5 Healthy Thai Foods
There is no doubt that Thailand inhabits some of the most famous dishes in the world. It’s a country very focused on food, as you can see with your own eyes if you venture down any street in Bangkok or any other city in the Kingdom of Thailand. Compared to western food, it is clear Thai food is much ‘lighter’ but that doesn’t mean all of it is healthy. Some may mistake some foods for being healthy as there are vegetables and rice, but looks can deceive. So below I have listed 5 healthy Thai foods for you to try:
1. Som Tam (Papaya Salad)
It consists of mostly all vegetables, sometimes crab or shrimp, but it is hands down the most healthy dish on this list. It hits no pan so no oil or other substances touches it. However, there’s a decent amount of brown sugar and a couple of tablespoons of fish sauce which contain sodium. The fish sauce will stay for it gives most of the flavor, but you can ask to make it without the sugar by saying “mai waan” when ordering, meaning not sweet. You will have to deal with more spice however as there is no sweetness to tame it, but that too you can ask to receive less of by saying “mai phet” meaning not spicy.
2. Khao Man Gai (Chicken Rice)
With plenty of protein and carbohydrates, it’s a good after workout meal and is relatively cheap. This makes a perfect lunch if you are out and about in the city as you don’t leave the restaurant hungry and you aren’t too full for more walking. Served with cucumber, soup and spicy dipping sauce on the side, you have multiple options of flavor you can mix your chicken rice with.
3. Yum Talay (Seafood Salad)
Yum Talay, the seafood salad is essentially what you expect it to be, a salad with seafood. Some tomatoes and onions are mixed in with the squid, shrimp, mussels, scallops and crab, making it a delicious combo. However, it depends where you go as the combination of seafood will vary.
4. Tom Yum Goong (Hot & Sour Soup With Shrimp
With this dish you have to make sure you do not order the creamy type, as it contains a significant amount of coconut milk and sugar. However the shrimp in it is low-fat and has high protein. So just keep in mind there are many variations of Tom Yum, some being less healthy than others.
5. Kaeng Liang (Vegetable Soup)
Apart from the fish or soy sauce, this dish includes mostly only healthy ingredients. As the name of the dish says, there are vegetables and much of it. Sometimes added with shrimp, which as mentioned before, is high on protein and is a good substitute for most meat. So this is one of the healthiest dishes in Thailand.
I hope this helped you with your food choices if you are on a diet and struggle to know which food is good for you and which are not. I wish you a great and healthy adventure, traveler!
If you’re looking to learn how to cook Thai food, checkout Sompong Thai Cooking School or drop us an email.
