10 Clever Tips to Eat Healthy When Traveling Through Vietnam

Eating healthy while you travel might be a difficult task since every culture has its own cuisine, and it uses many new ingredients to our knowledge. While thanks to globalization, some ingredients might already be familiar to our taste, many local cuisines are still unique.

Vietnam has a fascinating cuisine and very healthy actually if you know where to eat from and what to eat. But an essential aspect you need to know about Vietnamese cuisine that makes it so unique is that it is based on a specific balance.

The balance is referring to the fact the most of their dishes, especially when it comes to their traditional food, are including all five fundamental tastes: spicy, sour, bitter, salty, and sweet. I find this fact one of the most fascinating aspects of Vietnamese culture.

With no further ado, in today’s post, we’re presenting our top 10 smart tips to eat healthy when traveling through Vietnam.

1. Buy from the Locals

Buying food from the locals is the best thing you can do when you travel. Not only that, you’ll get the most authentic taste of the Vietnamese dishes, but they actually can be healthier.

You see, for a dish to be perfect, certain local ingredients must be used, and each must be highly qualitative. Locals know who grows the best veggies and herbs in town, and they need that quality to make their famous dishes.

2. Fancy Doesn’t Mean Healthy

Some people have the tendency to believe that if some fancy chef makes a dish, that dish must be healthy. Moreover, an elegant restaurant isn’t necessarily assuring you that their ingredients are the best.

The chances are that the foods you find on the local market stalls are much healthier because everything is more natural. When it comes to a healthy diet when you travel, it isn’t about the money – at least not in Vietnam. When you travel, you want to taste their specific food made by the locals and not by fancy chefs if you seek authenticity.

3. Choose Vegetable Based Foods

When it comes to eating healthy, according to a top paper service, things look pretty simple – you eat veggies you stay healthy. I’m not trying to go all vegan or something, but we can’t deny that veggies come with a lot of vitamins and other benefits that our bodies need. Therefore, the more vegetables you see on a plate, the better it is.

4. Add Herbs in Your Meals

Vietnamese herbs are amazing. Herbs, in many cultures, are used many times for medicinal purposes. For this reason, there’s nothing healthier than adding herbs to your dishes. Some of the most popular herbs used in Vietnamese cuisine are knotgrass, coriander, perilla leaf, mint, cilantro, lemongrass, Thai basil, and dill. The more herbs your dish has, take it as a good sign.

5. Coconut Water

If you didn’t know by now, coconut water has (almost) all the nutrients our body needs to stay in a healthy mood. And guess what? Fresh coconut water is a specialty in the coastal areas of Vietnam. The best thing about coconut water is that it is helping a lot in removing harmful substances from our body. Therefore, coconut water isn’t only a healthy dose, but also a detox opportunity.

6. Fresh Fruits

Basic or not, fruits are still some of the healthiest foods you can eat. The only trick about fruits is the quantity you’re eating. Many people so love fruits because they’re sweet, according to an essay writing help source. But even the natural fructose in big doses is not healthy. Therefore, while you might be tempted with all the tasty fruits that Vietnam has to offer, you might want to treat them as heathy shacks and nothing more.

7. Local Vegetable Oil

One thing you should know about Vietnamese dishes is that they mostly use Vegetable oil, which is excellent for cholesterol and makes the meals healthier. Many health benefits come with vegetable oil, considering that it is made from sunflower or coconut, but it might be a bit more expensive. Therefore, if you want a healthier dish, make sure you ask if they use vegetable oil or not.

8. Freshly Caught Fish

Not all fish are good fish because of the way they raise the fish, but in places like Vietnam, the fish really is good. Your body will get the chance to fully enjoy all the health benefits that come with fish, such as omega three and healthy protein. Here are some types of fish to go for: catfish, anabas, goby, eel, snakehead, and crap.

9. Vietnamese Vegetarian Dishes

Vegan food is everywhere nowadays, which I consider a very good thing. Like it or not, vegan food is really healthy for our body, so if your health is a concern, vegan dishes will make a great choice, especially in Vietnam. Vietnamese cuisine knows its way to mix the greens, so you should expect some delicious and yet healthy dishes.

10. Nutrition Balance

There’s a fascinating nutrition balance in the Vietnamese cuisine. As I already mentioned, it is in their tradition to mix all the five primary tastes in a dish. The exciting aspect of this is that the ingredients that offer those tastes bring their nutritious rapport in the meal. All mixed, in other words, will make an extremely nutritious meal.

Conclusion

Eating healthy is a choice that can be respected regardless of the place in the world you decide to travel towards. Vietnam is a beautiful place to delight not only your mind and eyes but also your taste buds.

Above, you have ten tips to stay healthy in Vietnam, which are easy to follow since Vietnamese cuisine is very healthy and balanced on its own. But, because the food in Vietnam is also delicious, what you should be concerned with is the quantity you’re eating.

By Michael Gorman.

Michael Gorman is a highly skilled journalist and one of the most professional paper writers from the best essay writing service. In his free time, Michel enjoys writing interesting blog posts about personal growth, and he’s interested in discovering new aspects of human existence.