Suggestions for Thai low calorie options

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  • Well thai restaurants can vary. Anything coconut based will be higher calorie. Sometimes they have soups and as long as those soups don't have coconut milk in them, they'll be fairly low calorie.

    Otherwise, the stir fries will be stir fried but even with that, they'll be lower calorie than any of the dishes with coconut milk. I often get a stir fried tofu dish with brown rice and just eat half the dish.
  • The first thing I thought of is summer rolls, but dip sparingly. Hot and sour soup or really any broth based soup, or even go with a stir fry - as Nellie mentioned - but be cautious with the rice.
  • A lot of thai fish dishes are a good choice, especially the type steamed with onions, cilantro, and lemongrass in foil or banana leaf.

    Laab is usually a good choice (a ground meat salad).

    Papaya salad is usually good (more an appetizer than a meal, sort of like a garlicky, slightly fishy coleslaw). The dressing can have sugar, but usually it's still pretty low-cal, especially compared to American style salad dressings dressing. I've been told that papaya salad in Thailand is the classic lady's lunch, especially for women watching their weight.

    Pho (a noodle soup) is often a good choice, just ask for half noodles (or only eat some), and extra beansprouts. The biggest problem with Pho is that the portion is often ridiculously huge. You may be able to order an extra small or child's portion even if it's not on the menu. The portion is so big, because most SE Asians eat the solids and leave most of the broth behind. When dieting, you can do the reverse.