How Healthy Is Thai Food?

[Angus55]

Recently bought some takeway plastic bags of Thai curries from a  restaurant and not having eaten all of it put it in the fridge to save for breakfast. Thinking it would be  a healthy option with just a little meat , veggies and spicy sauce. 

However , to my surprise when I opened the fridge next day the bags were white.

Most of the remainder of the plastic bags seemed to be coagulated fat. Seems there was at least 40-50% fat in those dishes...I imagine the vendor didnt use the healthiest of oils either.

Was wondering why my weight skyrocketed when in Thailand ...now I know.

[degrub]

Take away the coconut milk/cream, palm fats, excess sugar, and most of the salt then it is not too bad maybe. 

[4MyEgo]

15 minutes ago, Angus55 said:

I imagine the vendor didnt use the healthiest of oils either

 

Yep, cheapest of cheapest, either palm oils or other. Great for your liver NOT.

 

Don't eat out often as you don't know what you are really getting, Thai food is not that healthy.

 

I believe 1 in 10 Thai's have Diabetes from poor diets.

 

Home cooked meals are the best, at least you know what your eating and what you are putting in your food.

 

When's the last time you did a blood test on your Cholesterol & Glucose ?

 

Edited May 17 by 4MyEgo

[Robert Paulson]

There probably aren’t too many foreigners who eat only Thai food but I’d guaruntee the ones who do are now much better off than they were with their home diet. There’s no dairy in thai food which alone will help most people tremendously 

[nikmar]

I think it s down to the dish as well. Somtam thai is pretty healthy if you ask for "mai wan". A lot of issaan food seems ok - laab etc as just basic ingredients and no fat.

All those curries and stir fries though!!

[retarius]

High sugar (in everything), high fat (yuck), lots of veggies....not to my taste. 

[steven100]

If you walk through any Thai market and see what's been sitting in the trays for the last 4 hours you probably wouldn't eat Thai food again.  Most dishes look disgusting,  and they're all served cold.  ( yuk ! ) 

 

 

[sqwakvfr]

In the 7 years I have been in CNX I have been to the Gastroentorologist 10 times and have had two endoscopies  and one colonoscopy.  Two years ago I stopped eating most Thai foods.  An occassional pad sew you once in a while.  I eat mostly salads with extra virgin olive oil, oatmeal with honey with almond or oatmillk and my diet is about 95% western/mediterranean. I cannot say Thai food contribued to my disgestive issuse but for the last two years I have been much better. I have never liked spicy food or been fan any curries. This is just my experience and I know many foriegners who eat all kinds of Thai food all day and everyday. 

[bubblegum]

Korat, International Hospital: Cardiologist told me to NOT eat Thai food.

[JGon]

Anything with lots of sugar, carbs and cook in seed oils is NOT good for you.

[KhunLA]

As healthy as YOU make it.

[JeffersLos]

The same as any other regional cuisine. Healthy if good ingredients are used, unhealthy if not.

 

Don't buy $1 street food in any country in the world if you want to eat healthily. 

 

 

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

I believe 1 in 10 Thai's have Diabetes from poor diets.

Why do you believe that...did someone tell you or is that just an ANPMU 'stat'?

Edited May 17 by Liverpool Lou

[scubascuba3]

I often get chicken and vegetables on rice, that's healthy, the fat pork on rice isn't healthy so it depends. One advantage is portions are smaller than fat boy falang food and still less fat probably

[Gottfrid]

Here we go again! Finding something to complain about in Thailand. Just go home and look at your own food culture and what´s in it. maybe that make you realize. After that, it is truly sad to read that so many of you guys come to Thailand and are disgusted over the food. Really? 

[Robert Paulson]

I can visualize all the obese keyboard warriors now, telling us all the ins and out of which foods are bad. 
 

The truth is thai food has a ton of good stuff in it. Herbs and raw or half cooked vegetables. I think where they go wrong is too much rice.
 

Thai food isn’t perfect but it’s WAY better than your diets in western countries. It’s not even close. The thing I laugh at over and over again in the west is you get an old guy and he says “my diet is great now” and ask him what he’s eating and he’s like “I have cereal and yogurt for breakfasts, a banana and a sandwich for lunch… blah blah blah”. It’s like when westerners get off McDonald’s they think they are golden but they don’t realize all the dairy and cereals are tremendously bad. And with all that sugar they have a banana, even the banana is bad at that point. But these fat guys will continue to tell you how well they are eating.

 

i got news for you, if you’re fat, you’re not eating right. And no it’s not because you’re aren’t in the gym. If you’re fat you diet is way outta kilter. That’s a huge hint for anyone willing to put in a little self help work. 

[4MyEgo]

41 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Why do you believe that...did someone tell you or is that just an ANPMU 'stat'?

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26894266/

 

Don't be lazy now !

[Robert Paulson]

1 minute ago, Celsius said:

 

I am a 196 cm 90kg handsome European male raised on Mediterranean diet.

 

 

Sure you are pal

[Gottfrid]

* Deleted post edited out *

 

Yummy!

Edited May 17 by metisdead

[sqwakvfr]

21 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

I am a 196 cm 90kg handsome European male raised on Mediterranean diet.

 

 

I just got analyzed this morning at the Gym: 60 years old, 171 CM and 64 KG. BMI 22 and Body Fat was at 16%. Last time I had Thai Food was chicken with rice last week. As an American i still enjoy a cheeseburger once in a while and my last burger, fries and a Coke Zero was at Shake Shack in BKK.  My belief is if one cooks and has a wife/GF who can cook Thai food then it can be healthy.  The other issue I have had is with raw vegetables in LOS.  Even the places that claim organic sometimes causes GI distress.  It has now come to the point that I only eat salad once a week.  

[metisdead]

Inflammatory posts and replies contravening our Community Standards have been removed.

[Presnock]

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

Yep, cheapest of cheapest, either palm oils or other. Great for your liver NOT.

 

Don't eat out often as you don't know what you are really getting, Thai food is not that healthy.

 

I believe 1 in 10 Thai's have Diabetes from poor diets.

 

Home cooked meals are the best, at least you know what your eating and what you are putting in your food.

 

When's the last time you did a blood test on your Cholesterol & Glucose ?

 

Reuse of cheap oil on top of that...Thai food cooked at least a really good restaurant and usually at home at one time used to be classifiedd as one of the healthiest diets due to the amount of veggies vs meats, and fresh fruits.  Once costs continued to rise for materials, it just is too expensive for a restaurant to provide ONLY the best..I am speaking of experience - my wife had a small restaurant next to a college, only bought the best veggies/meats/fruits daily at 5 AM every day and had a long list of regular customers.  UNfortunately, I explained to her after many months of negative finances coming in to support the restaurant.  That she either had to buy cheaper fresh food, lower costs, get rid of excess workers, etc and plan to close on holidays and most weekends as her customers were students who liked to go home whenever not in school.  Finally she got the total picture and closed.  I read stories about the food today and it sure can be a lot different than it used to be.  Glad I changed my diet and eating habits as one can find healthy food here, not processed, not fried, not sugary, not full of MSG/salts.  Good luck to all and good eating

[Sticky Rice Balls]

yes..curry....made from chili and ?....yep oil as an emulsifier to blend those chilis...add hot sun and heat and it breaks down and then you chill that oil and voila! white fat......same as a tuna sandwich with mayo..mayo which is mainly made of......OIL....

 

go buy a curry paste and a coconut milk at 7-11 and blend it and add it to steamed veggies and rice.....i can do this in my room

 

i have a small hot plate for cooking chicken.....kettle for boiling pasta--eggs-veggies...etc.....

 

so if i take 2 thai foods   soup and steamed fish or coconut curry which one is the healthier?....its not rocket science.....

 

I eat watermelon--yogurt and 2 boiled eggs as my one meal every day......and drink lemon water and green tea......healthy????

 

im in thailand but is it thai food???....variety of choices here or just go to the tesco and cook yourself.....u r what u eat

 

 

[proton]

Rarely eat it and only to order, not ready cooked. Most street food is laced with sugar, salt, fat, msg and cooked in old palm oil. Not as great as these gullible tourists and vloggers like to make out. Don't eat meat of fish anyway so that's 90% of the muck off the menu.

[steven100]

1 hour ago, Robert Paulson said:

The truth is thai food has a ton of good stuff in it.

 

 this cracked me up ... thanks 

[Robert Paulson]

Just look at desserts alone, expat keyboard warriors… compare a sundae or a cake with frosting. All the colorings and preservatives. So much nasty stuff. Thai usually use natural coloring in their desserts. It’s like comparing a whose who of carcinogens list vs thai dessert are much healthier and more natural in general. But yeah, keep,downing those cake with frosting on them and watch your ridiculous bellies grow, and then laugh at how bad the Thai food is. It’s such typical thaivisa keyboard warrior this stuff is on repeat you almost can’t make it up

[Robert Paulson]

28 minutes ago, proton said:

Rarely eat it and only to order, not ready cooked. Most street food is laced with sugar, salt, fat, msg and cooked in old palm oil. Not as great as these gullible tourists and vloggers like to make out. Don't eat meat of fish anyway so that's 90% of the muck off the menu.

I admit there’s bad stuff in thai street food but go with one of them. Where do they buy their ingredients. At a thai market right before they cook. Look in their basket what do you see in it. Oh a heap of vegetable and some beef and a mound of herbs. Yeah you guys and your beer bellies got this one figured for sure

[Robert Paulson]

Don’t forget to compare average body weights between Thais and your home country also. You’d don’t want that data point mucking up your preconceived beer belly producing results. God forbid some actual truth and facts should come into your lives

[EdrigoSalvadore]

MSG is horrible too, it makes me feel like crap. I eat Tom yum sometimes but I made sure no palm oil, sugar or MSG is used.

[Robert Paulson]

Typical farang wake up and drink milk for breakfast with a goddam danish and a banana and tell everyone how healthy you’re eating compared to Thais. It’s seriously so pathetic it’s funny. What’s that line from Trainspotting when bagby is telling them not to injest any chemicals