Thai food is one of the healthiest choices when eating out or ordering online, as there are plenty of healthy options on the menu with lots of veggies and herbs. Traditional Thai food is cooked with flavorful, good-for-you ingredients. The ingredients are stir-fried to ensure that most of the nutrients are not lost due to overcooking. However, as with many cuisines that have taken off in America, you will find in some restaurants the foods on the menus have higher-salt, higher-sugar, and higher fat.
Though there is good news: There are still so many popular Thai options that are nutritious. After all, Thai cuisine emphasizes veggies and other plant-based foods, and many dishes substitute coconut milk instead of cream and herbs instead of cheese.
Thai Food With Low Calorie - Healthiest Options
Pad Thai
Pad Thai is a popular Thai dish made with pork, rice noodles, eggs, fresh greens, green onions, bean sprouts, cilantro, peanuts, and a sauce made with oil, spices, fish sauce, and chilli. It's tasty, but it's rich in calories, especially if you order it in a restaurant. It has a calorie count of around 1,400 (about half the daily calorie allowance). The serving sizes are often substantial, and one meal can easily be split into two. If you're eating out, share the food.
Chef Tip - To cut calories, use less noodles than suggested and more vegetables. Low-fat beef or chicken breast, shrimp, or tofu are all good options. Before cooking, trim away any excess fat. Use a non-stick wok or frying pan to use the least quantity of oil (2 tablespoons).
Green Curry (With Extra Veggies)
Coconut milk, spices, herbs, salty fish or soy sauce, and sugar are used to make most Thai curries. The sauce is rich and high in fat and calories, but a small amount goes a long way.
If you enjoy Thai curry, know that you don't have to forego it to maintain a healthy fat and calorie intake. Add extra veggies and a lean protein like chicken or tofu to your curry to balance out the meal. If you're going to eat rice, choose brown rice for additional vitamins and minerals.
Tom Yum Soup
This traditional Thai sour soup features a spicy broth, shrimp, and plenty of vegetables. In most cases, you can select whether to make the soup with or without coconut milk. Choose the coconut milk-free option for a lighter supper that's lower in saturated fat and has more of that wonderful sour flavor.
Chicken Larb
Larb is a Thai 'salad' that is prepared by stir-frying ground or chopped meat with aromatic vegetables, herbs, and spices. It's usually served in lettuce or cabbage wraps with lime juice and fish sauce on top, so it's high in protein and vegetables.
Fresh Summer Rolls
Fresh summer rolls are a perfect way to add some vegetables into your lunch, and opting for them instead of fried spring rolls saves you calories and saturated fat.
Choose tofu or shrimp summer rolls if you want more protein. Keep it simple with straight-up veggie rolls for a quick appetizer.
Other Healthy Choices for Thai Food
1. Select dishes that have a lot of vegetables in them.
2. Instead of Mussaman curry, choose lower-fat options like garlic shrimp, hot-and-sour soup, chicken satay, stir-fried noodles, scallops, bamboo, sautéed ginger chicken, Thai salad, tom yum, Pad Thai, and low-fat green and red curry.
3. Deep-fried foods like crispy or deep-fried Thai rolls, hot Thai fish, royal tofu, fried rice, chili, or crispy duck should be avoided.
4. Choose from plain steamed or aromatic rice variations when ordering rice.
5. Stick to recipes using lemongrass and/or basil and other aromatic Thai herbs and vegetables that are swiftly sautéed.
What Thai Food Should Avoid in Restaurant or when order online?
Fried meals should be avoided. Many menus feature fried wontons or crispy rolls, although they are low in nutrition. Some meals may also include fried calamari or fried fish cakes.
If you're watching your calories, avoid the peanut dipping sauces as well. Some of them have a lot of fat, sugar, and calories in them.
Eat the Healthiest Thai Food Guilt-Free
The healthiest Thai food is available, but you must be careful about what you order and how much you eat. Any of these items will provide you with a delicious Thai flavor without the unwanted calories.
Come Join us at Tabla Cuisine (Orlando | Winter Park | Lake Nona) or place an order online to quench your hunger.