It’s not the rice that keeps Vietnamese thin

Trying my hand at the sweet and sour chicken in a diet book I noticed the accompanying weight loss tips – reverse your meals, make meat and veg the largest thing on your plate and carbs the smallest.

In Vietnam, till I learned better, like other foreigners I wondered where the hell that rice bowl had got to.  I’d sit there picking at the pork and morning glory not wanting to finish it before the rice arrived, which was surely meant to accompany it.

Truth is the meat and veg is the meal – rice is just emergency filler if required.  Though with rice being cheaper than meat I suppose it’s all dependent on wealth.

In which case, putting the dangers of imported fast foods aside, more money in Vietnam could mean more meat, fish, veggies and fruit and less rice.  Don’t suppose it’ll balance up the KFCs but it might help.

Cutting down on the twin terrors of fat and sugar it took a while for western dieters to realise that carbs were the enemy too. Meanwhile putting protein and greens first has long been the Vietnamese eating style.

In Vietnam carbs are a last resort.