How to Eat Healthy at a Thai Restaurant

Refrain from choosing Pad, or Phat, Thai if you are trying to eat healthy at a Thai restaurant.

Thailand is in Southeast Asia, and its cuisine has fresh, vibrant flavors. Eating healthy at a Thai restaurant does not mean sacrificing taste. Thai food makes generous use of herbs and other flavors, such as lemon grass, cilantro, chilies, garlic and lime juice. Choose dishes that use lean proteins, such as fish, shrimp, scallops and chicken. Learn how to navigate the menu at a Thai restaurant to avoid hidden fat, sugar and refined carbohydrates. Does this Spark an idea?

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Instructions

- 1
  
  Start your meal with a healthy appetizer instead of a spring roll or dumpling. Mango salad or cold spring rolls are fresh and have minimal added fat. If you prefer soup, opt for a hot and sour broth, such as Tom Yum Koong, made with mushrooms and shrimp. Avoid deep-fried appetizers or cream-based soups.
- 2
  
  Choose a lean protein that is sautéed or steamed. A quick pan-fry is healthier than deep-frying and steaming is even better. Choose sautéed or steamed shrimp, mussels, fish or chicken with chili paste, Thai herbs or garlic sauce.
- 3
  
  Avoid coconut and peanut-based sauces. The rich flavor of Thai curries and peanut sauces comes from fat. Refrain from choosing coconut fish or chicken, Thai green curry, called Kaeng Keo Wan Kai, or fatty sauces, such as Nam Jim Satay.
- 4
  
  Choose a healthy side dish such as soup or salad instead of noodles or rice. Ask for a healthy side instead of the usual sticky rice; crispy noodles, or Mee Krob; rice noodles, or Pad Thai; or fried rice, called Kao Pad. Noodles and rice are high in refined carbohydrates, which should be limited to maintain a healthy weight.
- 5
  
  Choose savory versus sweet dishes. Thai food makes use of sweet ingredients, such as pineapple, oyster sauce and sweet and sour sauces. These foods can be very high in sugar, so choose sauces that feature savory ingredients, such as garlic, black bean, lemon grass, basil and chilies instead.

Photo Credit thai shrimp noodles image by Lucid_Exposure from Fotolia.com

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