Healthy International Cuisines for Your Family
If your family’s idea of healthy eating seems bland, try expanding their culinary knowledge. By shifting perspective to international cuisines like those of Asia and Europe, a world of varied and delicious healthy food reveals itself.
We have compiled a list of several Asian and European countries with notably varied and tasty food options to excite the taste buds and encourage cultural enrichment. There is also enough information to inspire fusion cuisine, like Spanish paella that includes Vietnamese xôi, to take your family on a journey of exploring international cuisines.
Thai Cuisine
Unique Qualities: Lots of strong flavors and aromas, lean meat, and a focus on ingredients like chili peppers, ginger, lemongrass, and turmeric.
- Red curry (kaeng phet) and green curry (kaeng khiao wan) – Curries made with coconut milk and whose color names are derived from color of chili peppers are used in the sauce.
- Kai phat met mamuang himmaphan – A stir-fried dish of chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chilies.
Spanish Cuisine
Unique Qualities: Seafood and vegetables are a staple of just about every dish on the Spanish plate.
- Fabada – A traditional stew of white beans, sausages and pork.
- Paella – A rice dish cooked within a circular pan, featuring vegetables and lean meats like chicken, fish, or rabbit.
Lebanese Cuisine
Unique Qualities: A marriage of Greek and Syrian food culture that is also known for hummus, a dip made from mashed chickpeas.
- Tabbouleh – A salad of parsley, tomatoes, mint, onion and soaked bulgur or semolina.
- Baba ghanoush – Eggplant that has been cooked, mashed and mixed with lemon juice, tahini, olive oil and various seasonings.
Indian Cuisine
Authentic Indian food is much healthier than the fried “popularized” Indian food.
Unique Qualities: Much of proper Indian cuisine uses rice, lentils, and whole-wheat flour.
- Rajma-chawal – Red kidney beans in curry sauce that are paired with steamed rice.
- Biryani – A popular dish that comprised of Indian spices, rice, and some combination of lean cuts of meat, vegetables and eggs.
South Korean Cuisine
Unique Qualities: Low-fat, high-nutrient dishes that focus on ingredients like eggs, noodles, and tofu.
- Kimchi – A staple side dish for all meals that consists of spiced and fermented vegetables.
- Tojang guk – A seafood soup seasoned with fermented bean paste. Gochujang sauce is added in cases where the diner likes things spicy.
Swedish Cuisine
Unique Qualities: Rather than focus on greens, Swedish cuisine commonly use apples, fish, potatoes, berries, and dairy. The diet is also fibrous and rich in fat-burning antioxidants.
- Ärtsoppa – A thick soup of boiled yellow peas, onion, salt, and bits of pork. Often served with mustard and accompanied by thin pancakes.
- Jansson’s temptation – A casserole of grated potatoes, onion, small oily fishes, and cream.
Vietnamese Cuisine
Unique Qualities: Herbs and chili arranged along five components and the five Chinese elements.
- Pho – A noodle soup in hundreds of variations, usually served with spring onion, beef, and broth. Bean sprouts are also a common ingredient of southern Vietnamese pho.
- Xôi – Boiled or steamed sticky rice in coconut milk.
These are by no means the only international cuisines with healthy options. There’s Japanese, Chinese, French, English, Italian, and more. Take your family on a culinary journey and explore the different cuisines of the world. Their taste buds will thank you!
About the Author: Austin Winder is a Public Relations Specialist and contributing author. He lives in Memphis, TN and graduated with a business and marketing degree from the University of Memphis.
