17 Healthy Thai Dishes You Must Try Now

Thai food is not all about greasy peanut sauce and carb-rich Pad Thai. Check out these authentic dishes you have never tried!

1. Thai Fresh Spring Rolls

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(ก๋วยเตี๋ยวลุยสวน) Vietnamese Spring Rolls may be better known, but their Thai counterpart actually tend to be lighter in calories. Usually, rice noodles are not added into the filling, and minced pork tend to be used more. The rolls are usually accompanied w/ lettuce, fresh chili, mint leaves, and a special spicy sauce. The chili sauce and mint leaves help with metabolism of meat and carbohydrate.

Get the video recipe here!

2. Thai Style Sukiyaki (vermicelli noodles in soup)

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(สุกี้) Anything in clear soup tends to be healthier; this dish is no exception. The soup usually consist of a variety of vegetables, vermicelli noodles, and a choice of seafood or pork. What sets Thai sukiyaki apart though, is the sweet & spicy red sauce - made from fermented tofu and sesame seeds. Fermented tofu have been shown to contain many health benefits. This dish is quick and easy to make. Get the recipe w/ video here!

3. Papaya Salad

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(ส้มตำ) Although papaya salad tend to be quite sweet, it also contains many beneficial ingredients such as raw papaya, fresh tomatoes, green beans, peanuts, and dried shrimps. Because the veggies are mostly raw, this dish is packed full of vitamin C, A, E, fibre, and small amounts of protein. Papaya salad almost always will come with extra side vegetables such as raw cabbage, green beans, etc. You can also always order for "หวานน้อย (warn-noi)" or slighty sweet. Get the recipe here!

4. Salad Kaek (Southern-style salad)

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(สลัดแขก) This salad dish hails from Southern Thailand. It is considered both vegetarian and halal food. The dish contains typical salad ingredients such as lettuce, tomatoes, boiled egg, but what makes it special are the crispy toppings, fried tofu & special tangy & spicy peanut sauce. Take it easy on the toppings; and this salad can easily be a healthy and refreshing alternative to your everyday salad. Get the recipe w/ video here!

5. Spicy Mushroom Soup

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(แกงเห็ด) This dish is far from your typical mushroom soup. It contains all sorts of mineral-dense local Thai vegetables, plenty of mushrooms, distinctive sour & spicy taste, and virtually zero fat. This soup has gained much popularity in Thailand as more Thais caught on the 'clean eating' trend. Non-vegetarian version of this dish is called แกงเลียง and also hailed as a great healthy option. Get the recipe here!

6. Chinese-style Vegetable Stew

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(ต้มจับฉ่าย) This stew is pretty much beloved by all Thais. It is full of all kinds of vegetables, rich in minerals, and sweet flavors from the veggies. What really makes the dish, though, is the pork rib/belly used as the stock. This is not a low fat soup but it is very nutritious and aromatic. Here is the low-fat vegetarian video recipe. For the original, get the recipe here!

7. Spicy Seafood Salad

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(ยำทะเล) This dish is full of protein, low in fat, and full of all kinds of flavors: sweet, sour & spicy. It also contains raw vegetable ingredients, which are high in vitamin C, such as celery stalks, tomatoes, and often comes served with fresh lettuce. This salad is perfect for dieters, but be aware of seafood overconsumption and make sure to balance this out w/ lots of veggies and/or brown/germinated rice.

Get the recipe here!

8. Winged Bean Salad

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(ยําถั่วพลู) This dish is under the same category as the Seafood Salad "Yum" in which the ingredients are either blanched/boiled or raw, then tossed together in a spicy and sour dressing. Winged beans are crunchy and sweet; they are also high in iron & potassium, but also tend to be higher in calories than other vegetables. Meat can be easily omitted from the salad for a vegetarian version. Without coconut topping, this dish is considered low fat, while containing plenty of lean protein, healthy carb, and vegetables. Get the recipe here!

9. Spicy Grilled Eggplant Salad

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(ยํามะเขือเผา) This dish is a great way to get in your daily recommendation of veggie & fibre. The aubergine is filling and low in calories, hence making it a popular diet food. No oil is used in grilling the eggplants, and the lean protein is usually only blanched/boiled. The sour and spicy flavors of the dish also help increase metabolism; the aromatic smoky smell makes this dish distinctive. Purple aubergine can easily replace the Thai green variety.

Get the recipe here!

10. Vegetables w/ spicy paste

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(ผักจิ้มน้ําพริก) This is an incredibly simple and nutritious dish. The main ingredient you will need is Nam-prik (น้ําพริก) or Thai spicy paste. Nam-prik should be available in Thai supermarkets, and there are a variety to choose from although most will be shrimp base. Sweet & spicy paste is eaten with both raw and steamed/boiled vegetables. Get the recipe here!

11. Clear Soup w/ pork, tofu, and vermicelli

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(แกงจืดวุ้นเส้น) This is a Thai household staple. One of the easiest nutritious meal to prepare. Minced meat is boiled to make the soup, egg tofu, carrots, or other green veggies are later added. Vermicelli is optional but adds more fibre, texture, (and also calories) to the dish. This soup is best served with warm rice for a comforting meal Get the recipe here!

12. Shrimp Porridge

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(ข้าวต้มกุ้ง) This dish is far from your typical breakfast porridge. It consists of boiled rice, shrimp/fish/pork in clear bone broth. They are often topped with celery leaves, chopped spring onions, and aromatic fried shallots. Suitable for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although this porridge doesn't normally contain veggies, the small amount of fat, carb, high amounts of protein and nutrients from the broth; make this warm soup an overall comforting and healthy meal. Get the recipe here!

13. Miang Kham (leaf-wrapped appetizer)

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(เมี่ยงคำ) This dish is more like an appetizer. It has been in Thai cuisine for centuries. The way one eats this is a bit like lettuce wraps, but the wraps used are leaves of a local plant "ชะพลู" (Piper sarmentosum), and the fillings are meat-free. They are: roasted coconut flakes, peanuts, dried shrimp, raw ginger, shallots, and lime. The sweet sauce is made from palm sugar & other flavorings. For a truly vitamin & mineral-rich low-calorie appetizer, take it easy on the syrup sauce & coconut flakes. Get the recipe here!

14. Thai rice noodles w/ coconut milk

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(ขนมจีนซาวน้ำ) This recipe is considered exotic even within the Thai community. It is one of the many types of the "Kanom Chin" (Thai rice noodles). It barely requires any cooking - the main ingredients being: steamed rice noodles, fresh pineapples, ginger, chillies, dried shrimp and coconut milk. Sometimes the dish is served w/ boiled egg or meat, however, this can be replaced for a refreshing vegetarian meal.

Get the recipe here!

15. Fried Tofu w/ Gravy

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(เต้าหู้ทรงเครื่อง) This dish contains all the food groups: animal + plant protein, vegetables, and also carb if served w/ brown/germinated rice. It is stir-fried w/ minimal oil. However, the egg tofu is usually deep-fried. Otherwise, this dish can be considered very low in fat and highly nutritious.

Get the recipe here!

16. Thai Sour Orange Curry

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(แกงส้มผักรวมกุ้ง) Despite the thick looking broth, this curry is in fact very low in fat and high in protein (soup base contains fish meat). Plenty of vegetables such as pumpkins, carrots, cabbages, etc. are simmered in the soup, releasing plenty of vitamins and minerals. Usually only lean protein like seafood is used. The sourness of the soup can increase appetite; so don't get too carried away because the curry itself also contain a bit of sweetness!

Get the recipe here!

17. Chicken Tom Yum

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(ต้มยําไก่น้ําใส) Who says Tom Yum soup has to be oily? Chicken Tom Yum may not be as popular at Thai restaurants, but in fact, in Thailand they are more commonly eaten than Shrimp Tom Yum. Without coconut milk Tom Yum soup is low in calorie but high in protein, vitamins, and minerals (especially from Thai herbs like Galangal, lemon grass, and kaffir lime leaves, all of which have medicinal properties).

Get the recipe here!

Most of these dishes are not on the menu of overseas Thai restaurants. However, often times, you should be able to request for these from a friendly chef. Otherwise, it doesn't hurt to try a bit of home cooking!