Vietnamese flavours

Luckily for us, Vietnamese food is generally considered to be healthy since Vietnam’s geographical location yields lots of fresh tropical fruits and vegetables which have been incorporated into the diet. Also contributing is the fact that food is typically prepared and served either raw (rice paper salad/summer rolls Goi cuốn, papaya salads Goi du du, baguette sandwiches Bahn mi), grilled (marinated meats over rice/vermicelli Com tam/Bun) or in soup form (Pho), which require far less use of oils and fats. The exception is the deep fried spring roll Cha gio, which is a relatively modern interpretation of the more traditional summer rolls.

However, if one is new to Vietnamese cuisine and not familiar with some of the ingredients, it is more difficult to grasp the nutritional value of these meals in comparison, especially with nutrition and food regulations being different for imported foods. Therefore, upon looking over the menus for popular Vietnamese restaurant chains such as Ginger and Pho88, here are, in my opinion, the healthiest selections:

salad/summer roll

- salad/summer rolls Goi cuon – fresh shrimp, crab, chicken, herbs and vermicelli wrapped in rice paper rolls; be sure to try the low-fat fish extract sauce Nuoc cham in place of the fattening peanut sauce
- Pho noodle soup – a big bowl of thin rice noodles covered in a rich, clear meat broth and topped with various meats, scallion, bean sprouts, onion, coriander and sweet basil. I have had people argue that noodles are high in carbohydrates and therefore are not healthy, however a healthy diet should be approximately 50% carbohydrates (grains, noodles, sugars, sauces), 20% protein (meats, tofu, nuts) and 30% fat.
- vermicelli bowls, Bun – bowl of rice vermicelli topped with grilled marinated meat, fresh greens, beansprouts, mint, coriander, chopped peanuts, and pickled carrot, cucumber and daikon radish
- papaya/mango salad Goi du du – thinly sliced fresh papaya or mango with pickled carrot, cucumber, daikon radish, mint, onion and occasionally meat
- fresh fruit juices/smoothies – made with exotic fruits including mango, avocado, pineapple, dragonfruit, durian, and jackfruit; opt for juices as smoothies often have condensed milk or other fattening dairy added

papaya salad

Keep in mind, these are just recommendations, and that my motto for healthy eating is ‘everything in moderation’ : if you go for the deep fried spring rolls, then choose a healthier entrée.

Photo Credit: Tony Ngo,Thanh Tran, C. P.