Introduction
Food is a vast subject and encompasses from the simplest recipes to the most complicated flavors and ingredients. It can lead to a productive discussion about its nutritional value or the financial aspect of the food trade. Asian cuisine has always been intriguing for the West as Asia represents the eastern flavors of the world. It's a different style of cooking and the ingredients are very different from the regular European or American dishes. This paper evaluates a small Asian market, My Hoa Oriental Food Market, the kind of food it sells, their nutritional value and how dieticians can make the food healthier.
Layout of the Market
My Hoa Oriental is located on the strip mall, right next to an Asian restaurant. The sign board sitting on top of the shop has “MY HOA” written in red font. Its windows and doors have bars on them, while different flyers and ad posters can be seen on the window pane.
It was difficult to see in from the outside because the paper flyers were blocking the view. The ambiance was dim, and there was dust on the floor and on the ceiling. Space felt congested and quite small for a food market. The moment the visitors walk in, they can see the fruits and vegetable boxes sitting on a table right in front of the main entrance. The three aisles in the market made the area seem even smaller.
Reach-in-refrigerators displayed beverages such as coconut water and frozen items; frozen vegetables, noodles and other convenient foods. The opposite isle held packaged and processed foods (candies, snacks etc.). The market sold only oriental foods, mostly from Taiwan, Japan, and China. Non-edible items such as pots, spoons, cooking utensils, teapots, bowls, sushi making mats, and brooms were displayed on the back wall. The back wall reach-in-freezer also had ‘cook and serve’ meals in the price range of $5.00 - $7.00. “Value packets of noodle dishes” such as shin bowl, noodle bowl, and noodle soup were also exhibited on the back wall.
Canned vegetables, condiments, sauces (especially the soy sauce), mushrooms, quail eggs in water, red bean paste, boiled lotus seeds, vegetarian mock duck and curry paste were neatly placed on the third isle. Right next to it was the meat section, mostly containing pork liver, Thit DUI, and spare pork ribs. The market also had a small section of beauty products such as shampoos and soaps. It appeared as if every item in the market was stored in a large cardboard box.
The ambiance of the market was not pleasant. The dusty dingy environment did not seem very welcoming. A food shop should give the customers a feeling of freshness. The food items should be placed under bright lights so the customers can properly examine what they are buying.
Description of Major Foods in the Market
Frozen vegetables
Frozen vegetables belong to the food group of ‘vegetables and legumes’. It is convenient to buy frozen vegetable for the ease of use however, fresh vegetables and fruits are healthier. Frozen vegetables are usually picked from the field in the unripen form, they seem ripened but developing nutrients in the vegetable takes some time. Some of the most common vegetables in the Asian food market were the same as in any food market; tomatoes, onions, ginger, potatoes etc.
Noodles
Noodles are one of the most common foods in Asia. It is a good source of carbohydrates and potassium. It has a high amount of calories in it, therefore, it is best to eat it in moderate quantities. They belong to the food group of ‘breads’ along with other grains and cereals.
Convenience or Processed Food
The western style of food consumption that contains a lot of processed food can also be seen in Asian food markets. Candies, snacks, and other processed foods are available in Asian food markets. They usually have high sugar and carbohydrate contents.
Condiments and Sauces
Condiments give Asian food its unique taste and smell. Fish sauce is a common Asian condiment that makes many dishes their flavors. It is made from fermented fish (jellyfish, anchovies, and squids). The sauce is salty (high in sodium) and is used to marinate meat. It can be used as a replacement of salt in some Asian dishes such as Chinese styles curries. Soy sauce is another common Asian condiment rich in sodium. It is made from boiled soybeans.
Mushrooms
Mushroom is a popular ingredient in Eastern foods. There are many types of mushroom but the ones used in Chinese foods are rich in vitamin B and help in digestion. Among the basic food groups, mushrooms belong to the group of vegetables.
Quail eggs
Quail eggs are used in many Asian dishes such as soups, used as an additional item with tempura and bacon, or eaten with noodles. Quail eggs have more nutrition than chicken eggs. These belong to the food group of animal food such as meat and poultry.
Red bean paste
Red bean paste is mostly used in Korean cuisines. Two tablespoons of this paste have 90 calories and 20 mg of sodium1. It also has a good amount of carbohydrates. The paste is made from red beans, which belong to the food group of legumes.
Boiled lotus seeds
Lotus seeds are used in Chinese medicines and desserts. They are a good source of proteins, potassium, and phosphorus. They repair broken proteins in the body as they release an enzyme L-isoaspartyl methyltransferase. Due to this property, they are known for their anti-aging effects.
Vegetarian mock duck
Vegetarian mock duck can be used as a substitute for meat. It is made from wheat gluten and is a good source of protein. One 100 grams of mock duck has 116 calories1. It is a processed food but its main ingredient belongs to the food group of ‘breads and grains’.
Curry paste
There are several types of curry pastes in Asian food market ranging from Thai curry paste to Indian. The common thing among these pastes is the high sodium content.
Nutritional Value
Asian foods contain a lot of sauces such as soy sauce and salt2. Some of the most common Asian foods include Spring Role, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Egg Roll Vegetable, Wonton, Fortune Cookies, Egg Foo Young, Chop Suey and Pei Wei. Choosing healthier Asian food is not that difficult when one understands the basic nutritional value of Asian foods. Vegetable fried rice is a very common Chinese dish. An 8 oz serving (224 g) has only 14 calories2. A small serving (154 g) of Beef with Broccoli has 153 calories2. A single serving of Crab Rangoon has only 67 calories2. Also, it depends on the way a dish is prepared that determines its calorie count. For instance, General Tso's Chicken dish can have 293 calories or 414 calories depending on the way it is prepared.
Asian foods are very popular in the US. They bring unique taste and contain different nutritional value compared to common Western dishes. A few adjustments in ingredients or in the choice of the dish can make a huge difference in the calorie intake. Vegetable Lo Mein is a famous Asian meal of vegetable and noodles. People buy it thinking that it has vegetables so they do not need to worry about the calorie count. However, the noodles in it are rich in calories and pack about 900 calories3. On the contrary, Buddha’s Delight, another popular Asian food, is full of proteins and fibers. One serving contains only about 200 calories. The dish mostly consists steamed tofu and vegetables2.
Financial or special diet issues
One major financial issue regarding the Asian food is to import the ingredients that are not grown in foreign soil such as in the U.S. This helps build food trade between Asian and rest of the world. Social theorists consider Globalization the result of Euro-American cultural dominance4. The oriental flavors and cuisines are enjoyed across the world because of globalization. It is advised to follow certain food habits recommended for Asian food.
The Udon noodles are a very famous Japanese style of wheat-flour noodles, which are mostly eaten with soy sauce5. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has set out a balanced diet plan for Japanese which includes; 2 servings each of milk and fruits, 3-5 servings of meat dishes, 5-6 servings of vegetable dishes and about 5-7 servings of grain dishes6. It goes without saying that controlling diet is one part of healthy living, physical activity is the other part.
The cultural aspects of food hold much importance when their nutritional values are assessed. For instance, a typical Chinese meal has two main components. The carbohydrate source is the main food item such as rice, noodles or wheat bread, and vegetables or meat on the side7. This is in contrast with the western cuisine where the major source of protein such as meat is the main dish.
The financial situation of the average citizen bears much importance on what they eat and how it reflects the tradition of food in a country. For instance, the consumption of meat in China has increased in the past decade due to improvement in the standard of living9. Also, cooked food has been a part of the Asian tradition in the monasteries and for meditation masters9. Keeping tradition aside and speaking specifically Asian food as the business, things need to be looked at as they are.
It is difficult to charge more money for Asian food when their food markets are dusty and dimly lit. The ambiance indicates that the items in this market can hardly be expensive. In other words, an average Westerner going to the Asian food market would probably think ‘cheap’ or ‘affordable’ when buying food items.
Recs./providing info/practice application for dietitians
Dieticians can achieve and set better diet plans by either modifying their ingredients of Asian foods such as minimizing the use of spices and sodium or by choosing healthier meals. For instance, they can recommend their clients that it is better to avoid steamed pork dumplings for their higher calorie count; six pieces of these dumplings have about 500 calories2. Wonton Soup is a good replacement for steamed pork dumplings because it has only about 100 calories2. It is also good to have some soup before a meal as it reduces the cravings. Similarly, instead of ordering chicken with black beans (which has high calories and sodium levels), one should order chicken with snow peas2 (which has almost half the calories and lower sodium level).
The dietitians can also recommend reducing the use of salt and sauces in Asian food. Sodium is not healthy for the body when consumed in large quantity regularly or frequently. This is crucial for patients with blood pressure problems since sodium rich foods can increase blood pressure. Instead of using sauces herbs can replace them making them more natural and healthier. The same suggestion goes for Indian food, the chefs that make Indian cuisine use a lot of spices. Eating spicy food for too long can be harmful to the body. They can make healthier meals by reducing spices.
These suggestions for making food healthier can put the Asian food business in a difficult position. Asian food is famous for its ‘taste’. It is a common observation that majority of people order food for its taste and its ability to satisfy their hunger. Only a small number of people carefully evaluate food according to its nutritional value. Making Asian food healthier is a tradeoff between having a healthy meal and pleasuring the taste buds.
Dietitians can recommend some guidelines to use when preparing Asian foods which make them healthier. When ordering at a restaurant there is usually a choice to steam the dish. It is much healthier to steam the dish and using sauces for drizzling lightly10. Also, always choose brown rice over white rice10. If a dish has a lot of calories and one has to have it, ordering a smaller portion of the desired dish with a good amount of steamed vegetables will balance out the calories and sodium content. Using chopsticks instead of spoons is a good trick to leave the extra sauce sticking to the bowl. And last, when ordering the food one can always request less oil.
Asian food market opens a new world of food, favor and economics. With the Eastern flavors come the tradition of Asian people, their ingredients and their nutrition of their food. As a result of globalization, the demand for different cuisines representing different cultures is growing. Considering the nutritional values of some of the Chinese cuisines, it is wise to be careful regarding certain ingredients. As a general rule, using fewer sauces to reduce sodium content and ordering similar dishes with lower calorie counts is one way to achieve a healthy lifestyle.
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