Healthy Eating:  Is Ethnic Food Better or Worse than Typical "American" Food When Eating Out

by Kari Kennedy, RD, LDN

          I have read that most dietitians recommend avoiding ethnic food when eating out.  In many cases this is true but if you really look at the obesity epidemic it is not hitting other countries near to the extent it is occurring in America.  Take China and Chinese food for example.  Chinese restaurants in America are one of the worst places to try to eat healthy in.  However, according to the World Health Organization the obesity epidemic is less than 5% in China.  In fact, the Chinese have very low rates of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic disease, well at least until they come to America and adapt to our diet.  So what gives?

            Most "ethnic" restaurants have "Americanized" their menus to adapt to our diet high in fat, sugar, and salt.  That is not to say that they do not have any unhealthy foods in their countries, but generally we make things more unhealthy and appealing to our diets.  The typical Asian diet is high in vegetables, rice, fish, and low in fat.  The typical food in Chinese restaurants is fried meats smothered in more oil with high fructose corn syrup added somewhere in the mix.   Mexican restaurants tend to be the same thing.  The typical Mexican diet is much higher in vegetables, beans, and corn than our version of meat upon meat upon cheese upon cheese with refined wheat tortillas layered with cheese, sour cream, and another layer of cheese.  So does this mean we should forego ethnic food?

            No.  Authentic ethnic food by and large is healthier than the typical "American" diet.  However, just realize that you can consider most Chinese and Mexican restaurants to be "American" food.  Japanese restaurants tend to be healthier and more authentic than Chinese restaurants.  Thai restaurants fall somewhere in the middle.  Most people don't know but many meats including Chicken and even Tofu are deep fried in most Thai and Chinese restaurants.   Greek food tends to be more authentic than most other restaurants.  Indian food tends to be authentic but Indian food is generally higher in fat, but they also cook mainly with vegetables and beans.  The rest of the restaurants really vary.  Remember that portion sizes are one of the biggest problems when eating out.  Almost all restaurants give ridiculous portion sizes that are about 2-3 times as big as they should be.  When eating out think about choosing dishes that are full of vegetables and lower in fat and ask for that to-go-box immediately.  Below is a quick reference guide you can use when eating out at ethnic restaurants. 

Italian Food

Greek Food

Japanese Food

Chinese Food

Mexican Food

Indian