My husband and I are going to Thailand for a Month. He was diagnosed type 2 a couple of months ago and is following a low carb diet. Can anyone help regarding finding our way through Asian menus? We cannot eat curries but enjoy fish meat etc.
Travelling in Thailand
- Thread starter macnorfolk
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Never been to Thailand but would think there are plenty of suitable foods there.
Will bump your post up for someone who knows to answer.
Will bump your post up for someone who knows to answer.
oldgreymare
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The good news is that traditional Thai food is freshly prepared with lots of dishes based on fish and shellfish, fresh green vegetables and a tradition of raw vegetable garnishes. Challenge will be that rice and/or noodles are ubiquitous with Thai meals - if you have enough willpower to limit rice intake to a tablespoon or so, this will help. Thai curries and soups can be very spicy because the Thai tradition is to use rice or possibly bananas to balance the chilli. Also most Thai sauces and curries will have considerable added sugar. A BG meter will really help to assess what spikes your husband while your traveling.
But my experience is that it is easier to keep BG under control with Thai food compared to Indian menus. If you are in main cities such as Bangkok, Chang Mai and Phuket there will be lots of Japanese, Korean, Italian and other international restaurants around. As worldwide, the more you avoid processed foods the less exposure to trans fats and HFCS. For breakfast focus on eggs, bacon if available and salad. Personally I am not keen on processed meat sausages, chicken ham, etc.
But your biggest challenge may be resisting the tropical fruits and fruit drinks, smoothies, etc on offer. Only diet drink available is Coke Zero/Coke Lite (latter is less sweet but can be hard to find). Fresh coconut juice may be OK, everything else will be very high sugar. Re alcohol, cocktails will always be high sugar, beer as everywhere = liquid bread, safest low carb drink option is whiskey and soda.
Hope this helps! Thailand is a great country to visit.
But my experience is that it is easier to keep BG under control with Thai food compared to Indian menus. If you are in main cities such as Bangkok, Chang Mai and Phuket there will be lots of Japanese, Korean, Italian and other international restaurants around. As worldwide, the more you avoid processed foods the less exposure to trans fats and HFCS. For breakfast focus on eggs, bacon if available and salad. Personally I am not keen on processed meat sausages, chicken ham, etc.
But your biggest challenge may be resisting the tropical fruits and fruit drinks, smoothies, etc on offer. Only diet drink available is Coke Zero/Coke Lite (latter is less sweet but can be hard to find). Fresh coconut juice may be OK, everything else will be very high sugar. Re alcohol, cocktails will always be high sugar, beer as everywhere = liquid bread, safest low carb drink option is whiskey and soda.
Hope this helps! Thailand is a great country to visit.
ElyDave
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I'm curious as to why you can't eat curries, or is it just that you don't like spicy food?
If the latter, ask them to tone it down a bit or go for simple grilled or steamed fish.
The rice on the side can always be ignored (I do)
If the latter, ask them to tone it down a bit or go for simple grilled or steamed fish.
The rice on the side can always be ignored (I do)
The good news is that traditional Thai food is freshly prepared with lots of dishes based on fish and shellfish, fresh green vegetables and a tradition of raw vegetable garnishes. Challenge will be that rice and/or noodles are ubiquitous with Thai meals - if you have enough willpower to limit rice intake to a tablespoon or so, this will help. Thai curries and soups can be very spicy because the Thai tradition is to use rice or possibly bananas to balance the chilli. Also most Thai sauces and curries will have considerable added sugar. A BG meter will really help to assess what spikes your husband while your traveling.
But my experience is that it is easier to keep BG under control with Thai food compared to Indian menus. If you are in main cities such as Bangkok, Chang Mai and Phuket there will be lots of Japanese, Korean, Italian and other international restaurants around. As worldwide, the more you avoid processed foods the less exposure to trans fats and HFCS. For breakfast focus on eggs, bacon if available and salad. Personally I am not keen on processed meat sausages, chicken ham, etc.
But your biggest challenge may be resisting the tropical fruits and fruit drinks, smoothies, etc on offer. Only diet drink available is Coke Zero/Coke Lite (latter is less sweet but can be hard to find). Fresh coconut juice may be OK, everything else will be very high sugar. Re alcohol, cocktails will always be high sugar, beer as everywhere = liquid bread, safest low carb drink option is whiskey and soda.
Hope this helps! Thailand is a great country to visit.
The good news is that traditional Thai food is freshly prepared with lots of dishes based on fish and shellfish, fresh green vegetables and a tradition of raw vegetable garnishes. Challenge will be that rice and/or noodles are ubiquitous with Thai meals - if you have enough willpower to limit rice intake to a tablespoon or so, this will help. Thai curries and soups can be very spicy because the Thai tradition is to use rice or possibly bananas to balance the chilli. Also most Thai sauces and curries will have considerable added sugar. A BG meter will really help to assess what spikes your husband while your traveling.
But my experience is that it is easier to keep BG under control with Thai food compared to Indian menus. If you are in main cities such as Bangkok, Chang Mai and Phuket there will be lots of Japanese, Korean, Italian and other international restaurants around. As worldwide, the more you avoid processed foods the less exposure to trans fats and HFCS. For breakfast focus on eggs, bacon if available and salad. Personally I am not keen on processed meat sausages, chicken ham, etc.
But your biggest challenge may be resisting the tropical fruits and fruit drinks, smoothies, etc on offer. Only diet drink available is Coke Zero/Coke Lite (latter is less sweet but can be hard to find). Fresh coconut juice may be OK, everything else will be very high sugar. Re alcohol, cocktails will always be high sugar, beer as everywhere = liquid bread, safest low carb drink option is whiskey and soda.
Hope this helps! Thailand is a great country to visit.
The good news is that traditional Thai food is freshly prepared with lots of dishes based on fish and shellfish, fresh green vegetables and a tradition of raw vegetable garnishes. Challenge will be that rice and/or noodles are ubiquitous with Thai meals - if you have enough willpower to limit rice intake to a tablespoon or so, this will help. Thai curries and soups can be very spicy because the Thai tradition is to use rice or possibly bananas to balance the chilli. Also most Thai sauces and curries will have considerable added sugar. A BG meter will really help to assess what spikes your husband while your traveling.
But my experience is that it is easier to keep BG under control with Thai food compared to Indian menus. If you are in main cities such as Bangkok, Chang Mai and Phuket there will be lots of Japanese, Korean, Italian and other international restaurants around. As worldwide, the more you avoid processed foods the less exposure to trans fats and HFCS. For breakfast focus on eggs, bacon if available and salad. Personally I am not keen on processed meat sausages, chicken ham, etc.
But your biggest challenge may be resisting the tropical fruits and fruit drinks, smoothies, etc on offer. Only diet drink available is Coke Zero/Coke Lite (latter is less sweet but can be hard to find). Fresh coconut juice may be OK, everything else will be very high sugar. Re alcohol, cocktails will always be high sugar, beer as everywhere = liquid bread, safest low carb drink option is whiskey and soda.
Hope this helps! Thailand is a great country to visit.
Thank you for all your helpful information, we are looking forward toThailand and will endeavour to keep on the straight and narrow food wise.
