News & Info

First of all, what are ethnic foods?  For purposes of this blog, by ethnic foods I mean International Food choices – Italian, Greek, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, etc.

There are a multitude of choices when it comes to dining out or making these at home.  For most Americans, this type of food is a bit foreign in terms of what to select or prepare.  To those unfamiliar with these foods it may be daunting enough to try to figure out what the food is (Chicken?  Fish?  Cheese?  Beef?) let alone what the healthy choices might be.

The good news is that not only is ethnic food tasty, much of it can be healthier than an American choice! 

Here are some tactics for making smart choices:

Italian.  Start with a non-cream based soup such as minestrone.  Be careful with the bread – olive oil is healthy for dipping, but has 120 calories per tablespoon – these can add up!  At Olive Garden, try their Apricot Chicken.  Try Pasta e Fagioli instead of pasta with cream sauce.

Mexican.  Fajitas are always a good choice because the meat is usually stir-fried (not the same as deep fried) or grilled.  Pile on the veggies and salsa that accompany them.  When eating the chips and salsa, break each chip in half and scoop on a large serving of salsa – this will fill you up and cut your calories in half!

Asian.  Try to avoid “sweet and sour” or duck sauce (very oily).  Choose “fresh spring rolls” instead of egg rolls – these aren’t fried.  Ask if you can substitute half the rice with veggies and get your sauce “on the side”.   A brown sauce, black bean sauce or hoisin sauce is usually a good choice with shrimp.  Round it out with a serving of Chinese vegetable soup with a clear broth to offer a nice selection of veggies for only a few calories.   

Greek.  Stuffed grape leaves and tzatziki (cucumber and yogurt) are good choices.  There are usually lots of fruit options – take advantage of those!

Indian.  Chickpeas are filling and a great choice – look for Chana Sag (chickpeas and spinach).  Most Indian dishes are full of low-no calories spices and veggies. 

Take advantage of all the new ethnic food restaurants that are popping up.  The prices are usually pretty reasonable and having a new food may open up a whole new world of flavors to enjoy and experiment with!

Warmly,

Dr. Mudge-Riley