Thirty-two Kuwaiti composite dishes were analyzed for their proximate composition and phytate content. The moisture content ranged from 89.5% in vegetable soup to 0.89% in rahash (a traditional sweet). The fat content varied from 0.99 to 29.2%. Fish dishes showed the highest protein content (20.9%) while vegetable soup had the lowest (1.19%). Carbohydrate content of the 32 dishes varied from 3.5% in fried fish to 53.3% in rahash. The ash content ranged from 5.1% in hallomi cheese to as low as 0.39% in legemat (sweet dumpling), Phytate content, ranged from 2835 mg/100 g in rahash to 32.6 mg/100 g in labnah (strained yoghurt). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.