Health and Fitness facts

Fitting Thai cuisine into a healthy diet

by Laura Zubrod, R.D.

Asian cuisine is often promoted as being a low-fat nutritious option in a healthful diet. This is because the Asian diet emphasizes rice, noodles, and vegetables while meat, poultry, and seafood are served in small portions. Rice and noodles are good sources of complex carbohydrates and vegetables are good sources of fiber and vitamins A and C. Tofu, or soybean curd, is a commonly used ingredient that is high in protein, low in fat, and cholesterol-free. Calcium-rich foods are limited in Thai cooking, since milk, cheese, and yogurt are not part of the traditional diet. Most of the calcium in the Thai diet comes from fish with edible bones and vegetables such as greens and kale, although the amount of calcium found in these foods is much less than in milk, yogurt, and cheese.
Many Thai dishes are stir-fried, grilled, boiled, or steamed, so they are likely to be lower in fat. The areas to watch in Thai dining are the hidden sources of fat and sodium. Deep-fat frying is a common technique used for many menu items and can quickly increase the fat and calorie content of food. Coconut milk and cream are another source of fat. Coconut products are particularly harmful because they contain saturated fat—the kind that can raise blood cholesterol levels. Coconut milk and cream are key ingredients in curries, sticky rice, and many Thai sweets. Another hidden source of coconut milk are satay and peanut sauce. Keep in mind that although nuts have healthful properties, they are also a concentrated source of fat. Dishes with large quantities of nuts such as cashew chicken will provide a lot of extra fat and calories. Organ meats are very high in fat and cholesterol and should be eaten only occasionally. Stir-fry dishes prepared with small amounts of oil can be quite low in fat. However, not all stir-fries are the same, sometimes restaurants serve foods that are stir-fried in large amounts of oil.
For those who are sodium-sensitive, Thai food has many hidden sources of sodium to watch out for. MSG (monosodium glutamate), soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, black sauce, yellow bean sauce, and shrimp paste are all high-sodium ingredients used in Thai cooking.
Helpful tips for dining on Thai cuisine:
Fill up on low-calorie soups such as tom yum goong, and gaeng jued woon sen (bean curd soup with noodles). Warm liquids enhance satiety, causing you to eat less.
Choose lower fat entrees to balance out higher fat choices. Eat higher fat dishes as side dishes, keeping the main portion of your meal steamed rice, or noodles, vegetables, and entrees lower in fat.
Watch condiments that are high in fat such as salad dressings and peanut sauce.
Enjoy fruit for dessert.
Enjoy these foods more often:
lean meats, seafood, and vegetables stir-fried in small amounts of oil
steamed, grilled, and boiled entrees
stir-fried vegetables
steamed rice
noodles
som tom
tom yum goong
pad Thai (stir-fried rice noodles)
pot sa eue (stir-fried rice noodles, kale, and chicken)
yum woon sen (spicy cellophane noodles with ground pork and seafood)
Enjoy these foods sometimes:
deep-fried fish, seafood, and meats
dishes with coconut milk and cream such as curries, sticky rice, tom kha gai
dishes will large amounts of nuts such as cashew chicken
shrimp cakes and crab cakes
spring rolls
organ meats
satay and peanut sauce
kai jeow (Thai omelet)
The same guidelines that pertain to making food selections in any healthy diet also apply when eating Thai food. The keys are variety, balance, and moderation. Eat a variety of foods from all food groups, balance high and low fat foods, and practice moderation. Become educated about which foods contain the most calories, fat, and cholesterol and make your choices accordingly. It’s all about making trade-offs, not just at one meal but throughout the day and every day. Remember, there are no bad foods, all foods can be part of a healthful diet.