How To Order Vietnamese Food Delivery When You're On A Diet

Posted on: 12 May 2017

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It's a common misconception that you have to avoid delivery food completely when you're on a diet. However, you don't have to avoid your favorites dishes just to maintain your healthy eating habits. There are several low-calorie delivery food options available, even for those craving Vietnamese cuisine. Check out these tips to learn how to order from your favorite Vietnamese food delivery service without breaking your diet.

Appetizers

If you're confused about which appetizer to order, you should consider Goi Con. Also known as fresh spring rolls or summer rolls, Goi Con features a combination of cellophane noodles, vegetables, and herbs in a fresh rice wrap. When ordering, be careful not to confuse goi con with cha gio, which is a spring roll that's fried.

If you prefer soup as an appetizer, pho is a good healthy option. The clear-broth soup is flavored with meat, herbs, and noodles. Keep in mind, many Vietnamese restaurants make pho with a generous helping of noodles, which might not adhere to your diet. So when ordering pho, ask the restaurant to go light on the noodles to lower the overall calories and carbs in the soup. Many restaurants also allow you to replace the beef broth with vegetable broth and add tofu as an added source of protein. Other healthy soup options include canh chua tom and la sa soup.

Entrees

Most Vietnamese restaurants serve a variety of fresh salads. If you like shrimp, goi tom is a great option. This shrimp-filled salad features an array of cabbage, cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, and daikon — a white root vegetable that's a common staple in Vietnamese cuisine.

If you aren't in the mood for a salad, consider ordering nuong — grilled meat that's served on a skewer. Keep in mind, when dieting it's typically a better option to choose chicken or tofu nuong instead of beef. Vietnamese restaurants also typically serve a wide variety of lean roasted meat or fish dishes — ca hap and ca kho are both good options.

Side Dishes

It's easy to choose healthy side dish options from Vietnamese food delivery restaurants because most have a good selection of steamed veggies. Rau muong is green water spinach that's stir fried in garlic. You can order it as a side dish or order dumplings filled with it. If you want something a bit sweeter, order lychee — a flavorful tropical fruit that's popular in Vietnamese cuisine.

As long as you avoid ordering fried foods and dishes that are high in fat, ordering Vietnamese food delivery when you're on a diet is easy. When in doubt, ask the restaurant if you can substitute vegetables or tofu for meat and opt for dishes that are filled with veggies.