The worst of both worlds? - we've got mail - Brief Article - Letter to the Editor

I just finished reading your editorial in the September issue ("Childhood obesity in the U.S.--and China too?") and I applaud you for bringing the issue of our childrens' and our own diets to light, especially your focus on the fact that Asians and Americans are adopting each others' dietary "vices."

Recently at a parents' day at my youngest son's elementary school I was served what they called "Oriental vegetables." It was awful! Salty soy sauce covered a greasy dish of wilted veggies and some kind of yellowed rice. And the beverage options of soda or chocolate milk were not appealing.

As an Asian American who cooks a lot of traditional Chinese recipes at home, I was excited to hear that ingredients like soy are very good for you.

At home, I feel my children are getting balanced meals, full of well-prepared Chinese and American fruits and vegetables. But after seeing this version of "healthy" Asian cooking at school, and after your editorial opened my eyes to the fact that it is perhaps a worldwide problem, I was wondering if you could give your readers some more tips on preparing healthy Asian dishes. Or perhaps you could just answer the question, "What have we done to Asian food to make it so unhealthy?"

Thank you,

HELEN WEST
New York, NY

Editor's reply

Thank you for your comments. We'll tackle the second question first: What have we done to Asian food to make it so unhealthy? There are several things going on here. First, not all of Chinese/Asian cooking is inherently healthy, but the parts of massmarket Asian cooking that are the least healthy (saturated fat, lard, deep-frying in soybean oil, synthetic syrups and sauces) have been the parts that now typify (a) fast-food Chinese food in the U.S. and (b) more and more fast food in urban centers in China, itself. Second, the arguably worst example of the U.S.-led Western diet (McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut) has become extremely popular among Chinese city-dwellers, especially among young people who think, for example, that gangsta rap and the Golden Arches are "way cool." This is partly due to a desire and freedom to now embrace all things Western, and partly due to changing social/work paradigms in China that now encourage modern Chinese (particularly young people) to "grab a quick bite" instead of sitting down with the family, a change that has happened here in the U.S. over the last 30 to 40 years. In terms of tips for preparing healthy Asian dishes, here are a few:

1) Look to conventional Asian foods, not the Americanized versions, for healthy ideas. There are few meals healthier than a simple stir-fry. Add less than a table-spoon of canola oil to a hot wok and quickly stir-fry fresh vegetables. Add a splash of soy sauce and/or a few drops of sesame oil for taste. Serve with whole grain brown rice.

2) Substitute tofu for meat in your stir fries. Not only does it provide contrasting texture and color, it supplies plenty of protein.

3) When eating out at a conventional Chinese-American restaurant, order meals based on vegetables rather than fried meats. Try broccoli in garlic sauce, tofu with black bean sauce or steamed vegetable dumplings.

4) Look to other Asian cuisines for inspiration. Japanese sushi and miso soup are excellent choices, but beware of deep-fried tempura. Thai is a very flavorful cuisine--opt for healthy curries and dishes with seafood and vegetables.

5) End your meal with fresh fruit, such as pineapple chunks, and skip the fortune cookie.

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