Going for Vietnamese tonight... suggestions?

LarryPGH

So, I'll be going to a Vietnamese restaurant tonight with some friends. I love Vietnamese cuisine! But... I'm guessing that what I would normally get would just be too much for my current diet.

Any suggestions on good lower-calorie food that I should order tonight?

Thanks!

CalorieNinja

Eat an apple or something before you go so you don't over indulge. I don't really know anything about Vietnamese cuisine but I would imagine its full of salt. Drink lots of water and see if maybe they have a menu with nutrition facts before you go.

Manda1987

Mmmm... I know what I would be getting!

I love Vietnamese pho. I don't know about salt content, but it's pretty low in calories depending on the meat you get in it. It's also got lots of veggies and tons of flavour that doesn't come from fats.

heyitsmekatie

soup with a clear broth would probably be a good choice. I'm not 100% sure but I'd think that the spring rolls would be fairly low in calories and fat -- not the fried kind, but the kind with rice noodles, vegetables, bean sprouts, and shrimp or chicken wrapped in rice paper -- as long as you skip the peanut dipping sauce.

mmmm... now i want spring rolls!

TheMaidOfAstolat

Choose vegetarian dishes and try to avoid rice based dishes. And watch out for the sodium...drink plenty of water.

Booper83

If there's brown rice, get that. If it's just noodles, then get whole grain. If not, eat half noodles you would normally eat and more veggies. Then watch what meat and drinks you get. Hope this helps!

LarryPGH

Well, I ended up having one of the fresh summer rolls (the one that was left on the platter was just *screaming* at me, but I managed to leave it there for someone else to take!), and something new I'd never had before -- Thit Heo Xao Lin, which was glass noodles, onions, mushrooms, and pork, with curry sauce -- yum! (I ate about a cup and a half, and brought home about 2 cups).

(Oh... I also got some Pho as take out, for lunch tomorrow... I just couldn't go there and pass it up!)

(Edited to change "beef" to "pork"... how'd I make that mistake?!?!? :blushing:)

pandafoo

i love vietnamese! my favorite appetizer is the summer roll with the shrimp. as for entree, i recommend the bun (rice noodles) with charbroiled pork. you don't have to eat the fried spring roll (tho that is my fave aspect of vietnamese food), but it comes with lots of veggies, and the peanuts are healthy fats. i'd stay away from pho - while it's great for a winter day, it's fattening with the beef broth and it doesn't have many veggies.

LarryPGH

i love vietnamese! my favorite appetizer is the summer roll with the shrimp. as for entree, i recommend the bun (rice noodles) with charbroiled pork. you don't have to eat the fried spring roll (tho that is my fave aspect of vietnamese food), but it comes with lots of veggies, and the peanuts are healthy fats. i'd stay away from pho - while it's great for a winter day, it's fattening with the beef broth and it doesn't have many veggies.

LOL -- I agree: I was surprised when I saw the nutrition info for the pho! I guess I'll be eating it, 1/2 cup at a time, over the next coupla days, in place of the soups that I usually have!!!