Is Thai Food Healthy

Is Thai Food Healthy Is Thai food healthy? This is one of the biggest questions that lingers in the minds of many health conscious, ardent fans of Thai food. Read the following article to discover the answer to this question and resolve other queries regarding Thai cuisine. Is Thai Food Healthy Thai food is the most followed food trends across the world. Thai food is adored and savored for the perfect aroma and smack of its various dishes. Thai food is a perfect blend of its neighboring regions like India and China, which also satisfies the Western palate. No wonder why it is so popular! Similar to various types of Asian cuisine, Thai food mainly includes rice and noodles. Apart from rice, Thai cuisine also includes numerous savory fish recipes, vegetables, herbs and spices, that bring a salty, saucy and sour flavor to this irresistible Eastern delight. However, many health conscious people are inquisitive about a basic question - "Is Thai food healthy?" Frankly speaking, health benefits of Thai food entirely depend on the kind of Thai recipes that you consume. Important Thai Food Facts Harmony of taste is the basic principle of Thai food, which you can easily find in all the Thai recipes that you make or order. Hence, remember that Thai food recipes like Tom Yum soup, chili hot chicken, fish cakes and Phad ka Prao are all made with utmost balance of ingredients and flavor. Before finding the answer to the question - "Is Thai food healthy?", we need to understand that Thai food doesn't contain big meat chunks and large animals. The meat that is included in the Thai food is fortified and shredded with various herbs and healthy vegetables. This fact makes the Thai food all the more healthy and tempting. Secondly, authentic Thai food recipes are prepared with some of the best cooking methods like stewing, grilling and baking, that include least amount of oil and hence they preserve food's nutrition to the fullest. It also means that other cooking methods like frying, deep frying and stir frying were introduced to them by foreign countries like China and Japan. Thai food is also hugely influenced by Dutch, French and Portuguese cuisine and other nearby Asian regions like Vietnam, Burma, Malaysia and Laos. Thai Food Menu If you want to find the answer to the question - "Is Thai food healthy?", then it is essential for you to know some facts about the Thai food menu. Thai food contains fish cake which is made of ground fish patties, ground shrimps and curry paste. You will also find the steamed dumplings that consist of ground lean meats of pork and shrimp and Thai herbs and spices. Along with these two disease, Pad Thai is one of the authentic Thai food, which is a noodle based dish of shrimp, eggs, green onions, bean sprouts, peanuts and dried tofu. Thai food is rich with various healthy vegetables and herbs along with healthy meats. Typical Thai food consists of soups and curries that are treated with various healthy condiments, delicious dips along with vegetables and/or fish, spice favored salads and various rice recipes. The best thing about Thai food is that they are well balanced with a complimentary food item. A very spicy Thai dish is usually combined with a relatively bland dish, so that the ill effects of consuming too much spicy food is avoided. Hence every time you enter a Thai restaurant, make sure that you order healthy Thai food that retains the same balance of all the tastes like spicy, salty, sour, sweet and bitter. Is Thai Food Good for You? Thai food calories is an issue that many people are always dubious about. Well as I said earlier, authentic Thai cuisine is extremely healthy since it includes some healthy cooking methods. It is important to understand that Thai food is healthy for you and can be a part of your healthy diet. Thai food contains some medicinal and low calorie food additives and condiments. Let's have a look at some of the basic Thai food condiments, which also make it easier for me to find answer the very question from where we started - "is Thai food healthy?" Turmeric Turmeric contains curcumin as its active ingredient, which has some great anti inflammatory and antioxidant effects. As a result, it is beneficial for various health conditions like arthritis, food allergy, intoxication, low platelet count in blood, loss of appetite, indigestion, hearth diseases, bacterial infections, long lasting wounds, skin cancer and breast cancer, etc. Galangal Galangal is nothing but Thai ginger, which is yet unknown to the Western world. Galangal is a prime ingredient in Chinese, Indonesian and Thai food. Similar to the regular ginger root, galangal is a powerful herb for our body and it is beneficial for the health conditions like, abdominal cramps, indigestion, vomiting, motion sickness, morning sickness, sea sickness, diarrhea, inflammatory diseases, ulcers and lack of blood circulation in hands and feet. Coriander Like most of the Asian cooking styles, Thai food also utilizes coriander in its two forms, namely - fresh coriander leaves and coriander seeds. Coriander leaves and seeds have been used in various parts of the world like Greece, Rome, China, India and Europe since ancient times. Coriander is beneficial for the following health conditions - gastrointestinal diseases, indigestion, fungal infections, bacterial infections, loss of appetite, lack of energy, etc. Coconut We all are well aware about the coconut milk nutritional value. Coconut milk and coconut oil which are essential ingredients of the Thai food, contain a good amount of healthy fats that help to reduce the cholesterol levels and the rate of aging. It also boosts immunity, increases the rate of metabolism and provides some essential fatty acids to the body. Lemongrass Lemongrass is a fragrant herb, that covers an extensive part of Thai cuisine. It is beneficial for the health conditions like cold and flu, headache, fever, stomach pain, abdominal cramps, fungal infections, arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. Healthy Thai Food Choices Rather than being in a constant doubt revolving the questions like - "Is Thai food gluten free?" and "Is Thai food fattening?"; take initiative and make healthy Thai food choices. Since we have almost found the answer of the question - 'Is Thai food healthy?', it is important to remember that not all Thai food recipes are healthy. Consumption of healthy recipes in a wrongful manner and excessive quantity will surely harm your health and it is the same with the Thai food. Hence, when you are at a Thai restaurant, always make better choices as mentioned below. Instead of the spring rolls and dumplings always opt for healthy Tom Yum soup, which includes shrimps, mushrooms and other herbs that are simmered in the hot-n-sour broth. Instead of Pad Thai recipes, opt for sautéed shrimps with herbs. Rather than having heavy curry dish, opt for the sautéed shrimps and scallops with mushrooms and vegetables like zucchini and some herbs. Instead of deep fried fish with sweet-n-sour sauce, opt for steamed mussels with garlic and herb sauce. Do not order Thai vegetable fried rice and egg fried rice recipes, rather opt for sautéed mixed vegetables. Also avoid the bean thread noodles, as they are high on carbohydrate count. Always request a curry that doesn't contain potatoes. Dishes that include oyster sauce and sweet-n-sour sauce, should always be consumed in moderation. These are the best steps that you can take to cut back on the calories in Thai food. Rather than staying worried about the questions like - 'Is Thai food healthy?', I think it is better to opt for the healthy Thai food recipes. Limiting the amount of rice and noodles and consuming any Thai dish in moderation are also the best things that you can do to stay healthy and fit! By Rutuja Jathar

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