If you’re coming to Phuket, Thai restaurant dinners could be both the death and the breath of your diet. If you’re trying to lose weight, a vacation is often like one giant cheap because it forces you to drop all of your carefully crafted routines. However, the sort of Thai food Phuket is famous for can actually be very good for you and, with the help of your hotel’s fitness room, it’s entirely possible to stick to your routines and goals. To help you keep to your ideal weight, here are a few dishes to look out for, as well as some to avoid.
Do Eat – Steamed Fish
Being an island, Phuket naturally has some excellent seafood. Steamed fish is not only one of the tastier preparations, but also one of the healthier. It’s loaded with protein and helpful vitamins and amino acids. It’s normal to be served the whole fish rather than just fillets, so watch out for bones and be prepared to look your meal in the eye!
Don’t Eat – Curries
Phuket Thai restaurants are famous for their fantastic green and red curries, as well as the delightful Massaman curry. However, all of them are very rich. They’re often made with coconut milk and are heavy on the fat and cholesterol. Green curry is the least worse, but all are best avoided if you’re watching your weight.
Do Eat – Som Tam
Amazingly popular among Thais, this spicy papaya salad is high in fibre and flavour.
Don’t Eat – Phad Thai
It’s a great pity to have to turn away from a plate of Thailand’s most famous dish. However, the noodles and especially the large amount of cooking oil involved are very high in calories. Even quite a modest serving can be 300 to 400 calories.
Do Eat – Brown Rice
If you get the choice, brown rice is preferable to white rice. It’s higher in fibre and lower in carbohydrates. Unfortunately, you won’t often get that choice, other than in the classier Phuket Thai restaurants. You do sometimes get a choice of noodles, so you should generally aim for glass noodles, which have fewer calories than yellow or white ones.
Don’t Eat – Thai Desserts
Thai sweets are extremely sweet. They’re often made with coconut milk and heaps of sugar. No matter how tempting they may be, you’ll especially want to avoid the famous banana pancake since the little bit of fruit won’t offset the massive sugar dose you get from the syrup and condensed milk. The same goes for mango sticky rice.
Phuket Thai restaurant, Thai food Phuket, Thai dining Phuket