scientists have found that olive oil, a great source of monounsaturated fat, can fight disease at the cell level, reduce levels of "bad" cholesterol, and is anti-inflammatory.  But olive oil, in connection with other healthy foods, somehow provides an exceptionally stellar combination of health benefits.

The menu at Zorba's Mediterranean Café delivers healthy Greek cuisine and other Mediterranean classic favorites.  Chef Atilla aims to satisfy your palate, but your whole body will feel great!

Appetizers offered by Zorba's Mediterranean Café include tzatziki, which is a dip made from sour cream, cucumbers, garlic, and olive oil; hummus, a dip made from chickpeas, garlic, lemon, tzatziki, and olive oil; and baba ghannoush, made from roasted eggplant, garlic, lemon, tzatziki and olive oil.  You'll also enjoy the appetizer of grape leaves, stuffed with vegetables and rice and served with tzatziki.

Healthy choices are also available with Zorba's salads:  Greek salad is composed of iceberg and romaine lettuces, tossed with a special house dressing, and crowned with feta cheese, Greek olives, and fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and onions.  Fattoush salad also combines iceberg and romaine lettuces, and boasts toasted pita bites, fresh cucumbers, Mediterranean spices, and a topping of special house dressing.  Tabbouleh salad blends bunches of crisp parsley and fresh tomatoes with hearty cracked wheat, fresh lemon juice and olive oil.

Other delicious, healthy options include Zorba's plate specials:  chicken sharwarma, which is a marinated chicken breast slowly broiled on a vertical grill; the world-famous gyro, with seasoned beef and lamb also grilled on a vertical grill; kufte, charbroiled fresh ground beef which has been blended with fresh parsley, onions, and spices; and the falafel plate, specially seasoned vegetable patties served with tzatziki sauce.  All plates are served with hummus, salad, rice, pita bread, and a drink.

Sandwich combos are also available, served with salad or fries, and a drink:  chicken sharwarma, served with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and tzatziki sauce, and wrapped in pita bread; gyro sandwich, served with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki in pita bread; kufte sandwich, served up in pita bread; and falafel pita, which features the seasoned vegetable patties with tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles, tucked into pita bread.

Luscious choices continue with fruit smoothies, which are 100 percent natural and are made with real honey.

So who says healthy food can't taste great? Come in to Zorba's Mediterranean Café and taste the healthy side of Greek cuisine; Located at Cordova Mall's Food Court in Pensacola and Satisfy Your Palate!

Cordova Mall's food court
5100 N. 9th Avenue | Pensacola, Florida 32504
phone: (850) 476-1525 | fax: (850) 476-1599