I love trying foods from different cultures. Whenever I'm about to try a cuisine for the first time, I usually do a little research to find what my healthier options are. I went out for Indian food with a co-worker recently. I tried it once before, but it was during an Air India flight, so I figure airplane food of any kind doesn't really count.
I read a couple of foodie blogs and googled "healthy Indian food." The American Heart Association wrote an article including tips for eating Indian food. Its key guidelines are:
1. Start with salads or yogurt with chopped or shredded vegetables.
2. Choose chicken or seafood rather than beef or lamb.
3. Choose dishes prepared without ghee.
4. Order one protein and one vegetable dish to cut down the saturated fat and calories.
5. If sodium is a concern, skip the soups.
We went to the Taj Mahal in Lancaster. I ordered chicken tikka masala, an oven-roasted dish with mild spices served with rice. My co-worker and I ordered garlic naan to share. Through my research, I found that a lot of the dishes are prepared with ghee, clarified butter, or are fried or sauteed. Many also include coconut oil and milk, which are high in saturated fat.
Despite my preparation, I wasn't really sure of my healthiest option. I read on Dietblog to order chicken tikka, but I didn't realize that dish didn't include the creamy tomato sauce that came with my meal.
Because I enjoy trying different cuisines so much, I don't worry as much about nutritional value because I'm not eating it every day. However, I still try to make healthy choices. It definitely helped that I learned a little about Indian food before we went out. The more often I explore a cuisine, the more I will learn what's good and what's bad, and the better my experience will be.
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