Is Thai Food Actually Healthy?

[wilcopops]

In theory, it's quite healthy. However, it's quite obvious the materials being used in street food and most restuarants is not of high standard.

Thai Food, in Australia, however is of very high quality and I'd argue as good as what you would find in Thailand.

I wonder what you are actually talking about what is "it"- what are you basing these statements on? and presumably you are trying to make a statement about ALL Thai food?

Edited June 1, 2013 by wilcopops

[chiangmaibruce]

In theory, it's quite healthy. However, it's quite obvious the materials being used in street food and most restuarants is not of high standard.

Thai Food, in Australia, however is of very high quality and I'd argue as good as what you would find in Thailand.

Sorry, but you must be kidding. Thai food in Australia - with very limited exceptions - is ghastly mush. The ingredients might be purer but fewer of them are used and the result ... like someone stuck in the end of a vacuum and sucked out all the flavour

Edited June 1, 2013 by chiangmaibruce

[Trembly]

Many of those who cite diets that are high in glutamic acid (such as the Japanese diet) as evidence that MSG is not harmful fail to mention that there is a difference between naturally occurring glutamic acid and synthesized glutamic acid a.k.a. MSG.

Almost all foods have naturally occurring glutamic acids in them, but the commonly consumed foods where they are most noticeable tend to be meat, fish, dairy, pastry, mushrooms and savoury cooking sauces such as soy, oyster or fish sauces made using natural or "traditional" processing methods (the relative costs of which have gone up in the face of industrialised manufacture of such sauces).

To put it simply, natural glutamic acid is more 'complete' and is therefore easier for your liver and your body in general to process. MSG, on the other hand, is a synthetic best-effort at approximation within the constraints of mass production. Whatever you think your taste buds are saying, as far as your liver is concerned MSG is a toxin.

Google search : naturally occurring MSG

MSG is a boon to the large scale food processing industry : They can only sell cheap food products on such a huge scale because of it. Without MSG they would be forced to make their sauces in a way that was more 'old fashioned', increasing costs, shrinking output volume and therefore sales.

Industrial use of MSG has a double negative effect on the consumer, however. You really can taste the difference in a blind test between naturally aged oyster sauce, for example, and the industrial stuff. The accelerated industrial manufacturing process kills a lot of natural glutamic acid, which most manufacturers compensate for by adding salt and MSG - the lower the price the more salt there is likely to be instead of natural glutamic acid or even MSG.

Food vendors can taste this difference too, so they end up buying powdered MSG to add to their dishes to make up for the difference in flavour from their choice of cheaper oyster sauce (already loaded up with MSG). Meanwhile, the market-share / market-presence of the now more expensive sauces containing naturally formed glutamic acid shrinks.

Great for CP / Ajinomoto / Heinz profits though.

MSG is a Japanese invention and is used extensively (by billions) as a domestic additive through Asia.....not in the naturally occurring form but as a powder in the kitchen.

I'm not sure what your point is.

Edited June 1, 2013 by Trembly

[Kitsune]

Yes.

Thai food is with Japanese one of the healthiest food (in my opinion).

And yes most restaurants/street vendors have long understood that you can replace most of the ingredients by crap, make bigger profit and get away with it.

But that does not mean the original recipes based on the incredible variety of Thai vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices that can be bought fresh from every market is not healthy, you just need to be extra selective on where you eat.

Or buy a cookbook and do it yourself.

Also like Thai people, do start considering everything you eat as remedy.

Get C Pierce Salguero's bible about Thai herbs : "A Thai Herbal Traditional recipe for health & harmony " and start composing your menus in accordance to your body needs.

http://www.amazon.com/Thai-Herbal-C-Pierce-Salguero/dp/1844090043

[Scott]

Most, but not all, developing countries go from being quite lean to being fat as they develop. I don't think it has all that much to do with a western diet, I think it is natural for people as they get more money to eat more fatty foods, more meat and more sweets.

When I first came to Thailand in the very late 80's, food was cheap, but if it had meat in it, it had very, very little meat. Cooking was done with very, very little oil. Meat and oil were expensive. Portions were smaller at that time and there weren't many sweets around. A lot of strange looking vegetables, leaves and grasses (that's what it looked like, anyway), and plenty of fruit. I couldn't find a size 36" waist jeans at the time at any of the markets.

I see plenty of plumb Thai people where they do not have access to McDonald's, KFC or other Western food options (other than 7/11).

Edited June 1, 2013 by Scott

[wilcopops]

Most, but not all, developing countries go from being quite lean to being fat as they develop. I don't think it has all that much to do with a western diet, I think it is natural for people as they get more money to eat more fatty foods, more meat and more sweets.

When I first came to Thailand in the very late 80's, food was cheap, but if it had meat in it, it had very, very little meat. Cooking was done with very, very little oil. Meat and oil were expensive. Portions were smaller at that time and there weren't many sweets around. A lot of strange looking vegetables, leaves and grasses (that's what it looked like, anyway), and plenty of fruit. I couldn't find a size 36" waist jeans at the time at any of the markets.

I see plenty of plumb Thai people where they do not have access to McDonald's, KFC or other Western food options (other than 7/11).

Precisely - Which brings one back to the OP which really doesn't define itself sufficiently

[wilcopops]

Many of those who cite diets that are high in glutamic acid (such as the Japanese diet) as evidence that MSG is not harmful fail to mention that there is a difference between naturally occurring glutamic acid and synthesized glutamic acid a.k.a. MSG.

Almost all foods have naturally occurring glutamic acids in them, but the commonly consumed foods where they are most noticeable tend to be meat, fish, dairy, pastry, mushrooms and savoury cooking sauces such as soy, oyster or fish sauces made using natural or "traditional" processing methods (the relative costs of which have gone up in the face of industrialised manufacture of such sauces).

To put it simply, natural glutamic acid is more 'complete' and is therefore easier for your liver and your body in general to process. MSG, on the other hand, is a synthetic best-effort at approximation within the constraints of mass production. Whatever you think your taste buds are saying, as far as your liver is concerned MSG is a toxin.

Google search : naturally occurring MSG

MSG is a boon to the large scale food processing industry : They can only sell cheap food products on such a huge scale because of it. Without MSG they would be forced to make their sauces in a way that was more 'old fashioned', increasing costs, shrinking output volume and therefore sales.

Industrial use of MSG has a double negative effect on the consumer, however. You really can taste the difference in a blind test between naturally aged oyster sauce, for example, and the industrial stuff. The accelerated industrial manufacturing process kills a lot of natural glutamic acid, which most manufacturers compensate for by adding salt and MSG - the lower the price the more salt there is likely to be instead of natural glutamic acid or even MSG.

Food vendors can taste this difference too, so they end up buying powdered MSG to add to their dishes to make up for the difference in flavour from their choice of cheaper oyster sauce (already loaded up with MSG). Meanwhile, the market-share / market-presence of the now more expensive sauces containing naturally formed glutamic acid shrinks.

Great for CP / Ajinomoto / Heinz profits though.

MSG is a Japanese invention and is used extensively (by billions) as a domestic additive through Asia.....not in the naturally occurring form but as a powder in the kitchen.

I'm not sure what your point is.

You didn't seem to know what you were talking about. MSG has been about for over 100 years and is common in domestic cooking.

Edited June 1, 2013 by wilcopops

[kaorop]

I

I lost 5 kg in 2 weeks without exercise. I eat normal thai food 3 meals/day with the portion limited. That's all.

You'd have to be very overweight to lose that amount in 2 weeks, without exercise.

[wilcopops]

I

I lost 5 kg in 2 weeks without exercise. I eat normal thai food 3 meals/day with the portion limited. That's all.

You'd have to be very overweight to lose that amount in 2 weeks, without exercise.

Yeah...and cut off his left leg!

[Trembly]

Many of those who cite diets that are high in glutamic acid (such as the Japanese diet) as evidence that MSG is not harmful fail to mention that there is a difference between naturally occurring glutamic acid and synthesized glutamic acid a.k.a. MSG.

Almost all foods have naturally occurring glutamic acids in them, but the commonly consumed foods where they are most noticeable tend to be meat, fish, dairy, pastry, mushrooms and savoury cooking sauces such as soy, oyster or fish sauces made using natural or "traditional" processing methods (the relative costs of which have gone up in the face of industrialised manufacture of such sauces).

To put it simply, natural glutamic acid is more 'complete' and is therefore easier for your liver and your body in general to process. MSG, on the other hand, is a synthetic best-effort at approximation within the constraints of mass production. Whatever you think your taste buds are saying, as far as your liver is concerned MSG is a toxin.

Google search : naturally occurring MSG

MSG is a boon to the large scale food processing industry : They can only sell cheap food products on such a huge scale because of it. Without MSG they would be forced to make their sauces in a way that was more 'old fashioned', increasing costs, shrinking output volume and therefore sales.

Industrial use of MSG has a double negative effect on the consumer, however. You really can taste the difference in a blind test between naturally aged oyster sauce, for example, and the industrial stuff. The accelerated industrial manufacturing process kills a lot of natural glutamic acid, which most manufacturers compensate for by adding salt and MSG - the lower the price the more salt there is likely to be instead of natural glutamic acid or even MSG.

Food vendors can taste this difference too, so they end up buying powdered MSG to add to their dishes to make up for the difference in flavour from their choice of cheaper oyster sauce (already loaded up with MSG). Meanwhile, the market-share / market-presence of the now more expensive sauces containing naturally formed glutamic acid shrinks.

Great for CP / Ajinomoto / Heinz profits though.

MSG is a Japanese invention and is used extensively (by billions) as a domestic additive through Asia.....not in the naturally occurring form but as a powder in the kitchen.

I'm not sure what your point is.

You didn't seem to know what you were talking about. MSG has been about for over 100 years and is common in domestic cooking.

Where have I suggested otherwise? I think you've failed to comprehend my post.

Edited June 2, 2013 by Trembly

[Mangosteen1]

Any vegetable plant?herb? that is good for building stronger legs?

[kevozman1]

Thai food is probably not the healthiest food about, but I think it is pretty decent overall. Ok a lot of fatty fried foods are in Thai dishes and adding sugar and coconut milk is common, but also there is a lot of fresh fruit and veg in Thai dishes, not too mention they are not overkeen generally on uber fattening deserts like a lot of other countries.

[ABCer]

Back to OP.

I don't think it's healthy.

Tasty it may be (for some).

French is very tasty (for me) but very unhealthy by medical standards. Yet the buggers live longer and happier with all their wine drinking... Go, figure...

IMHO the healthiest food is Japanese - minimum cooking. And it's presentation is pure ART! Yummy too.

Edited October 13, 2013 by ABCer

[cooked]

Whew, took some reading to get through that lot, some sensible comments and some ridiculous ones, conspiracy theorists get everywhere these days, I wouldn't let my daughter marry one.

Anyway, my views on Thai food have changed radically since I got here. Shrimps and prawns: raised artificially, subject to decimating diseases that need heavy doses of antibiotics to fight off.

Vegetables: I can just about manage avoiding the use of chemicals in my own garden using traditional treatments. However as I water every day these products get washed off.

I did buy some weed killer once and had GREAT difficulties finding a measuring cylinder, 'Farang fussy' I was told. Out in the field even the small peasant doesn't spare with spraying chemicals, I have seen and smelt this regularly, and you can't blame them, they don't want to see months of hard work disappear overnight. However, even if they had a measuring device that they were capable of using, they go for three or four times the recommended dosage.

Fish: fresh water fish from small farmers is generally ok, but even here run off from the heavily fertilised and sprayed rice fields supplies the water that they live in.

Sea fish: the Gulf of Thailand is heavily polluted and overfished, the Pacific will soon be full of Caesium 137 thanks to Fukoshima http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HStCM2l83Cc.

Chicken: only thing that we eat with confidence, as we have our own. As mentioned above, our fish is not above reproach.

Cooking oil: a lot of the cooking oil, at least in Bangkok on the street, is recycled, bought from restaurants and treated with bleach. There's a guy that buys it for converting into a diesl substitute but he's not making much impression on the street level vendors. http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43618-FDA-warns-of-used-cooking-oil

The school shop where we take our little girl every day is full of junk, either over salted or over sugared. Outside on the street it is even worse, full of brightly coloured sugary mysterious stuff.

If we do go buy stuff at the market, my wife buys stuff with flies milling around as this hasn't been recently sprayed! Anyway no serious food poisoning up to now unless you count beer.

The remarks about poor people being forced to buy preprepared junk food isn't really true; I spent a miserable two years on low income after an accident and started buying fresh produce, making my own beer and bread, preserves and cakes, muesli and sauerkraut. Generally only one emergency tin of food in the cupboard.

Anyway: as long as you mix your diet, exercise, get plenty of sex and stop worrying about your food too much I reckon we should be ok as far as health is concerned.

Edit: beer: I once read that people that drink beer have an increased risk of bowel cancer. The following week, same newspaper: beer drinkers have less risk of heart disease. Stop worrying!

Edited October 13, 2013 by cooked

[soomak]

Thai food is way more healthy than western daily diet, but you have to also avoid the fattening stuff here. There are so many veggie dishes! And chillies are healthy: they make your metabolism go faster. My Thai husband says that is the key: speeding up your metabolism.

Chillies are used to disguise the real taste of the food, speeding up metabolism might be a side effect.

When the ingredients have no taste, they add some chillies and MSG and magic! - it tastes great (to them at least).

I always prefer something that has a naturally good taste, as opposed to covering everything with spices so that you have no idea what you are eating.

Fruit tastes good for a reason - our body can recognize it's nutritional value, and has evolved to like the taste.

White rice has nearly no taste, as do white bread (without the sugar/salt/milk powder they add to it here).

Edited October 13, 2013 by soomak

[Ulysses G.]

Fruit tastes good for a reason - our body can recognize it's nutritional value, and has evolved to like the taste.

Fruit tastes good for a reason - FRUIT SUGAR. It has nothing to do with its nutritional value, although it is healthy food.

[soomak]

Most, but not all, developing countries go from being quite lean to being fat as they develop. I don't think it has all that much to do with a western diet, I think it is natural for people as they get more money to eat more fatty foods, more meat and more sweets.

When I first came to Thailand in the very late 80's, food was cheap, but if it had meat in it, it had very, very little meat. Cooking was done with very, very little oil. Meat and oil were expensive. Portions were smaller at that time and there weren't many sweets around. A lot of strange looking vegetables, leaves and grasses (that's what it looked like, anyway), and plenty of fruit. I couldn't find a size 36" waist jeans at the time at any of the markets.

I see plenty of plumb Thai people where they do not have access to McDonald's, KFC or other Western food options (other than 7/11).

Great post, you have a very good point.

It's virtually impossible to get fat when you spend 100 baht a day on food (even if you are a tiny Thai woman).

On 180 baht a day, you might get plump if you eat doughnuts all day.

On 250 baht a day - you can get pretty fat, and we see those fat Thais getting more common every day (especially around Bangkok).

As for the Thai food available on the street and in cheap Thai restaurants:

It's not healthy IMO: too much sugar, MSG, salt, low quality over fried oils, poor hygiene, questionable meat products.

If you cook it at home - could be healthy, depends on the ingredients you use.

[A1Str8]

No.

[slipperylobster]

Considering that Asians have been surviving for centuries with their diet I find it hard to believe that it can be too bad for you. Why do farang males seem to like the slim, trim beauties that Thailand seems to produce. But, when those same Thai women marry farangs and start eating western food they quickly fatten up like us western women on our supposedly "better" diet. .

Yes. historically, Asians were always were more slender (and shorter) due to their diet. If you look at Asian children now, you will see they are much fatter (and taller). This is due to the Western Diet. MSG is being used too much...and I don't think the taste is worth the risks. Low grade oils (sometimes rancid) are used and reused. Overall, they eat much more vegetables and fruits, along with fish, than Westerners....and far less fast foods. Isaan food is probably the closest to "healthy" that you will find in Thailand.... minus the MSG.

[pomchop]

Instant noodles contain a wax coating which is also used in the styrofoam containers. That is why instant noodles don't stick together when cooking. Our body needs up to two days to clean the wax. Makes sure you stop eating a pack of noodles for at least three days after. This wax can cause cancer. Thais usually eat this stuff at least once a day...

Yet another internet MYTH..... http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/noodles.asp

[h90]

Considering that Asians have been surviving for centuries with their diet I find it hard to believe that it can be too bad for you. Why do farang males seem to like the slim, trim beauties that Thailand seems to produce. But, when those same Thai women marry farangs and start eating western food they quickly fatten up like us western women on our supposedly "better" diet. .

Yes. historically, Asians were always were more slender (and shorter) due to their diet. If you look at Asian children now, you will see they are much fatter (and taller). This is due to the Western Diet. MSG is being used too much...and I don't think the taste is worth the risks. Low grade oils (sometimes rancid) are used and reused. Overall, they eat much more vegetables and fruits, along with fish, than Westerners....and far less fast foods. Isaan food is probably the closest to "healthy" that you will find in Thailand.... minus the MSG.

yes the changes:

brown rice --->white rice

lot fruits and vegetables --> more pork

rice ---> fried rice

"natural oils" used in small quantities or high quality oils ---> low grade oils, palm oil, refined oils, re-re-reused

more more more sugar

fat milk products....example condensed milk made from non fat milk powder lecitin and palm oil....

Beside Western food, you have the Chinese food with basically as fatter the pork as better mindeset.

Original Southern food would be also very healthy

sweets....when you look half the supermarket is full with sweets.

[h90]

Instant noodles contain a wax coating which is also used in the styrofoam containers. That is why instant noodles don't stick together when cooking. Our body needs up to two days to clean the wax. Makes sure you stop eating a pack of noodles for at least three days after. This wax can cause cancer. Thais usually eat this stuff at least once a day...

Yet another internet MYTH..... http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/noodles.asp

low quality hardened fat makes them unhealthy but no wax....and if wax would be a big problem natural not cleaned honey and olive oil would be a much worse problem.

[x0r1987]

Coconut milk used in curries is fattening.

Mai sai mai aroi, yes we know its fattening, thats why we exercise.

I can't see how something which "ped mak maak" can actually be good for your insides?

Agree 101%, they make it hot to disguise the cheap meat used.

That said try kua kling from the south, southern Thai food, the best food in Thailand.

with the rice, for just 39 baht.

<deleted>, do you really expect haute cuisine and the best of ingredients for 39 baht?

The bog standard English breakfast, being served up in most pubs

throughout the kingdom, should be renamed "the artery clogger."

Thats why some of us excercise, try working all day on a building site with a poxy yoghurt for breakfast.

Black pudding, lovely, crispy bacon, lovely, fried eggs, lovely, the breakfast of champions, washed down with a decent cuppa tea, two sugars please.

I don't know of any farang that work on building sites in Thailand. I guess you are probably talking about your life in the UK? Fair point about the heavy fat/protein breakfast in cold weather. I'd rather knock back a protein shake with avocado, banana, protein powder and rolled oats and follow it up with a couple of salmon steaks if I wanted more protein. Each to their own I guess but at 57 I don't figure your lovely English breakfast is going to do me much good in Thailand's hot climate. Yeah, I know what you mean about the exercise. That's why I do a kilometer in the roof top pool every morning. Southern Thai food? I'll give it a go. Cheers.

1km in the pool?

i hope you are 75+....

Oh wait.....

You should probably fit your health up a bit 555

Edited October 14, 2013 by x0r1987

[jaideeguy]

Late last night I had to rush my wife to the local hospital, as she had diarrhea, vomiting and developed severe cramps. The night before, she had those snails from the klong and lots of chili at a party and it turned out that the dish was bought from a market vendor.

As I expected, the Dr said maybe food poisoning from the snails and weak stomach/intestines from too much chili over the years.

Yeah, Thai food is good for you...........

[JSixpack]

If you look at Asian children now, you will see they are much fatter (and taller). This is due to the Western Diet.

No.

[dao16]

Can anyone corrobarate what I have been told that the raw sauce used in som tam is a major cause of worms in the villages? My wife and several other Thais have told me this.

From what I understand about balaa and other fermented things is that, if they are properly fermented and contained, there will be no problem. This even goes for milk, which, rotten and fermented properly, can be consumed.

I would assume that the problem is people being half-as*ed about their fermentation process, which everyone would probably agree is likely.

[Jackson86]

i as a foreigner don't decide whether thai food is healthy or not. we all should respect various cuisines. but i try to accept thai food as a form of diet.

[Ulysses G.]

If you look at Asian children now, you will see they are much fatter (and taller). This is due to the Western Diet.

No it's not. It is because they are eating a lot more meat and a lot more food in general.

[h90]

If you look at Asian children now, you will see they are much fatter (and taller). This is due to the Western Diet.

No it's not. It is because they are eating a lot more meat and a lot more food in general.

meat and fat. As strange as it sounds the fat with the meat makes you taller.

And feeding them a lot sausage and milk and McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Company, Ice Cream etc is Western Diet. Even I don't like to admit it.

[slipperylobster]

I live in Isaan , where to my eye , sense of smell and taste , the food is excremental , I cannot eat it . They say here that people eat six times a day , because their meals are so lacking in nutrition .

I say to my wife and her family , " It is what you eat that kills you ". As most of them die from stomach or liver disease , I believe that is true .

The reality is right in front of us. How many obese people do you see here..compared to Western Countries?