Vegetarian Thai food?

Jeneba
Jeneba Posts: 699 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Have to go out to dinner tonight - any recommendations for lowest calorie count? Thanks!!!

Replies

  • TrimAnew
    TrimAnew Posts: 127 Member
    Most Thai restaurants have descriptions of the food. I'd go with whatever has the most veggies in it and doesn't have noodles, or that has rice on the side so you can control how much you eat. They also have some really good soups that are light and broth-y but packed with flavor and veggies.

    As for the vegetarian part, getting no meat or getting tofu with your meal is easy. What you will need to watch out for is the fish sauce that's in just about everything though. Ask your server what is free of the fish sauce, or look for a "Buddhist Vegetarian" section of the menu. Avoiding fish sauce will severely limit your choices at most Thai places. Fortunately, in my experience, the Buddhist Vegetarian parts of the menu, though short, are just as tasty as the regular dishes, so you're in luck there.

    As for me... bring on the seafood and fish sauce! :P


    Edited to add: also watch out for oyster sauce and eggs, which are in a lot too.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    I agree about the fish sauce. It will be difficult to find something without it. Most vegetarians think Thai is easy since almost any noodle, rice or curry type dish has protein choices like tofu but they all likely contain fish sauce as well, so they are no more vegetarian than eating a salmon curry.

    Noodle and rice dishes will do you in calorie-wise, though I love noodle dishes. My favorite is drunken noodle, which tends to run around 800 calories. If I can't fit it into my calorie budget, I eat half. If I can work it in my calories, I eat the whole thing :p
  • Jeneba
    Jeneba Posts: 699 Member
    Thanks!!!! ESPECIALLY about the fish sauce..... I promise I will be careful! :love:
  • nc_moon_beam
    nc_moon_beam Posts: 38 Member
    Stay away from the pad thai. It's yummy but loaded with fat and calories.
  • heliumheels
    heliumheels Posts: 241 Member
    Mmmm thai food. I usually get spicy tofu and vegetables with brown rice ... and a mai tai.
  • jeolds
    jeolds Posts: 104 Member
    Honestly just ask. Nearly every Indian and Thai restaurant I have gone to have vegetarian options and many may not be on the menu. Most place are glad to cook to something off menu, although this is more true of the Mom/Pop restaurants.

    I am a meat eater so it doesn't bother me much, but they do have tasty vegetarian dishes. In Thai restaurants though I tend to stick more to their vegetable stir fry dishes and eat very little of the rice (and request brown) that comes with it.

    Enjoy.

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