To say Asian cuisine is flavorful would be an understatement. But some traditional dishes are high in calories, thanks to an overload of oils, sugars, and rich sauces.
Asian cuisine is characterized by fragrant herbs and spices, rice, as well as myriad ingredients from the land and sea. Additionally, popular cooking methods include steaming, stir-frying, broiling, fermenting, and roasting.
The first step to cooking healthy Asian food is to choose ingredients that do not add to your waistline. The trick is to curate meals that are low in calories but high in healthy fats and proteins.
Ditch your deep fryer for some steaming, roasting, and boiling action. And if you’re really craving something fried, consider stir-frying with cooking sprays and non-stick pans instead.
Adopt the Asian tradition of communal meals and shared dishes. This can help foster a culture of mindful eating, where you take only what you can eat and hence are less likely to overindulge.
Swap out your old sauce bottles with ‘lighter’ versions that have a lower sugar/salt content. Or, you can use herbs and aromatics to season your sauces without adding any extra calories.
Yes, complex carbs are good for you because they are essential for your body to burn fat. Incorporate your Asian dishes with carbohydrates like whole grains, brown rice, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, or soba noodles. Don’t be afraid of carbs!
Switch to leaner proteins like chicken breast, shrimp, and fish. These are lower in calories and high in protein. Also, add more vegetables to your dishes to bulk them up and get all your macros in.
You don’t have to sacrifice flavor to reduce calories in Asian dishes. All you need to do is make a few simple adjustments, and you can still enjoy delicious dishes while following through on your diet!