High protein / healthy food places in CM

[SS1]

Do you guys have any recommendations for places where you can get decent portions of quality meat? Back in farang land I usually eat meals with about 200-300g of meat, vegetables and a little portion of carbs (rice, pasta, whatever). I find it quite difficult to adjust my diet to eating out every time, especially at the street food restaurant where they usually serve about 2 tablespoons of meat in any dish. I haven't had much luch either trying to explain to them things like "triple amount of chicken, just one portion of rice".

In western restaurants you can of course find good steaks and decent size meals in general, but can't afford this type of stuff every day.

From these street food bbq meats on a stick very few are lean meats, the pork sticks seem to have 50% fat in them. For the meatballs and sausages, I don't even want to guess how little meat and how much fat they contain (they do taste nice though!).

So far I've found a some options:

1. 1/2 roast chicken from these yellow red chicken stalls, then some vegetables from the market separately.

2. Chicken, rice, cucumber and spicy brown sauce (not sure what this is called, but seems like a common dish). Easy to point out 2 x chicken breasts, with only one rice. There is one place on Ched Yot Chang Khian Road, where I get this very often but already getting a little bored to the taste.

3. Pork chops and vegetables separately: they seem to be decent quality sometimes, at least at the Maehia market. They have some fat on them but you can easily cut off the "bad bits".

4. Bbq squid: this I find in many street stalls, it's high protein and low in fat. Tastes quite nice but very chewy! Back home when I cook squid/octopus I usually slowcook it before grilling it to make it very tender.

Would love to hear how any other fitness enthusiasts / healthy eaters find decent high protein meals here in Chiang Mai. I'd cook my own meals but that would make it a little unsocial as everyone else always eats out!

Thanks,

[dave2]

re

Do you guys have any recommendations for places where you can get decent portions of quality meat? Back in farang land I usually eat meals with about 200-300g of meat

here ya go

exactly what you asked for ... in a burger

just joshin ... dave2

[SS1]

re

Do you guys have any recommendations for places where you can get decent portions of quality meat? Back in farang land I usually eat meals with about 200-300g of meat

here ya go

exactly what you asked for ... in a burger

just joshin ... dave2

Not exactly healthy and cheap I guess but I have only one word... NICE! Will definitely visit on the weekend!!

[gc777]

You could try The Steak Doctor Restaurant at the end of Suthip Road. I have been there once and had a pork chop which was not bad and less than 100 baht, They did have many other types of steak on the menu, I can't remember the prices but it didn't seem too expensive.

There is also a little street stall on Suthip Road called the Steak Bar, I have been there twice now. The chicken steak was pretty good and about 70 baht, I have also had their fish and chips, calamari and mini burgers which were all fantastic.

Again on Suthip a place called The BBQ, it is more expensive than the places I mention above but serves bigger portions. However I preferred the places mentioned above - the bill came to about 1300 baht for two mains one starter and a couple of beers.

Also on Suthip near the Steak Doctor is a vegetarian place called Pun Pun, they do a very good tofu steak there and it is cheap.

I like you am also struggling to find many places that offer affordable high quality protein and have started having a couple of boiled eggs with breakfast every morning and adding a can of tuna to my lunch if I buy street food.

[roger1999]

Pun Pun rocks and I would eat at the Steak Doctor if they were open for lunch. Sadly, like so many places they open (I think) at 5 PM.

[jobin]

You are wise to keep away from white rice, white bread, white noodles, and any colored cooky. I search out discount items at Tops and Rimping markets near closing time. So many good buys there in cooked meals, hunks of fish. Also for ez protein try the small tubes of 'egg tofu', about 9 baht. I can't say how much egg/tofu in the mix but satisfies. Now, getting social and eating cheap are not harmonious and all restaurants and pubs will suck your money in no time. I like the grilled chicken and papaya salad, found all over town.

[gc777]

I just thought of another place, again on Suthip, between Wat Suan Dok and Nimman there is a sea food place that does whole steamed fish such as snapper and sea bass for under 200 baht. If you're wanting to eat healthy I'd say that is a pretty good choice.

[Jdiddy]

re

Do you guys have any recommendations for places where you can get decent portions of quality meat? Back in farang land I usually eat meals with about 200-300g of meat

here ya go

exactly what you asked for ... in a burger

just joshin ... dave2

Only 300grams.. what?

Back in my powerlifting days i'd sometimes make myself a 400gram beef + bacon + egg burger for my pre-bed snack at about 11pm after my 4-5 meals that day

[SS1]

Tested out Steak Doctor yesterday night with a couple of friends. The restaurant itself was very nice and the staff were polite. We all bought tenderloin steak with french fries and the food was very tasty! It was served with fresh salad as well (they grow it in the garden).

But.. the portion size.. :/ my steak was about 1cm thick, my guess is <140 grams. My friends got slightly thicker steaks but still pretty small. The french fries seemed to be mostly for decoration, as I could count about 6 of them on each plate.

So not worth it imo, unless you can afford to buy 2 meals for yourself or are a 40kg lady.

[dave2]

re

We all bought tenderloin steak

have you tried franco thais beef fillet with mash and red wine sauce ?

its yummy ... closed mondays

dave2

[Awk]

Some other ideas:

- Noodlesoup. There are stalls serving these everywhere, so order a bowl, but say you want it without noodles, beef only. If not enough, you can always order another bowl.

- Fish. A lot of markets and food centers (I used to eat frequently at the bottom floor of airport plaza, back when airport plaza had a gym) have fried or steamed fish, including small ones selling at 25-30B a piece.

Also I've never felt any objections to me bringing with me some extra protein to eat at smaller more-or-less outside places. E.g., I might order some dish there which, as most dishes, has less protein than I want, and eat it together with the fish/chicken I bought at some nearby market. Possibly they laugh at me behind my back about this though.

Oh, and I second Franco-Thai. If you like beef, this is the best value-for-money place to get it at imo. Think they might be cutting the meat themselves also, as the first time I finally went there the waiter said I better order something else than beef, as they, as I understood it, only slaughtered the cow today.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Awk

[opalred]

a few stray dogs around my place could bbq with mashed spuds and eggs on the side

[ammagic]

What a stupid, pointless& insensitive comment. There are many of us who spend many hours, much effort & often lots of our own resources to help stray dogs. They live short lives of pure hell. A little compassion would go a long way, although from such a senseless comment doubt this is an emotion the OP can identify with

[daoyai]

your biggest bang for baht of protein maybe found at a mooooo gatahhh place, all you can eat cook yourself, be sure to look and sniff the food before you commit... ... Went to one in CR, they had thin slced buffaloe, when that meat met the sizzeling pork fat on the dome,... that's protein..

[jobin]

Something special about dogs to eat? What domestic animals don't live grim small lives? Chickens into the cage at night? Pigs living in tiny spaces, calves so confined they can't turn around. Beef injected and force fed bones to eat, donkeys worked for 15 years then butchered. Even lambs are pulled from the womb to roast on the grill. Very tasty i've heard.

Dog meat is enjoyed by many in Asia. IMO, dogs are nothing special, though i cannot fault your compassion but would ask you to extend it to all living beings.

[A1Str8]

I gave up on this one a long time ago. Thais have no idea about nutrition so i realized that the best way to do it is to prepare my own food. That way i know what i eat, nothing could be cheaper and it's easy.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[watgate]

Buy some peanut butter and make some peanut butter and/or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

[SS1]

re

We all bought tenderloin steak

have you tried franco thais beef fillet with mash and red wine sauce ?

its yummy ... closed mondays

dave2

Looks delicious! Will at to my list of places to visit.

Buy some peanut butter and make some peanut butter and/or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Peanut butter contains 50% fat so not exactly a good source of protein, but a good source of healthy fats. Although it has a lot of protein too (about 25g/100g) the absorbability of vegetable proteins is very low compared to animal proteins that have a better amino acid profile.

--

Today I found a perfect way to up the protein intake with normal meals: dried pork meat. I bought two big packs, one is sweet, red/brown and sligtly transparent (probably has quite a bit of sugar though) and the other one is thicker, dryer and of a pale colour (but very tasty!). I reckon they contain about 50% protein and very low fat, just like beef jerky.

Perfect snack to chew on after the usual lunch!

Edited July 24, 2014 by SS1

[daoyai]

I gave up on this one a long time ago. Thais have no idea about nutrition so i realized that the best way to do it is to prepare my own food. That way i know what i eat, nothing could be cheaper and it's easy.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

"Thais have no idea about nutrition" wow, that is just so wrong, first off because it is gross generalisation but more importantly because so many thai dishes have a good balance of protein, vegies and fats. With thouseands of places to get food, it is up to you to choose wisely. I cook about 50% of my food at home also,

[Oscar2]

OP be careful of the BBQ squid. they soak it in formaldehyde. we stopped buying that when it was all over the news. the only squid which is safe is the giant squid which Thailand imports from South America and it is not sold by street vendors.

also if you want to order noodle soup w/o the noodles (as I do since i hate noodles) you need to ask for "gow lao".

[SS1]

I gave up on this one a long time ago. Thais have no idea about nutrition so i realized that the best way to do it is to prepare my own food. That way i know what i eat, nothing could be cheaper and it's easy.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

"Thais have no idea about nutrition" wow, that is just so wrong, first off because it is gross generalisation but more importantly because so many thai dishes have a good balance of protein, vegies and fats. With thouseands of places to get food, it is up to you to choose wisely. I cook about 50% of my food at home also,

Quite a generalisation but I have to agree to it mostly: if you look at the basic meals here, they usually contain a relatively big amount of simple carbs, a low amount of protein and a low amount of vegetables. Also sugar and oil seems to be added on everything very generously. There are some exceptions of course, but so far I've never been served a meal with a good nutritional balance (unless I've specifially explained them what I want).

edit. I mean in affordable street food places. I've had some very nice steamed fish in some other places, but these are usually +200 baht with side and water.

OP be careful of the BBQ squid. they soak it in formaldehyde. we stopped buying that when it was all over the news. the only squid which is safe is the giant squid which Thailand imports from South America and it is not sold by street vendors.

also if you want to order noodle soup w/o the noodles (as I do since i hate noodles) you need to ask for "gow lao".

This is good to know!

Edited July 24, 2014 by SS1

[jij]

soy milk at makro

[northernjohn]

I gave up on this one a long time ago. Thais have no idea about nutrition so i realized that the best way to do it is to prepare my own food. That way i know what i eat, nothing could be cheaper and it's easy.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I believe the correct statement would be Thais know nothing about nutrition for farongs. Remember they like you have been eating the same thing for hundreds of years and are used to it.

It would be nice if they did have a nutritionist here in Chiang Mai. One familiar with western nutrition.

[opalred]

stray dog lover donnt go to china as have seen many times on the streets cutting up dogs to eat

[hml367]

There is at least one nutritionist in Chiang Mai.

You must first accept that a nutritionist in Thailand may not be what a nutritionist in your home country is. They are very different here than in the US I know.

Also, the Thai diet, in general, is different than it was less than 100 years ago. There were changes and improvements to the food supply with the last 100 years. One example is, "Through his dairy and fish breeding projects, he encouraged better nutrition.", KING BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ, A Life's Work, page 189, ISBN 978-981-4260-56-5.

The above referenced book would be a good place to find out some history about Thailand in general, and Chiang Mai somewhat, for those that want to make points about Thailand and Chiang Mai.

I think CMHomeBoy78 (??) could also shed light on the history of nutrition.

Edited July 25, 2014 by hml367

[SS1]

Went to 'The BBQ' yesterday and was very pleased. I ordered a ribeye steak, that was 220 baht with sides and free salad buffet included. Probably the most nutritionally balanced meal I've had so far in Chiang Mai!

The steak was good size, a nice choice of sides and sauces that are all included along with a the free salad buffet, that has plenty of things to choose from!

Will definitely go again.

[Oscar2]

Tested out Steak Doctor yesterday night with a couple of friends. The restaurant itself was very nice and the staff were polite. We all bought tenderloin steak with french fries and the food was very tasty! It was served with fresh salad as well (they grow it in the garden).

But.. the portion size.. :/ my steak was about 1cm thick, my guess is <140 grams. My friends got slightly thicker steaks but still pretty small. The french fries seemed to be mostly for decoration, as I could count about 6 of them on each plate.

So not worth it imo, unless you can afford to buy 2 meals for yourself or are a 40kg lady.

we were taken to the Steak Doctor by some Thai friends recently. can't recommend it. no one in our party ordered the beef but the salmon, chicken and pork steaks were just O.K. all pan-fried from what i could see (and not in a blazing hot, cast-iron skillet) . we had some appetizers and beer, and the meals, we ran up a very healthy tab. having said that; the owners and staff could not have been nicer and the beer was so cold it was part frozen which was nice.

[northernjohn]

Something special about dogs to eat? What domestic animals don't live grim small lives? Chickens into the cage at night? Pigs living in tiny spaces, calves so confined they can't turn around. Beef injected and force fed bones to eat, donkeys worked for 15 years then butchered. Even lambs are pulled from the womb to roast on the grill. Very tasty i've heard.

Dog meat is enjoyed by many in Asia. IMO, dogs are nothing special, though i cannot fault your compassion but would ask you to extend it to all living beings.

The big difference is that people make money off the animals you mentioned even though they are treated more inhumanely than the street dogs.

As for all the street dog lovers can you train them not to try to sneak up on me? I don't trust them behind me and my boy was bitten by one.

[SS1]

Let's add some places to the list:

Lert Ros

Soi 1, Ratchadamnoen Road, near Thaphae Gate:

-Sells delicious grilled fish that is very cheap too! The place is a bit hidden in the narrow soi and looks like a typical street food restaurant. There is a choice of 3 different size fish: 120 baht, 140 baht and 160 baht. All definitely contain a nice amount of quality protein. Good reviews on TripAdvisor http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g293917-d4441843-r168271314-Lert_Ros-Chiang_Mai.html

Nakhorn Phing Market

Hwy 107

Mae Rim

Chiang Mai, Thailand

-Sells dried beef or beef jerky at 65 baht/100 grams. Quite salty, but delicious - a good protein supplement.

[BuffaloRescue]

Near SR Complex/Condo theres a cheap steak and salad place. 45 baht for chicken steak with salad. 65 for beef stead. 150 for tbone

Nothing much that great but im on a low carb diet, suits me well i eat there 3 times a day