Manola Brussels Thai Restaurant: health first!

What if you decide to eat Thai for a change? This would be an opportunity to discover, or rediscover, the virtues of a thousand-year-old cuisine... What are the benefits of Thai cuisine? Our dietician Alexandra Murcier took advantage of her trip to Thailand to discover the culinary habits of this country and reveal the 5 health secrets of this gourmet and healthy cuisine. To your chopsticks, ready?! Go away! Go away!

The 5 benefits of Thai food

1) Thai cuisine is rich in fruits and vegetables

Thai cuisine honours fruits and vegetables. Mixed dishes, salads and soups combine exotic vegetables and fruits, helping us to replenish our diet with vitamins, antioxidants and fibre.

2) It honours spices

Thai cuisine uses a lot of spices and condiments that are excellent for health. Here are some examples of the most essential spices and condiments in Thai cuisine:

First of all, galanga, a spice renowned for its pronounced taste (even more pronounced than ginger;

There are also a lot of aromatic herbs in Thai dishes:

coriander, which has the advantage of being rich in antioxidants and vitamin K and, like ginger, it facilitates digestion.

Thai basil (more pronounced than ours in terms of taste);

lemongrass, with digestive properties, an excellent detoxifier, and soothing.

Onion, etc.

Peppers are the main ingredient of curry paste, which is very common in Thai cuisine. They are very rich in antioxidants (capsaicin with anti-cancer properties and alphatocopherol, which is a form of vitamin E with anti-aging properties). Pepper is also a source of vitamin C.

3) It is perfectly well balanced

A typical Thai meal has the advantage of being balanced. Most dishes are made up of a source of starchy foods (rice or noodles), vegetables and a source of protein. Many exotic fruits allow to finish the meal with a sweet and vitaminized flavor: dragon fruit, mango, pineapple, carambola....

4) It is light and satiating

Soups and broths are very common in Asia and have the advantage of being satiating with few calories. They contribute to good hydration, providing vitamins and minerals. If you are watching your weight, don't hesitate, a Thai soup will make a great dinner!

5) It allows us to discover exotic fruits that are a source of many benefits

Thai cuisine uses a lot of exotic fruits that are known to contain a lot of treasures. Examples :

Mango is rich in fibre, antioxidants and carotenoids that protect the skin from the sun's rays:

The fruit of the dragon (the pitaya of its real name), in addition to being pretty and original, is an excellent source of vitamin A, essential for vision. It also contains vitamin C, antioxidants and its edible seeds contain monounsaturated fatty acids and omega 3.

Finally, carambola is energetic thanks to its high content of vitamin C, it also provides vitamin B5 and magnesium.

So, what are you waiting for to eat Thai?

Discover the true Thai flavours prepared by talented chefs who respect tradition. The best Thai restaurant Manola Brussels invites you to discover and share real Thai food.