Photos by Stephan Reed
It’s no secret that Chinese and other Asian foods are among the most popular foreign cuisine in the United States.
In fact, a 2010 Gallup poll reported that out of every 10 family mealmakers, six of them regularly eat Asian foods at home or in restaurants.
“Asian food is more popular than ever,” says Steven Yee, owner of Chi Thai Restaurant on North Hamilton Road. “It’s probably the most popular regional ethnic food choice for most Americans.”
Central Ohioans are no exception, with a neverending stockpile of Asian cuisine options to choose from. The food has some negative stereotypes associated with it – high-calorie, high-carb, riddled with MSG – but there are plenty of opportunities to keep it healthful.
Yee prides himself on providing plenty of healthful menu options. There are many ways to avoid the bad rap Asian food sometimes gets, he says.
What Can Brown Do for You?
One key takeaway when it comes to keeping Asian cuisine healthful: always, always, always choose brown rice over white.
It’s getting to be a mantra among the health-inclined, and it’s backed up by data. A study earlier this year by the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Iran “demonstrated that higher consumption of white rice may be a risk factor for development of metabolic syndrome among Iranian adults.” A separate study in the British Journal of Nutrition looked at overweight residents of India and found that those who ate brown rice rather than white reduced their 24-hour glucose and fasting insulin responses.
A meta-analysis published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that white rice and noodles contributed to hyperglycemia via greater insulin resistance. On top of that, consumption of white rice, which is a refined grain, has been linked to a higher risk of coronary heart disease and a higher incidence of damage by free radicals.
The scientific evidence against white rice is overwhelming. Fortunately, brown rice gets a much cleaner bill of health, thanks to its therapeutic effects as well as its possible antioxidant effects.
A study published in January by the British Journal of Nutrition showed that individuals who ate brown rice acquired short- and long-term beneficial responses such as lowered insulin resistance, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Another experiment, this time from the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, suggests a positive antioxidant effect to eating brown rice.
Sauce on the Side
According to CalorieLab, a health and nutrition website, one serving of any given Asian food sauce can range from 15 to 300 calories.
For most adults, a good per-meal calorie range is 500-800. So if the sauce is toward the high end of the calorie scale, controlling the amount you eat – or eschewing it entirely – can take a sizable chunk out of a food’s calorie content.
“Sometimes it’s as simple as offering to put the sauce for a dish on the side and allowing the diner to control the portion,” says Yee.
Depending on the dish ordered and the establishment serving it, the sauce-on-the-side approach can conceivably slash the calories by 90 percent while still preserving the flavor it offers.
Areas to Avoid
Every type of cuisine has a few dishes that, no matter who prepared them, are packed with sky-high calorie counts.
In Asian cuisine, take popular chain P.F. Chang’s, for example. Per Calorie Count, its Ginger Panna Cotta de
ssert is 420 calories. Compare that to its Great Wall of Chocolate cake, crammed full of 1,540 calories – almost four times as much. On the entrée menu, the Pad Thai Chicken might creep up on the unsuspecting diner with its 1,160 calories.
Per Shape Magazine, a few Asian foods consistently worth steering around are vegetable lo mein (high calories and refined grains), chicken with black bean sauce (high sodium) and orange beef (high-caloric value). Wonton soup, chicken with snow peas and Buddha’s delight are generally better bets.
“Obviously, don’t get too carried away with the deep-fried foods,” says Yee. “And with that in mind, you can’t go wrong with a great many of the vegetarian, fresh fish and seafood options.”
New Albany resident David Allen is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at tdufresne@cityscenemediagroup.com.
