What to eat in Asia

[jumpie]

Hi,
I'm looking for some suggestions on what to eat while I am traveling through Asia for the next few months. At home it was the usual stapes: cottage cheese, chicken, salads, oatmeal, egg whites, protein powder, etc., but most of these foods are not available here or are very expensive. I'm trying to, which may be unrealistic, maintain my current muscle while cut off around 5 lbs of fat. Normally I eat a diet consisting mostly of protein to do this, but I can't here. Carbs are the staple, but can I get the desired outcome but eating small meals regularly of beans and low fat breads? Thanks for any help you can give.

Ryan

[Keith S.]

A large part of the Asian diet is vegetables. I would say to try to eat as much of these as posssible, and then your carbs. I know when I was in China they rarely brought rice out to the table (unless requested). It was mostly meats (chicken, pork, fish, etc.) and vegetables.

In Thailand it was very different since we had family there, we didn't really need to eat out ALL the time.

You may also try heading down to the local markets and buying the fruits they have as a snack.

Hope my suggestion helps a bit.

[GqArtguy]

Eat whatever youre handed, the food there is amazing. Youll be able to get enough protein if youre not out in the boons, fats are not hard to come by either because fat-free stuff is rare/expensive over there. So what it really boils down to is just watching your carbs (rice, noodles, etc.).

While fitness is all well and good, when I went to China I just looked at it as a perfect time to bulk. So I lifted heavy and ate what I found. I surely did gain some chunk, but it all came off when I came back to the states.

[emartin10]

Look at the people around you too - not very obese are they? The foods there, for the most part, are very healthy and very natural. Veggies are huge, as Keith said, and you should have ZERO problems finding a good veggie stir fry with a lean meat of some sort.

I ate a lot of steamed veggies and rice while I was there, and had no problems. And the fruit, oh the fruit. It is so good, and so fresh. And I agree with GQ, eat everything you are handed, it's so different.

Most of all, enjoy your trip. If you get derailed a bit, so what. It would suck to get home and not have experienced the culture. Just keep your fitness and diet in mind, and you should be sweet.

E

[jumpie]

Don't worry. I'm not going to forget this trip is a once in a lifetime experience and focus on food, but I thought I would try and keep in shape as best as possible.
I hear what you are saying about the vegetables, the problem is that everyone tells me not eat anything that I haven't washed in clean water or can peel. That cuts out most of the market produce as I don't often have a way to wash them. Bananas and oranges can be peels but these are high in fructose and are not the produce I would like to be eating. Thanks for the suggestions though.

[diamondpete]

[ QUOTE ]
everyone tells me not eat anything that I haven't washed in clean water or can peel. That cuts out most of the market produce as I don't often have a way to wash them. Bananas and oranges can be peels but these are high in fructose and are not the produce I would like to be eating. Thanks for the suggestions though.

[/ QUOTE ]

Depends what country you are in (btw where are you? and where are you going?) But a pockect knife will take care of that - simple PEEL IT.

[Kelvan]

Originally Posted by emartin10

Look at the people around you too - not very obese are they? The foods there, for the most part, are very healthy and very natural. Veggies are huge, as Keith said, and you should have ZERO problems finding a good veggie stir fry with a lean meat of some sort.

I ate a lot of steamed veggies and rice while I was there, and had no problems. And the fruit, oh the fruit. It is so good, and so fresh. And I agree with GQ, eat everything you are handed, it's so different.

Most of all, enjoy your trip. If you get derailed a bit, so what. It would suck to get home and not have experienced the culture. Just keep your fitness and diet in mind, and you should be sweet.

E

No asian people are not very obese but they aren't very strong either. Asians tend to eat a lot of tofu, vegetables, and white rice. Meat is more plentiful now, but back when china was poor they had to mix tofu and veggies in with the meat to make a little meat seem like more. Anyways, this leads to poor total amino acid intake and they don't develop musclar bodies like Americans do(even ones in the same profession, like say a farmer). I'm asian but I'm very muscular for an asian(I'm not trying to have an ego here, trying to make a point) because I eat the american staples of a bodybuilding diet like the foods the OP described. In china I suggest you enjoy the food because it is healthy and very fresh, but make sure your getting enough meat along with those fresh veggies. And don't eat tofu as a protein source, it sucks.

[emartin10]

Originally Posted by Kelvan

No asian people are not very obese but they aren't very strong either. Asians tend to eat a lot of tofu, vegetables, and white rice. Meat is more plentiful now, but back when china was poor they had to mix tofu and veggies in with the meat to make a little meat seem like more. Anyways, this leads to poor total amino acid intake and they don't develop musclar bodies like Americans do(even ones in the same profession, like say a farmer). I'm asian but I'm very muscular for an asian(I'm not trying to have an ego here, trying to make a point) because I eat the american staples of a bodybuilding diet like the foods the OP described. In china I suggest you enjoy the food because it is healthy and very fresh, but make sure your getting enough meat along with those fresh veggies. And don't eat tofu as a protein source, it sucks.

Noted for sure. But I think his goal was to cut some weight, in which case, he should be okay eating there with all the veg, etc. And he should have no problem finding fish, chicken, or eggs, as I found good lean protein most of the time there.

And I beg to differ on some of the Thai kickboxers I went to see. Those guys were pound for pound some of the strongest guys I've ever seen. Sure they weigh 110 pounds, but that 110 lbs would kick my 170 pound ass all over the place. Not picking a fight or anything with you, just saying what I saw. You're right, the average joe on the street was no where near the size we are...

E

[Kelvan]

Oh I agree, some of those martial arts practitioners are crazy strong for their size.