We see that people who follow a balanced diet at least for a brief period of time end it often with contempt complaining how distasteful the food was. Especially for a food lover, a balanced diet usually turns out into nightmares since healthy food is sadly equated to food dishes lacking taste and sense, often featuring plain bland flavours. But here is good news. Asian food, which is normally regarded as one of the tastiest of the world, is miraculously a healthy one as well. That means, carefully and selectively prepared Asian food dishes, mostly from Chinese and Japanese cuisines, can make your diet period a tasty affair.

Eating a Balanced Diet the Chinese Way

Asian food is healthy and good for you, it’s true, properly prepared, the Chinese way of eating is healthy and fulfilling, fights illness and prolongs life. A good Chinese diet balances yin (wet and moist) and yang (dry and crisp) ingredients. Yin foods cool the body down, while yang foods – meat, spicy dishes, wine, and coffee – heat it up. The sharing, multi-dish approach to eating in China, especially found in hot pot preparation, means most meals contain yin and yang in equilibrium. Here is a collection of hotpot condiments which are popularly used for healthy communal hotpot preparation.

Chinese food is very nutritional, but it is also very balanced and provides everything your body and metabolism needs to be healthy. Chinese cuisine avoids sugar and nutrient-free food. In the west, vegetables are “add-ons” to other dishes, but in Chinese cuisine, vegetables are put in central position. Chinese believe that large portion of vegetables can be perfectly balanced with small part of meats. Meats are important because they add complex carbohydrates. Chinese foods are very low on sugar, refined carbs and high fat, which enabled the body to easily recognize when it is full. This enables people who eat Chinese food to eat more appropriate amounts of food.

Living and eating the healthy Asian way

Other Asian Cultures and Diets

The traditional Japanese diet reflects simple and seasonal ingredients, the cooking and the way of eating in Japan is aimed at being light on the stomach. Rice, cooked and pickled vegetables, fish and meat are the staple choices. The Japanese consume a lot more fish compared to other Asian countries and eating Sushi and Sashimi have become very popular in Ireland, and we are certainly beginning to recognise ingredients such as Udon, Ramen and Soba, the noodle family.

As with Chinese, the Japanese also consume a wide variety of vegetables, both land and sea vegetables such as seaweed, which is packed full of health-boosting minerals, and they believe these products help with blood pressure and they are often consumed with breakfast or as a dessert, especially Fuji apples, tangerines and persimmons.

Alongside their diet, the Japanese are also big fans of green tea and in particular matcha tea, which is fast gaining popularity worldwide. Matcha, a stone-ground powdered green tea, is most valued for its high antioxidant compounds known as catechins. These products have also been linked to having medical benefits such as reduction in heart disease and some cancers, because their diet is lean and balanced, consisting mainly of fish, seafood, whole grains, vegetables and tofu. The processed Western foods that science is now linking to an array of health issues are largely absent from Japanese plates. Japanese people are long known for their longevity and this has been linked to their dietary habits.

We are all becoming more health conscious and in particular, people are conscious of their environment and the impact it is having on our future, so veganism is becoming a very popular diet. The vegan diet has strong traditional links with Asian cuisine and culture with the use of coconut milk instead of butter and dairy as well as the use of spices, beans, rice and noodles.

A Balanced Vegan Diet

The Asian diet can incorporate the health benefits of the vegan way of living as well. Veganism or vegan diet includes adopting a plant-based food culture. The vegan diet is often prescribed as a way to stay healthy while treating animals with more compassion and empathy. There are many meat-based Chinese food dishes that can have vegan alternatives if prepared just by eliminating the meat ingredients. Chinese mapo tofu, vegetable fried rice, veggie chow mein, tofu chow mein, vegetable steamed dumplings, steamed rice, etc are examples of such delicious Chinese dishes with vegan alternatives.

Thai brand Nature’s Charm is specialised in a range of canned vegan food products. The company offers coconut based alternatives for caramel sauce, butterscotch sauce, chocolate fudge sauce, condensed milk, whipping cream, and many more. Their range of products also includes jackfruit confit, bar-b-que jackfruit, and banana blossom, and so on. You can find here the Natures’ Charm vegan food products.

Recipe Idea

A balanced diet should give the body enough nutrients to function well. As the Asian diet has food dishes made up of a multitude of food ingredients, with nutrients and minerals in the right proportion, it definitely stands one step higher than any other diet systems, especially when it comes to the maintenance of health and well-being. To start your healthy Asian balanced diet, please try this lovely Asian seaweed Recipe.

Japanese style wakame salad

Order Ingredients

Portions

Serves 1-2 ppl

Ingredients

Order Ingredients

Method

  • Step 1: Find a big bowl, soak the dried wakame for 5- 10mins until it expands and becomes soft and to soak out any excess salt.
  • Step 2: Replace the water with hot water at around 80 degrees, let it sit for 10 minutes, then replace it with icy water, after its cool down then drain it.
  • Step 3: Slice wakame into appropriate size, place in a bowl.
  • Step 4: Add sugar, salt, chicken powder, garlic, chilli oil, garlic, chilli oil, and sesame oil together into the bowl and stir and mix it well.
  • Step 5: Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and chill before serving.