SURVEY: Is the food in Thailand healthy?

[Scott]

There was a recent topic about the safety of food in Thailand.   Would you be willing to pay more for food that is grown organically?   Chose the option which best describes your opinion.  

 

Please feel free to leave a comment.

 

 

[sawadee1947]

If you spend some money you can buy healthy food same as in every country. 

But for Average Thai people food is not healthy 

[malibukid]

went to the hospital for my semi-annual check up.  what a  wake up call.  LDL out of control.  the food here can literally kill you if the pollution does not get you first.   the Thai's love their palm oil.  back to salmon and steamed veggies. 

[zyphodb]

2 minutes ago, malibukid said:

went to the hospital for my semi-annual check up.  what a  wake up call.  LDL out of control.  the food here can literally kill you if the pollution does not get you first.   the Thai's love their palm oil.  back to salmon and steamed veggies. 

Would that be Frankensalmon sir?

[madmen]

70% boiled rice, some slivers of meat and served with 2 tablespoons of sugar and MSG

 

No thanks

[at15]

not great for thais, but suicidal for westerners genetics. thai people are able to get away with it due to economics. they simply just cannot afford to eat enough therefore are able to maintain a normal body weight (healthy bmi critical to overall health). you see it more and more everyday though, extremely overweight thai people, young ones spoiled by mommy and daddy. 

[thecyclist]

The FDA and health department have done several tests of certified organic food over the years, and the result is invariably that most of them are still contaminated with significant amounts of chemicals. Probably still better than non-organic produce. 

At least in Supermarkets (hopefully) they don't do what many fresh markets do:Use coloring, formaldehyde, borax etc to make meat, vegetables etc visually more attractive and to keep them 'fresh' longer. 

[Quack]

As a diabetic I struggle to find any Thai food at all that doesn't make me ill. I also stick to meat and veg as much as I can

[Kurtf]

42 minutes ago, malibukid said:

went to the hospital for my semi-annual check up.  what a  wake up call.  LDL out of control.  the food here can literally kill you if the pollution does not get you first.   the Thai's love their palm oil.  back to salmon and steamed veggies. 

Hahaha. Before you jump onto that diet I suggest you do a little investigation into that salmon you think is so great. 99% of the salmon sold in Thailand is farm raised and contains unbelievable amounts of toxins. Soaking your veggies in a dilute solution of white vinegar will help clean off some of the pesticides used on the farms.

[Saltire]

4 minutes ago, Quack said:

As a diabetic I struggle to find any Thai food at all that doesn't make me ill. I also stick to meat and veg as much as I can

I am in the same diabetic boat and I agree with you if you are taking about eating out. Cooking Thai food at home can be healthy as you can easily control what's in it.

 

Also the poster Fred above should be aware that the white carbohydrates he mentions are the primary clause of diabetes and the main factor in obesity. As for obese Thais, yes there are now more than before but bear in mind you can be skinny and diabetic, and this is a huge problem for the Thai population. My FiL goes to the local Provincial hospital once a month and waits on his number with at least 200 others to check on their diabetes. White Rice for a diabetic is like kryptonite and should be avoided. 

 

It's taken me 2 years to get my gf to cut down on rice and she is seeing the benefits now. 

 

Good advice on buying local veg (look for insect holes) and at least you know there is potentially not too many chemicals used. I'd pay more but tbh i'd never be sure of honest packaging. 

[at15]

MSG will spike insulin thats why its an issue for diabetes 

Edited June 23, 2019 by at15

[Saltire]

3 minutes ago, at15 said:

MSG will spike insulin thats why its an issue for diabetes 

I have avoided MSG for years but I did not know this, thanks.

[Saltire]

10 minutes ago, FredGallaher said:

MSG is wicked stuff. We frequent small Thai restaurants where we ask for no MSG and not salty. A little fish sauce is OK. They're fine with it, or we don't go back. For diabetics limiting rice is a good start, as is limiting (not necessary eliminating) chips, bread (esp white bread) , pasta, potatoes  and other sugary treats. Some fruits are OK but you must do you research. 

Moderation is key for most people along with a blood sugar monitoring device.

Diabetes can be very nasty so take care.

Been monitoring for 2 years and now do not eat all of the above. Also stopped eating fruit as the spikes were sky high especially banana and mango, which is a pain as my garden is full of them now ????. Been on a low carb high fat lifestyle  (keto) for more than a year with great success. Stick many to meat and veg and some dairy. 

[chilli42]

One can argue about how healthy Thai cuisine is.  I honestly think it’s a matter of what you choose to eat.  Some dishes are inherently healthy provided you cook them yourself and avoid palm oil, msg etc.  Other food is overdosed with oil, sugar and salt.  That bothers me is that the food chain in this country is compromised.  Everything in Thailand is governed by a low cost/price imperative.  This is then coupled by greed and weak enforcement.  You have to assume that the meat you buy locally is heavily dosed with hormones, antibiotics and laced with chemicals from the feedstock.  The vegetables are equally full of chemicals and pesticide.  I don’t for one minute believe that the “organic” products for sale in the supermarket (or talat) really are organic.  Maybe a few are but which ones?  So what are you paying extra for until their is diligent enforcement of “organic” standards?  If you want to eat healthy in Thailand go vegetarian and grow your own.  There are many things I enjoy about living in Thailand but let’s be clear, the food and the pollution are both taking “healthy” years off our lives.

[Isaanbiker]

 

    I only showed my wife once how to make a Schnitzel Vienna style many moons ago. Since then I've never ever cooked food again.

 

      It turned out that my better half is a master cook. No need to eat rice on daily basis.

 

   You can get all ingredients at Big-C, Tesco, or at Makro. 

 

        

[attrayant]

On 6/22/2019 at 6:17 AM, Scott said:

Would you be willing to pay more for food that is grown organically?

The organic label is a scam that preys on the gullible and uninformed.  Probably the most successful thing the Organic Consumer's Association ever did was to convince people that organic means healthier or pesticide free, when neither is true. It's nothing more than a way to shame those who can't afford the premium price.

 

From Dan Glickman, Agriculture secretary when the organic standards came out in 2000:
 

“Let me be clear about one thing. The organic label is a marketing tool. It is not a statement about food safety, nor is ‘organic’ a value judgment about nutrition or quality.”

 

The only way to get people to shell out the extra money for "organic" is to try to demonize conventional produce.  So the Environmental Working Group makes up, out of thin air, their own set of standards. They arbitrarily decide - in sharp contrast to already established safety data - that conventional produce has "excessive" levels of pesticide residue.  They publish their "dirty dozen" list every year, in an attempt to scare people away from conventional produce in the hopes they'll spend the big money on "organic".  For those who get scared away from conventional produce but can't afford organic - what should they do?  They'll probably end up at McDonald's eating a carbo-sodium-sugar meal.

 

Never before in the history of human beings has our food supply been as abundant or healthful as it is now.

 

Having said all that, of course it matters what choices you make.  The food supply might be healthy but you can still choose to live on pizza and deep-fried candy bars.

 

If the OP means 'prepared food' rather than the food supply itself, then that also involves a lot of variability.  However Thailand seems to incorporate more fruits & veggies into its entrees than is done in the west.  For reasons such as this, the food here is marginally more healthful.  But for other reasons it's not - such as making an omelette by cooking egg batter in a pool of oil or all the added sugar in everything.

 

1 hour ago, thecyclist said:

The FDA and health department have done several tests of certified organic food over the years, and the result is invariably that most of them are still contaminated with significant amounts of chemicals.

 

Testing in the USA showed that both "organically grown" and conventionally grown produce had similar pesticide level residues.  But in both cases the levels were two to three orders of magnitude below the safety margins.  The ridiculous part of this story is that, since organic farmers couldn't guarantee 0% pesticide residues, the organic industry had to come up with some baseline number that was deemed tolerable.  It turns out that conventional crops come in at or below this level most of the time. So I guess conventional crops are mostly organic too, if all we're measuring is the pesticide residues at the point of sale.

 

It also annoys me greatly that organic farming methods are, in general, worse for the environment than conventional methods. They require more land, have lower yields and have a larger carbon footprint.  Organic pesticides are less effective and therefore must be applied more frequently and in greater amounts - meaning more passes with the crop sprayer and more fuel consumed.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2019 by attrayant
added link to Glickman quote

[Vacuum]

1 hour ago, malibukid said:

back to salmon and steamed veggies. 

Which are full of pesticides....

Edited June 23, 2019 by Vacuum

[attrayant]

2 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Which are full of pesticides....

 

Wash your veggies, okay?  

[DogNo1]

An article published in a Thai newspaper a year or so ago said that all produce sold in the big supermarkets was contaminated, even that sold as organic.  It's good to by fruits and vegetables that can be peeled or have their surface layer scraped away (carrots, etc.) but leafy foods such as spinach are the dirtiest in term of contamination.

[DogNo1]

BTW, washing vegetables does not rid them entirely of bacteria and pesticides.  People have gotten very sick from eating contaminated spinach in the US even if it wash well-washed.

[user68677878]

2 hours ago, FredGallaher said:

In my opinion Thai food is much healthier than western food. There are a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables and protein available. The trick is knowing how to buy and what to look for. When buying green leafy stuff look to see minor insect holes to see it pesticides were used (in excess). If buying fish or meet in the fresh market look for vendors that must keep flies at bay. I not saying to buy fish covered with flies (no way) but insects know if pesticides are present. 

Western food is frequently deep fried or butter added. Thai food not so much. Except for "fried rice" rice is eaten without added oils or fats. In the west we add butter or sour cream to potatoes. 

At Big C or Makro there are "Royal Project Vegetables" that are very good.

You Sir are a real life comedian

[terryofcrete]

1 hour ago, Quack said:

As a diabetic I struggle to find any Thai food at all that doesn't make me ill. I also stick to meat and veg as much as I can

Same

[adammike]

18 minutes ago, DogNo1 said:

BTW, washing vegetables does not rid them entirely of bacteria and pesticides.  People have gotten very sick from eating contaminated spinach in the US even if it wash well-washed.

I buy a small water boiler a sort of kettle with a large lid I wash and blanch vegetables some from the market some from the supermarket dress with extra virgin olive oil and organic cider vinegar, sea salt and black pepper from the little glass jars that have a grinder built in.Oats for breakfast with coconut water ground ginger and cinnamon and yoghurt,fruit for lunch, the veg with a bit of chicken or fish.a bit of rye bread Russian or German.I would never eat unwashed and raw vegetables ever I wash them under the tap to get rid of as much of the chemicals as I can the blanch then a little at a time in the water boiler even the ones that I can scrape or peel.I am time rich it's no big deal to do it for my self.

[redwhiteandblue]

MSG is completely unregulated in Thailand. And as a result it is over-used as a flavour enhancer by nearly all food vendors and restaurants. This plus the amount of sugar and fish sauce that is added to nearly all dishes makes eating Thai food nowadays extremely unhealthy.  Unless you cook at home then you can control the ingredients that go into the dish.

[Yinn]

2 hours ago, madmen said:

70% boiled rice, some slivers of meat and served with 2 tablespoons of sugar and MSG

 

No thanks

You only try that? Thailand have a lot different food, some healthy, some terrible.

 

we grow organic a lot for us to eat. House chicken, fruit and vegtable. Not really trust this shop organic. Maybe, maybe not. Who know?

 

Salmon is not healthy. They make the orange color with chemical, fake, also it import so not fresh one. And dirty water. 

Plain water fish I think also not so good/clean. We like fish from Andaman sea, think fish from eastern is not so good because the rubbish and chemicals.

 

Also brown rice, or rice berry is better.

[attrayant]

42 minutes ago, RobboR said:

Loads of fake food, especially things like honey and plastic rice 

 

 

News for you: plastic is more expensive than rice.  The plastic-in-rice thing is a myth that came from a story about some lesser quality rice being sold as premium brand.  Can you imagine biting down into rice and getting unchewable plastic bits?  It makes no sense at all.

[malibukid]

3 hours ago, FredGallaher said:

To lower LDL or get a better HDL/LDL ratio you need to increase exercise. The amount of oil used to stir fry vegetables is minimal. Better stay away from McD and/or Pizza. 

That said salmon and steamed vegetables are good for you.

i run 5k every morning and it was still high

Edited June 23, 2019 by malibukid

[malibukid]

3 hours ago, at15 said:

not great for thais, but suicidal for westerners genetics. thai people are able to get away with it due to economics. they simply just cannot afford to eat enough therefore are able to maintain a normal body weight (healthy bmi critical to overall health). you see it more and more everyday though, extremely overweight thai people, young ones spoiled by mommy and daddy. 

my MBI is 20

[malibukid]

3 hours ago, FredGallaher said:

You guys done know good Thai food. There is a lot of good stuff out there but you must be willing to try. The problem with western diet is much worse and contains a lot of sugary drink and fat food. Thai who adapt to it also get fat. Many Thais are better off than ExPats and are not fat. 

Rice, potatoes, pasta, and bread are only sources of carbohydrates, but adding butter or gravy etc is much worse than plain rice. 

Western diners finish off a meal with cake or pie, whereas Thais take fresh fruit. Which is healthier.

 

 

i do not eat desert, eat lots of fruit, muesli for breakfast,  it's the eggs, love cap cow guy and the eggs, fried rice that are the problem. eat pizza very rarely since i can not find decent here.  ice cream not happening here either. Nana Bakery is now off limits. will miss it.  better gelato in other countries.  it's the oil that they use in the stir fry here.  love it, but it's a killer.  i know a few good vegetarian places that are good here and they are healthy.. back to my California diet.  glad i got the bad news.

[malibukid]

2 hours ago, Saltire said:

Been monitoring for 2 years and now do not eat all of the above. Also stopped eating fruit as the spikes were sky high especially banana and mango, which is a pain as my garden is full of them now ????. Been on a low carb high fat lifestyle  (keto) for more than a year with great success. Stick many to meat and veg and some dairy. 

avocados have gotten pretty good here, and i am from Cal.

Edited June 23, 2019 by malibukid