10 Top Tips To Make Thai Takeaway Healthier
Thai food is absolutely packed with flavour so it’s not surprising that it is become more and more popular in the UK. But with lots of dishes made from coconut milk or deep fried, it can be a high fat high calorie option. However one of the great things about Thai food is the huge amount of choice and cooking styles, as well as fresh ingredients which means it does off some healthy takeaway options. Try my 10 top tips to make Thai takeaway healthier:
- Be careful of those fried starters like fishcakes, spring rolls, prawn crackers, satay skewers. Opt instead for soups like tom yum
- If you just have to have the chicken satay, ask for the sauce to be served separately and dip in sparingly!
- Try to stick to stir-fried dishes or steamed dishes containing chicken, fish or vegetables instead of curries.
- Thai curries, such as the popular green and red curries, contain coconut milk, which is high in saturated fat. If you choose a curry, try not to eat all the sauce.
- Go for steamed rice rather than egg fried rice. Plain boiled rice contains about 375 calories, where as fried rice generally contains 550 calories and coconut rice as much as 590 calories.
- Go for stir fry dishes rather than those cooked in peanut sauces or sweet and sour dishes.
- Fish and vegetable dishes are plentiful on a Thai menu so go for those instead of meat dishes.
- Try the salads. The dressings tend to be healthier than western ones as they have lime juice and fish sauce rather than oil.
- Pad Thai is one of our favourite choices when it comes to Thai food but it is packed with fat. If you have to have this dish, consider reducing the portion size by sharing with a friend.
- Be careful with your carbs. The rice and noodle options in Thai restaurants can be delicious, but chose one or the other – don’t be tempted to have both!
If you have any top tips, be sure to share them on my Facebook page. Next week I will be sharing some yummy recipes you can try at home to recreate your favourite Thai dishes in a healthier way. And in a fortnight we will be looking at fast food burger meals.