Healthy ethnic food

[zoebartlett]

My FI and I are deciding what to do for dinner. We''d like to get something healthy and the options around us are Indian, Italian, Vietnamese, BBQ and regular American, Chinese, Mexican, and Thai. I''m in the mood for Thai and pad thai specifically. I''m not sure how Thai food is made exactly, so I''m not sure how healthy pad thai is.

What would you consider the healthier/healtheist options for these different types of food. Weird question, maybe, but I thought I''d ask.

If we were getting Indian, I''d probably get Chicken Tikka Masala and ask them to go light on the cream in the sauce.
" " Mexican, I''d skip the sour cream and the cheese. I''d still probably get guac because avacado is a healthy fat (right?).
If we got Chinese, I''d try a low sodium dish (the steamed dishes are too bland) with brown rice.

 

[surfgirl]

heh...Well, Indian is never really low cal/fat, if that''s what you''re going for. There''s ghee (clarified butter) in just about everything, so if you want healthy, I''d skip that though I love it myself!

Thai curries have a lot of coconut milk/cream in them, which is very high in fats. Noodle dishes are also laden with quite a bit of oil so the noodles dont stick together or to the wok when they''re fried up with the veggies or whatever. Most Asian eggplant dishes also have a lot of oilin them.

So what''s left, you ask?!? I''d stick with steamed rice (or steamed brown rice, if they have it, better for you, more fiber!) and stay with veggies and tofu but ask for the least oil as possible when they''re cooking it.

For Mexican, ask if they have lard/manteca in their beans, if so, find a place with beans sans lard/manteca. Better for you and way less fat. You can do a couple of beans and veggie tacos and load up with fresh salsa, which is pretty harmless.

Hmmmm, I''m getting really hungry now too!

 

[zoebartlett]

Thanks Surfgirl! So basically, stick with brown rice, tofu, and veggies. I can do that. I''d love a noodle dish though!

Are there any other suggestions for relatively healthy eating when it comes to these types of foods?

 

[Skippy123]

For Greek food I love chicken souvlaki w/tzatziki sauce. I like dolmades and hummus and whole wheat pita.

I like lemon grass chicken for Vietnamese food (thanks to Mara helping me make a healthy selection).

I think it is hard to find healthy Mexican food.

For Indian I like grilled tandoori chicken.

 

[neatfreak]

There are a lot of healthy mexican options...

Just get a few grilled chicken/beef tacos with no cheese and no SC, and fill up on the salsa and veggies Fajitas are also pretty good, and a lot of places have fresh beans that aren''t refried, those are great choices too!

Chinese be careful because even in the low sodium stuff might have a lot of oil.

Have fun!

 

[asscherisme]

I don''t know the answer but I have been craving chicken saag all afternoon. I''m seriously debating calling my husband to pick up indian food on the way home. Also love the cauliflower with potatos mmmmm.

Definately not low calorie though. Chinese and mexican are very high fat too unless you order carefully.

 

[lyra]

I've experimented a lot this last year, because my diet is fairly restrictive, and boring! I found Indian food had too many carbs, so my choices were very limited. Mexican food seems to work well in moderation and if you don't order deep fried/fried items. Thai food is a new love, and seems to offer a lot of taste choices and veggie dishes without too much fat or carbs if you're careful what you order. Greek food is good also, but they tend to serve rice and potatoes with every entree, so I'd go for rice and Greek salad with side of dressing. Italian doesn't work so well for me as such, too many carbs. Man, I'm getting hungry. I think we will go with Thai tomorrow perhaps!

ETA: Chinese is tricky because there tends to be a lot of fat in it. Sheesh, editing this to death. Guacamole is high in fat, low fat or fat free sour cream is a better option. Salsa is also a great option.

 

[Mara]

for indian i tend to get tandoori chicken which is made in the tandoori oven which they told me is 'baked' or a roasted style. and yes they put spices and stuff on it and probably some oils but it comes out pretty dry and not oily. rice and naan are both super carby, so i might nix the rice and just do naan if i had to have one. i love their yogurt sauce though. unfort it seems like most indian food is pretty carb heavy and/or cream/oil heavy.

for mexican, i get grilled chicken tacos with just one corn tortilla (not fried) with pinto or black beans. lots of salsa. no sour cream, no guac. shredded lettuce. yummy!!! if i DO splurge a bit i get some guac because at least it's the good fat which you do need, especially if you work out a lot like i do...my trainer tells me to be sure i get enough good fats. enchiladas have tortilla sthat are typically fried, THEN baked. do ask about lard vs olive oil for beans, my local fave place uses EVOO. also burritos are a good option IF you get lean meats like chicken, ask for pinto or black beans vs refried, and don't eat all the tortilla. those big burritos can carry about 1000 calories many times and 400 of that is typically tortilla! i'd much rather eat all the insides and no tortilla.

for thai/singaporean/vietnamese (all kind of similar which is why i am lumping them in), you can get noodle dishes that are in soups instead of pan fried noodles. i love rice noodles in a clear broth with seafood or chicken and veggies. but noodles inherently have a lot of calories and carbs. so if you are looking to be more healthy overall in terms of eating higher protein, lower carb, lower fat (hopefully)...i'd do something like a lemongrass chicken or a sauteed shrimp or scallop dish. you can often times ask them to hold the sauce as well. recently i went to chinese and got a seafood veggie dish and asked for no brown sauce. they were shocked but they did it and basically it was steamed veggies and seafood with rice and it was REALLY good! however chinese food always has a TON of sodium in it. also in thai i love getting their roasted mussels which is typically in some type of red broth. curry has a lot of fat typically (coconut milk for thai or a cream sauce for indian).

i love greek/mediterranean food, i typically get grilled chicken kebabs with hummus and extra salad and no rice or naan or pita bread, green olives if there is an app. i absolutely love grilled chicken kebabs and could eat them all the time. there is a great persian place we get them from as well.

bottom line for me is that i try to gauge how much grease/oil/cream is in something and ask for less or drain it from my food before i eat. aka if something is sitting in a pool of oil, i'll probably lift it out onto the rice or something and not just eat it from the oil pool.

we eat out a fair amount and i have found that most of the above tips keep me from gaining weight when we eat out. though on weekends i typically do splurge a bit!! gotta live a little.

 

[Mara]

oh want to know what absolutely NOT to eat?

Top 20 worst foods in america:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21838237/?GT1=10547

YIKES!

 

[zoebartlett]

Wow! Most of the foods on that list were no-brainers. There were a few though that I would have ordered because I would have assumed they''d be healthier, based on the name.

Other than fries (occasionally), I don''t like deep fried food. I do love grilled chicken, and I think I could have that every day of the week and be happy. Grilled tandoori chicken is really good, although I do like the tomato based sauces in things like tikka masala (I just always ask for the dish to be served without as much cream). Now that I know how bad Indian food really is, I''ll try to stick to the dry tandoori stuff. I love basmati rice but it''s white.

I thought I was pretty conscious of what I was eating when we get take out or go out to eat, but I suppose I could do better. I wouldn''t have actually thought that lard was used over regular ol'' EVOO. Lard...

Picturing a big dollop of THAT on my food will most surely cure my cravings.

One of my pet peeves is when my food is sitting in a pool of oil. I can''t stand it. It really bothers me when I ask for light on the sauce (or EVOO or whatever) and the dish arrives and it''s atop a pool of yucky liquid.

Do you blot your pizza? I feel funny doing it sometimes but I always do. It makes me feel better knowing that I''ve taken some of the oil off, and I choose to overlook the fact that I''m on carb-overload.

 

[Phoenix]

Authentic Vietnamese food is extremely healthy with lots of fresh vegetables, herbs and little protein and carbs. Have you ever seen an overweight Vietnamese person in Vietnam

? Vietnamese people who are overweight (like moi, he he!!) indulge in non-VN food like ice cream, heavy carb dishes etc. Try to go for things like fresh spring rolls, VN salads or even those vermicelli dishes like grilled beef with vermicelli and lemongrass...yummy!! Ask them to go easy on the salt or fish sauce though usually Vietnamese foods do not have salt added and the fish sauce should go on the side. Noodle soups are ok as long as they're not too salty or too heavy on MSG (a common Asian food additive found in things like instant noodles and a lot restaurants will add this to soups - very bad for you). I usually don't eat the broth if I eat out.

 

[Phoenix]

Oh also, a lot of fried asian foods (eg. pad thai), like those found in this part of the world, are cooked with lard or cheap oil like peanut oil which I understand is not good for you.

 

[DiamanteBlu]

Great. Now I''m hungry! I knew I should have kept away from thin thread . . . sigh.

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 12/1/2007 10:04:31 AM
Author: DiamanteBlu
Great. Now I''m hungry! I knew I should have kept away from thin thread . . . sigh.

Me too!!

 

[Independent Gal]

Oh, God, now I'm craving chicken saag too and it's 9 o'clock in the morning!!

 

[VegasAngel]

Date: 11/30/2007 7:38:15 PM
Author: Mara
for indian i tend to get tandoori chicken which is made in the tandoori oven which they told me is ''baked'' or a roasted style. and yes they put spices and stuff on it and probably some oils but it comes out pretty dry and not oily. rice and naan are both super carby, so i might nix the rice and just do naan if i had to have one. i love their yogurt sauce though. unfort it seems like most indian food is pretty carb heavy and/or cream/oil heavy.

for mexican, i get grilled chicken tacos with just one corn tortilla (not fried) with pinto or black beans. lots of salsa. no sour cream, no guac. shredded lettuce. yummy!!! if i DO splurge a bit i get some guac because at least it''s the good fat which you do need, especially if you work out a lot like i do...my trainer tells me to be sure i get enough good fats. enchiladas have tortilla sthat are typically fried, THEN baked. do ask about lard vs olive oil for beans, my local fave place uses EVOO. also burritos are a good option IF you get lean meats like chicken, ask for pinto or black beans vs refried, and don''t eat all the tortilla. those big burritos can carry about 1000 calories many times and 400 of that is typically tortilla! i''d much rather eat all the insides and no tortilla.

for thai/singaporean/vietnamese (all kind of similar which is why i am lumping them in), you can get noodle dishes that are in soups instead of pan fried noodles. i love rice noodles in a clear broth with seafood or chicken and veggies. but noodles inherently have a lot of calories and carbs. so if you are looking to be more healthy overall in terms of eating higher protein, lower carb, lower fat (hopefully)...i''d do something like a lemongrass chicken or a sauteed shrimp or scallop dish. you can often times ask them to hold the sauce as well. recently i went to chinese and got a seafood veggie dish and asked for no brown sauce. they were shocked but they did it and basically it was steamed veggies and seafood with rice and it was REALLY good! however chinese food always has a TON of sodium in it. also in thai i love getting their roasted mussels which is typically in some type of red broth. curry has a lot of fat typically (coconut milk for thai or a cream sauce for indian).

i love greek/mediterranean food, i typically get grilled chicken kebabs with hummus and extra salad and no rice or naan or pita bread, green olives if there is an app. i absolutely love grilled chicken kebabs and could eat them all the time. there is a great persian place we get them from as well.

bottom line for me is that i try to gauge how much grease/oil/cream is in something and ask for less or drain it from my food before i eat. aka if something is sitting in a pool of oil, i''ll probably lift it out onto the rice or something and not just eat it from the oil pool.

we eat out a fair amount and i have found that most of the above tips keep me from gaining weight when we eat out. though on weekends i typically do splurge a bit!! gotta live a little.

We eat a lot of Hummus around here

While the chickpeas are healthy the Tahini is very fattening. We often eat stuffed grape leaves, lahmahjoon, kufta, eggplant, tabouleh etc.

 

[Mara]

zoe...i TOTALLY blot my pizza! i read in a magazine that if you blot your pizza you can save like 100-200 calories right there. i was like HOLY thats not even 100-200 cals i would want to be eating since grease doesn''t taste like anything to me. so what a waste! greg always makes fun of me but seriously so much comes off the pizza it''s gross to think of eating it on there.

i also blot anything fried that we get like fried zucchini or calamari etc. i like fried stuff sometimes and by blotting at least i feel like i''m not consuming a TON of grease as well, just a quart maybe.

vegas, yep tahini is high calorie and fattening as well, i didn''t realize that at all til i realized it was made of sesame seeds and went OH. but yes hummus can be very good for you, however in moderate amounts, chickpeas themselves are not low calorie overall but do have fiber and protein, bonus.

bottom line is everything i have ever read says little things do count. so you don''t have to be deprived but blot or ask for less oil or ask for EVOO etc...and you do make a small difference in your level of health and probably your weight gain or maintenance as well.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 11/30/2007 7:44:23 PM
Author: Mara
oh want to know what absolutely NOT to eat?

Top 20 worst foods in america:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21838237/?GT1=10547

YIKES!

Ehhh. . . Mac Grill's Kids Mac & Cheese has 3,400 mg of sodium!!! I've ordered that for my kids a few times (and we've only gone to eat there when family has choosen that resturant because it's gross) BUT, they'll only eat a few bites. It drives me crazy when DH & I take them out to dinner and they only eat a bit and then complain about being hungry when we get home, but maybe they just have more insight about when their bodies have had enough of crap food and will hold out until they can eat an apple.

In all seriousness, before seeing that website, I would have thought that a person would go into some sort of medical shock after eating that much sodium! I had no clue that is a common amount in resturant food.

(Yikes, I wonder how much sodium is in movie popcorn

!)

 

[VegasAngel]

Date: 12/1/2007 12:49:40 PM
Author: Mara
zoe...i TOTALLY blot my pizza! i read in a magazine that if you blot your pizza you can save like 100-200 calories right there. i was like HOLY thats not even 100-200 cals i would want to be eating since grease doesn''t taste like anything to me. so what a waste! greg always makes fun of me but seriously so much comes off the pizza it''s gross to think of eating it on there.

i also blot anything fried that we get like fried zucchini or calamari etc. i like fried stuff sometimes and by blotting at least i feel like i''m not consuming a TON of grease as well, just a quart maybe.

vegas, yep tahini is high calorie and fattening as well, i didn''t realize that at all til i realized it was made of sesame seeds and went OH. but yes hummus can be very good for you, however in moderate amounts, chickpeas themselves are not low calorie overall but do have fiber and protein, bonus.

bottom line is everything i have ever read says little things do count. so you don''t have to be deprived but blot or ask for less oil or ask for EVOO etc...and you do make a small difference in your level of health and probably your weight gain or maintenance as well.

Mara I had no idea Tahini was fatting until my mother in law told me. I was mentioning how much I loved it & how healthy it was when she dropped the bomb on tahini.

I guess there are hmmus recipes without Tahini but I cant imagine hummus without Tahini.

I too blot greasy foods. When it comes to pizza it''s just gross to see a pool of oil sitting on top.

 

[rainbowtrout]

When I make hummus, I only end up putting something like 1/4 cup of tahini in....assuming its calorically identical to peanut butter, and that that 1/4 cup is spread out in a whole bunch of hummus....


I'd still say its pretty darn healthy as long as you keep to a reasonable serving per go...


And agreed, its hard to make Indian food that calorically friendly! Although I will say, I only ever end up eating half or less of my saag paneer, so once again, portion size.


I remember being deeply disturbed the day I found out how many calories are in a tortilla

Oh well!