25 Healthy Thai Foods (Is Thai Food Healthy?)

Thai food is not just popular in Thailand but also here in Los Angeles and all across the nation. That’s because it is not only delicious but also healthy and nutritious. 

There is quite a wide range when it comes to Thai food. Therefore, we’ve decided to list Top 25 Thai dishes which include the healthiest to order and the ones to avoid if you wanna lose weight and stay in shape.

Let’s start with the healthier Thai options

#25. Thai Summer Rolls 

Thai Summer Rolls are different from Spring Rolls since they aren’t fried and are served cold with a peanut dipping sauce. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see what goes inside Thai Summer Rolls. 

Thai Summer Rolls are filled with cooked shrimp or tofu, rice vermicelli noodles, cucumber, carrots, and mint and are wrapped in rice paper. 

One serving of Summer Rolls - which consists of 4 rolls - accounts for 380 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 49 grams of carbs, 23 grams of protein, and 12 grams of fat. 

This is not bad for one serving, however, if you’re someone who wants to control how many carbs they eat, make sure to not overeat on this dish. 

#24. Som Tam (Thai Papaya Salad)

Thai Papaya Salad is a healthy, nutritious, and refreshing Thai dish that is low in fat, and calories. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see what goes inside a typical Thai Papaya Salad.

Thai Papaya Salad is made with Papaya, green beans, fresh garlic, lime juice, chili, fish sauce, tomato, brown sugar, and peanuts.

As you can see, one cup of Thai Papaya Salad has 110 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 23 grams of carbs, 3 grams of protein, and 2.5 grams of fat. 

The carbs are not too bad in this dish, however, it might be a bit high in sugar which is at 15 grams, and sodium which is at 630 mg. Make sure to lower your sodium and sugar intake for the day when eating this dish.

#23. Chicken Satay

Chicken Satay is a popular dish to order in Thai restaurants, as it is not only delicious but it is a great source of protein, and relatively healthy since it’s grilled, not fried.  

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see how Chicken Satay is made.

Chicken Satay is made with lean, white chicken meat, that 

As you can see, one serving of Chicken Satay has 150 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 7grams of carbs, 20 grams of protein, and 10 grams of fat.

This dish makes it a great meal if you are on a keto diet, want to lose weight, or stay in shape.

Keep in mind that this dish can be high in sodium. Sodium can lead to bloat and water retention.

#22. Tom Yum Goon

Tom Yum Goon is a clear soup with shrimp or seafood and in Thai culture, it is believed that this dish has many health benefits. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see what goes into making Tom Yum Goon.

Tom Yum is made with shrimp stock, shrimp or tiger prawn, chilis, oyster mushrooms, fish sauce, chili paste, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and cilantro leaves for garnishing. 

As you can see, one serving of Tom Yum Goon has 270 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 41 grams of carbs, 14 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fat.

This is probably one of the healthiest dishes to order in a Thai restaurant, as it is low in fat, low in calories, and although a bit high in carbs, it has a good balance of all three macronutrients. 

Just keep in mind, to only stick to one serving has it is high in sodium with 1400mg.

#21. Chicken Larb

Chicken Larb is a great salad if you follow the keto diet, want to lose weight, or stay in shape. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see what goes inside traditional Chicken Larb.

Chicken Larb is made with minced chicken meat, roasted rice powder, fish sauce, brown sugar, shallots, dried chili flakes, spring onion, kaffir lime leaves, coriander, and lime juice. It is served on top of lettuce and eaten with cucumber slices and sticky rice. 

As you can see one serving of Chicken Larb has 210 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 14 grams of carbs, 20 grams of protein, and 9 grams of fat.

Chicken Larb is low in calories and offers a balance of all three macronutrients. However, keep in mind it is also high in sodium with 650mg. 

#20. Pad Thai With Chicken 

Chicken Pad Thai is probably the most popular Thai dish anyone knows about. This might be because it’s not just tasty but also nutritious and light.

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see what goes inside a typical Pad Thai with chicken.

Pad Thai is a stir-fry made with a sauce of tamarind, fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar as well as rice noodles, bean sprouts, egg, scallions or garlic chives, bean curds, peanuts, and usually a protein such as chicken or shrimp, and last but not least; limes. 

Pad Thai can vary from restaurant to restaurant, to keep this and portion size in mind, since the majority of the time the serving size is for two or more. 

As you can see one serving of Pad Thai with chicken has 310 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 29 grams of carbs, 18 grams of protein, and 14 grams of fat. 

The carbs are not too bad in this dish, however, it might be a bit high in sugar and sodium. Make sure to lower your sodium and sugar intake for the day when eating Pad Thai with chicken.

#19. Sweet Thai Chicken Wings

Sweet Thai Chicken Wings are easy to make and are rich in protein. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see how to make typical Sweet Thai Chicken Wings.

All you need is chicken wings, garlic, fish sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, black pepper, cilantro, and lime wedges. 

As you can see one serving of Sweet Thai Chicken Wings has 220 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 11 grams of carbs, 24 grams of protein, and 20 grams of fat.

This is not bad at all and can easily be incorporated into your daily caloric intake. 

#18. Ginger Vegetable Stir-Fry

Ginger Vegetable Stir-Fry is a great vegetarian option and relatively low in calories. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see what goes inside a typical dish Ginger Vegetable Stir-Fry.

For the stir fry, you need ginger, sweet corn, snap peas, and whichever vegetables you like, cornstarch, and soy sauce. It is usually served with rice.

As you can see one serving of Ginger Vegetable Stir-Fry has 100 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 17 grams of carbs, 3 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fat.

This dish is very low in calories, and can easily be incorporated into your daily caloric intake. 

#17. Thai Style Steamed Fish

Thai Style Steamed Fish is a popular Thai dish, low in calories and loaded with nutrition benefits. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see what goes into making Thai Style Steamed Fish.

This dish is made with trout, pak choi, ginger, garlic, and chili.

As you can see one serving of Thai Style Steamed Fish has 260 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 33 grams of carbs, 32 grams of protein, and 6 grams of fat.

This dish is low in calories and high in protein, which is important to build muscle.

#16. Thai Style Beef & Broccoli

Thai Style Beef & Broccoli is a light and nutritious dish. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see what goes inside a typical dish of Thai Style Beef & Broccoli.

Thai Beef & Broccoli is made with lean, sliced beef, scallions, beef broth low in sodium and fat, cornstarch, broccoli, green peppers, cilantro, Thai peanut sauce, and peanut oil. 

The calories of one serving of Thai Style Beef & Broccoli are 180 kcal, with a macronutrient ratio of 11 grams of carbs, 17 grams of protein, and 8 grams of fat.

The carbs in this dish are not bad at all, however, the sodium amount is a bit high with 410mg. Make sure to lower your sodium intake for the day when eating Thai Style Beef & Broccoli. 

#15.Thai Sweet Chili Salmon

This is dish is easy to make, low in calories, and quite delicious. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see what goes inside a typical dish of Thai Sweet Chili Salmon.

For this dish, you need salmon, Thai sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, scallions, and fresh ginger.

As you can see one serving of Thai Sweet Chili Salmon. has 230 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 7 grams of carbs, 36 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fat.

This is a great dish high in protein. 

#14. Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles)

Pad Kee Mao is a popular dish low in calories and no it doesn’t involve alcohol.

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and what goes inside Pad Kee Mao with Chicken.

This dish is made with flat rice noodles, chicken, bell peppers, Thai basil, Thai chilis, among other ingredients. 

As you can see one serving of Pad Kee Mao with Chicken has 250 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of  34 grams of carbs, grams of 15 protein, and 5 grams of fat.

Pad Kee Mao might be a little bit high in carbs, however, it can easily be incorporated, into your daily caloric intake. 

#13. Green Curry 

Green Curry is a delicious, easy, and satisfying Thai dish that can be made with either chicken or extra vegetables and tofu.

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see what goes inside a typical dish of Green Curry with chicken.

Traditionally, Green Curry is made with white chicken meat, green curry paste, coconut milk, bamboo shoots, fish sauce, chilis, and Thai basil.

As you can see one serving of Green Curry has 320 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 14 grams of carbs, 26  grams of protein, and 18 grams of fat.

This is not bad at all, and can easily be incorporated and your daily caloric intake.

#12.Yum Nuah (Spicy Beef Salad)

Spicy Beef Salad is a popular Thai salad, which is high in protein. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see how to make a typical dish of Yum Nuah.

To make Yum Nuah you need a steak - such as flank steak - soy sauce, sesame oil, tomatoes, fish sauce, garlic, chilis, cucumber, and mixed greens.

As you can see one serving of Yum Nuah has 430 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 19 grams of carbs, 30 grams of protein, and 26 grams of fat.

Although it’s a bit higher in calories it offers a good balance of all three macronutrients. 

Now that we saw our list of healthy dishes to order at a Thai restaurant or make at home, here is a list of dishes probably best to avoid if you like to lose weight and stay in shape. 

#11. Thai Fried Rice

This Thai dish is quite delicious but high in fat and carbs.

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see how to make Thai Fried Rice.

It’s made, with rice, eggs, fish sauce, soy sauce, oil, garlic, scallions and you can add chicken or shrimp. 

As you can see one cup of Thai Fried Rice has 290 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 35 grams of carbs, 9 grams of protein, and 13 grams of fat.

This is another dish you only want to eat in moderation. 

#10. Lemon Chicken 

Lemon Chicken is quite delicious but doesn’t offer much nutrition.

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see how to make Lemon Chicken.

It’s a simple dish made with chicken, cornstarch, oil for frying, and for the sauce you need soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch.  

As you can see one serving of Lemon Chicken has 670 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 35 grams of carbs, 45 grams of protein, and 37 grams of fat.

Although it is high in protein, it is very high in calories and fat as well. 

#09. Whole Fried Fish

Since this dish is fried it is quite high in calories.

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and how to make Whole Fried Fish.

This popular Thai dish is made with a whole snapper, flour, chilis, oil for drying, and green shallots. 

As you can see one serving of Whole Fried Fish has 700 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 42 grams of carbs, 68 grams of protein, and 30 grams of fat.

We recommend eating this dish on rare occasions. 

#08. Fried Spring Rolls

Although Fried Spring Rolls taste delicious, they are high in calories. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see what goes inside Spring Rolls.

For the Spring Rolls, you need cabbage, vermicelli noodles, carrots, and spring roll wrapper which are frozen and usually made with flour. You wrap the filling and deep fry it in canola oil. 

As you can see one serving (6 rolls) of Fried Spring Rolls has 460 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 72 grams of carbs, 24 grams of protein, and 12 grams of fat.

Since they are fried, it’s better to consume them on rare occasions. 

#07. Pad See Ew

There is no doubt that Pad See Ew isn’t delicious, with its chewy texture of the rice noodles, the sweet and salty sauce, and the tender chicken. However, if you like to lose weight, this is probably a dish you want to eat once in a while. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and see what goes inside a typical dish of Pad See Ew.

Pad See Ew means “friend soy sauce,” and it is made with flat rice noodles, chicken, sweet soy sauce, eggs, boneless chicken meat, Chinese broccoli, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.

As you can see one serving of Pad See Ew has 470 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 80 grams of carbs, 10 grams of protein, and 11 grams of fat.

This Thai dish is high in calories and carbs but low in fats and proteins. It is also high in sodium with 1033mg. Too much sodium can result in bloat and too much water retention, therefore we recommend eating this dish on rare occasions.

#06. Tom Kha Kai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)

Tom Kha Kai might have a few health benefits, and it is quite delicious but it’s not a great choice to lose weight. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and the ingredients in Tom Kha Kai.

This dish is made with coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms, chilis, galangal, and lemongrass, among a few other ingredients. 

As you can see 1 ½ cups of Tom Kha has 460 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 10 grams of carbs, 26 grams of protein, and 34 grams of fat.

Tom Kha is high in calories and fat but can be easily incorporated into your daily caloric intake if you stick with less than the serving size and work out. 

#05. Beef Panang Curry 

Although Beef Panang Curry is delicious, not only is it high in fat but it’s also high in calories.

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and what goes inside Beef Panang Curry.

It’s made with beef and a homemade Panang curry paste. 

As you can see one serving of Beef Panang Curry has 610 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 17 grams of carbs, 27 grams of protein, and 85 grams of fat.

We recommend eating this dish on rare occasions. 

#04. Thai Fish Cakes

These are very popular in Thailand, therefore, it’s easy to overeat them but be aware. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and what goes inside Thai Fish Cakes.

Thai Fish Cakes are made with fish paste, Chinese long beans, eggs, Thai red curry, and Kaffir lime leaves. 

As you can see one serving (4 cakes) of Thai Fish Cakes has 300 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of  24 grams of carbs, grams of 28 protein, and 8 grams of fat.

Although the calorie amount might not be that high, it’s easy to eat more than one serving of these. Also, keep in mind the sodium amount is pretty high for this dish, by 8920mg.

#03. Thai Cashew Chicken 

This dish sounds healthy because it does have nutritious benefits but it’s not a good option if you look to lose weight. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and what goes inside Thai Cashew Chicken.

Thai Cashew Chicken is made with chicken, cashews, bell peppers, among other ingredients. 

As you can see one serving of Thai Cashew Chicken has 410 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of  19 grams of carbs, grams of 27 protein, and 26 grams of fat.

Although this dish is high in protein, it is also high in calories, fat, and sodium. 

#02. Thai Shrimp Toast 

Thai Shrimp Toast is a great appetizer but it’s high in calories and fat. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and what goes inside Thai Shrimp Toast. 

For this dish you need; baguette, shrimp, sesame oil, oil for frying, and sesame seeds. 

As you can see one serving (3 pieces) of Thai Shrimp Toast has 220 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of  18 grams of carbs, grams of 11 protein, and 12 grams of fat.

Since the portions are small it’s hard not to eat more than 3 pieces and easily end up eating more calories. Therefore, eat this in moderation. 

#01. Crab Rangoon 

Of course, Crab Rangoons are delicious but they aren’t healthy. 

Let’s take a look at the nutrition facts and what goes inside Crab Rangoons. 

Usually, they are made with imitation crab meat, cream cheese, and wonton wrappers, and then fried in oil. 

As you can see one serving (8 pieces) of Crab Rangoons has 520 calories, with a macronutrient ratio of 48 grams of carbs, 16 grams of protein, and 24 grams of fat.

This is a lot for one serving, even if you would only eat half of it. It’s better to skip this dish and order Fresh Summer Rolls for an appetizer. 

THERE IT IS!

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