Asian Food

Mapanggulo

Since I've just got myself on track to loosing weight and have told a few friends, I've had nothing but complements and food suggestions. One that I received from two friends really strikes me as funny. Both have told me that now I need to cut Asian food out of my diet and I'll really loose weight. They've also told me to cut out white rice because its bad for you and will put weight on.

I kinda laughed since I've spent almost 10 years combined living in three different Asian countries, plus I have traveled to another country in that continent. I have seen first hand that those countries population don't have near as much overweight or obese people that we have here in the US.

I cook a lot of Korean, Filipino & Thai food. Most all of it is stir-fried. I don't make any deep friend Asian food (don't have a deep fat frier or like cooking like that). I usually use canola oil when I cook, unless the recipe calls for something specific.

I understand eating to much of it, like eating too much of any food isn't good if your loosing weight, but seriously Asian's on a whole aren't overweight compared to the US.

So what would possess someone to say this?

Mykaelous

The stuff marketed at Americans tends to be high in salt, sugar, and tends to be fried. That said I've been to plenty of family owned Asian food restaurants and the one thing I consistently notice is that the food that the people/owners who work there eat tends to be very plain compared to their menus.

SnuggleSmacks

American "Chinese" food is full of battered and deep fried meats swimming in sweet sauces over "fried" rice with all sorts of added fats. In other words, delicious, but also full of calories. That's probably what your friends meant.

I've lived in the Philippines for a short time and ate some amazing Filippino, Thai, Japanese and Chinese food which did not look at all like what is served at American restaurants. They also have a much better idea of what an actual serving is.

buffywhitney

I notice a water weight gain every time I visit my favorite Asian place. It comes off in a few days but still, annoying.

Mapanggulo

You are correct about the Asian food marketed towards American's for the most part, it's also not authentic at least by what I've learned living abroad.

I haven't noticed what you've seen when it comes to the food the workers/owners eat and what is on their menu, with the exception of maybe at an Asian buffet.

FatFreeFrolicking

Asia and China aren't examples to use for low obesity rates anymore. Their obesity rates are actually on the rise.

Edited to say that American Asian and Chinese food is not the same as authentic Asian and Chinese food.

TiffieLand

The foods that are in the restaurant is not the typical asian foods and are way more oily and unhealthy than the homemade ones. Why? Because it is easier and cheaper way to create a delicious dish. Afterall, they are looking to make the most profit.

Mapanggulo

Of these two friends I know one of them is probably referring to food in a restaurant more, because that is all she's experiences. It still baffles me that the other one would say that when she was married to a Thai man for 20yrs and was immersed in their culture and food. She knows how they generally cook for their family and loves the food.

Mapanggulo

FYI this discussion with the lady previously married to an Asian man came up when she found out I was making a Thai dish called Larb Gai (Spicy Chicken Salad). I believe it actually has less calories than the steamed rice I usually serve with it.

Swiftlet66

The western view of typical Chinese foods, Vietnamese foods, Thai foods, or even Japanese foods have a lot more added fat, oils and added sugar than what is actually eaten in those countries. Lots of deep fried stuff, more for westernized taste buds... Here in California, we have sushi wrapped with cream cheese, covered with high calorie spicy mayonnaise sauces. But when I lived in Japan, most of the typical sushi there had simple rice, wasabi, different varieties of fish, roe and sometimes nori and herbs, depending on the type of sushi. The menu although pretty "plain" tasted a lot better than sushi here, imo. Plus, people in Japan eat so much rice; why aren't they in worse shape?? They actually walk around a lot more and prepare a lot of their foods from scratch. Their lunch is often homemade bento with homemade fish, vegetables, and rice.

Also, I am Vietnamese. From experience, since my family immigrated to the USA, my mom has gained a lot of weight and developed type 2 diabetes while my dad suffers from other health diseases. Sure, we eat vegetables, rice, and meats but instead of boiling a lot of the vegetables and meats like we used to, instead, we pan fry in butter and cheap oils which weren't exactly available in such large quantities when my parents used to live in Vietnam when they were thinner and in better shape. Also, at one point, my mom was on an Ensure health smoothie diet as well as a Honey nut cheerios diet (because she loves sweet stuff), and that made her situation worse... That and we simply don't move around a lot here. It's commuting by cars and sitting at work all day.

So for someone who is saying Asian foods are bad for you, obviously does not actually know the difference between authentic foods and westernized foods and has some stereotypical views of "bad" foods.

ETA: When I was doing a nutrition study/project in Japan, my host mom in Japan says that the Japanese have adopted a lot more western foods, that's why you see some health problems associated with weight on the rise. Although she was tiny in my opinion, she said she was actually fat for her age, compared to other Japanese older women. :noway:

Mapanggulo

Plus, people in Japan eat so much rice; why aren't they in worse shape?? They actually walk around a lot more and prepare a lot of their foods from scratch. Their lunch is often homemade bento with homemade fish, vegetables, and rice.

I actually brought that up when I was talking to my friends...that Asian's tend to eat a lot of whie rice daily (at least in the countries I lived in), only thing both could say "Well white rice is bad for you".

dopeysmelly

Plus, people in Japan eat so much rice; why aren't they in worse shape?? They actually walk around a lot more and prepare a lot of their foods from scratch. Their lunch is often homemade bento with homemade fish, vegetables, and rice.

I actually brought that up when I was talking to my friends...that Asian's tend to eat a lot of whie rice daily (at least in the countries I lived in), only thing both could say "Well white rice is bad for you".

When I visit my company's Shanghai office, I see people scarfing on cookies and cakes in pretty much the same way as they do at my office in Chicago. Yeah, the people are thinner now, but if more of them quit walking and don't adjust their diet, they'll look the same eventually, and probably with more health problems, since genetics don't favor those of Asian descent when it comes to diabetes etc. It's all really sad, because the food there is so unbelievably good, with tons of veggies and small amounts of fish and meat prepared in wonderful, lip-smacking ways. Coming back to the stodge served in a lot of US restaurants is tough.

BTW. If you want to compare national "diets" there is a really cool book called "Hungry Planet", which is enlightening and a nice read with photos of what families around the world eat for a week.

SnuggleSmacks

When I was in the Philippines, the people there ate rice 3 meals a day. They had rice with their eggs for breakfast. They didn't feel full unless they had rice. But they also ate portions that a lot of Americans would find offensive if they were served such small amounts in a restaurant. In other words, they ate actual portions, not super-sized meals on steroids. The American habit of trying to get more value for our dollars is what's killing us.

hallo_spacedog

I eat rice for two, sometimes 3 meals a day. I eat about... 4.25 lbs total (cooked weight) of rice per week on average.
...and I have lost 20 lbs or so this year.

So, that's silly. I mean... perhaps they mean to say that brown rice is "better" for you because the hull is where a lot of the nutrient is contained, and it's polished off in the white rice but...