Hi all, I’m having a very tough time finding healthy food here. Compounding the problem is the fact that i don’t have much time to prepare food myself. Thus i’m cruelly forced upon the local restaurant establishments. i’m absolutely shocked at the number of people i meet here that are basically on the mcdonalds diet. how sick is that? Are there no decent local heathy options?
If one is forced to eat the local chinese food what are the healthiest options?
Because there is no demand for healthy food. Taiwan doesn’t seem to have a health food epedemic nor does it seem they are well educated about it.
Wait a generation…
I disagree with the oft-stated fallacy that one can’t eat healthy in Taiwan. True, much of the local food is too oily or salty, but that’s no reason to abandon all hope and resort to McDonalds, which is twice as unhealthy.
First, at least local food generally includes lots of veggies and smaller portions of meat than we’re accustomed to in the West (US anyway), which is an improvement.
Second, plenty of places sell steamed dumplings, noodles, noodle soup, and other non-fried foods that are tasty, cheap and healthy.
Third, one can easily buy lots of fresh fruit and at least start the day with one or two pieces of fruit, perhaps over a bowl of cereal.
Fourth, if one does feel a craving for non-Chinese food, forget McDonalds, go to Subway or to lots of places where one can get a nice salad.
Or, just buy the vegies and make a nice big salad at home from time to time.
And, if you work in a typical office, show some restraint with all the cookies, cakes, mooncakes and other high-calorie garbage that gets foisted upon one regularly.
It’s really not all that difficult to have a fairly healthy diet here if one makes a minimal effort.
I was eating a bowl of veggie soup the other day - something I thought would be healthy- when i observed what appeared to be a major oil slick floating on the surface. Anyone know why they feel compelled to soak all the veggies in rediculous quantities of oil? certainly goes down the hatch easier but …
How hard is it for you to open a can of chicken broth yourself or use a bag of instant soup powder and then pop a few veggies in? Very healthy, cheap…
This thread is peculiar. All of those fat Europeans and Americans that hardly eat any veggies and eat mostly meat and carbs and here in Asia they eat loads of veggies, fruit etc. Most Chinese think that Western food is nothing approaching healthy food. Bacon and eggs or pan cakes and maple syrup for breakfast for one. Anyway, I agree some of the food here can be unhealthy, but a lot of it is really good for you. Likewise in Western countries a lot of the food is unhealthy but you have to search out or cook on your own if you want healthy food. Try the vegatarian restaurants for one, or Thai, Japanese and Korean restaurants or ask a local to help you, they will first be shocked when you say that all Chinese and Taiwanese food is not healthy because they think the opposite that Western food is artery clogging, awful tasting and devoid of fruit and veggies and generally not nutrious.
I completely agree with the other posters. Back in the USA I worked at the VA hospital and in the cafeteria one could eat at Burger King, a Pizza place, or a southern food place. I think the only vegetable in sight was corn at the southern food place. At least in Taiwan I am forced to eat things like broccoli (gasp). However, some places may coat veges in a layer of oil and MSG. I often buy the salads at 7-11, i think they are tasty. Lots of fruit stores around, lots of yogurt drinks, lots of organic food stores where you can buy premade sandwiches and salads.
I know exactly how the OP feels… loved the oil slick comment too 
when I order from the stands I never order noodles or rice… always veg and some kind of soup… like tofu and veg soup and I ALWAYS ask for NO OIL AND NO MSG… I just have to ignore the funny looks and i’m off with a tasty and healthy meal/mid-afternoon snack.
try this: wo3 bu2 yao4 yo2 我不要油
wo3 bu2 yao4 wei4 jing1: 我不要味精
da lu mei is a great veg and I eat it everyday. so it bo tsai and di gua yeh… and all can be prepared sans oil slick and most, if not all, noodle stands have these…
I go to the same noodle shack by my school almost everyday and now i don’t even have to state how I want my food prepared.
There’s a streetful of fruit and vegetable stalls outside my house. You need an attitude change if you feel you ‘don’t have time’ to feed yourself. I’m not criticising; I’m overweight and live on bagels and the double goodness of the coffee and cocoa bean.
But like dragonbones said… there’s nothing to eat in my home country after 6 o’clock except chips. You just need to get out there and find stuff.
All pre-cooked convenience food is generally crappy. We generally don’t go out to eat boiled broccoli at restaurants, in any country, we go out to eat oily crap for a ‘treat’. Taiwan is no different.
Having said that, you can find decent vegetarian restaurants. But beware; I accidentally ate a soya ‘shrimp’ once…
Sometimes it’s very hard. I can totally understand the OP’s point. Living abroad, not everyone has the same luxuries. For example, I work with kids all day that want my full attention. By the end of the day, I have dogs to walk, exercise to fitin, and mind you all the other little hills to normally climb (language barriers, driving, etc.) I also live alone. So often I just feel too darn depleted to even unwrap a bouillon cube 
.
If you live in Taipei city, there are a couple of Organic/Vegetarian restaurants.One of them is on Roosevelt road near Taipower station across from the GNC. But remember, that restaurants here, especially the buffets shut down around 8pm or so. If you get off of work at 9 or 8:30 you’re either screwed or left picking leftovers from the buffet.
Best suggestion is if you are disciplined enough, go to a buffet and buy a day’s worth of food. All you have to do is microwave when you get home.
Best of luck.
I’m busier than normal these days but I still eat healthy. If you don’t have time to cook, go to Breeze or City Super and buy pre-cooked whole chickens. One chicken will last two meals and a few snacks/sandwiches. At the same time buy some sashimi or sushi for another meal and maybe a pasta salad. Jason’s has pre-washed and cut leafy salads. Boil a piece of corn, or some asparagus, and voila, you have a meal. For breakfast eat oatmeal or a healthy cereal, both of which are easy to find, and fruit. Lunch, make a sandwich, or go to an organic store or Subway. Even Dante has okay sandwiches and salads.
If you are too busy to make pasta sauce buy it in a bottle. Just heat and boil the pasta, server with parmasan, bread, and a pre-made salad. Finish with fresh fruit.
Really, it’s not hard at all.
Just had some Chinese hot pot. All of the vegetables were lightly and quickly boiled as was the meat and fish, no oil anywhere. A fruit plate came as dessert. All extremely healthy and I dare say, maybe even more healthy than anything I could eat out in a western country, you could easily cook the same thing at home.
I’ve discovered Korean food in Taiwan. There are actual fresh vegetables in the bowl like grated carrot and greens and very little oil or salt. I’m sort of addicted to it right now. I get the iron/ rock super hot bowl with rice, veg, raw egg and meat and then it cooks in that hot bowl and you stir it with a spoon and it goes black on the outside if you don’t keep stirring. I don’t mind a bit of black and that is another thing the Chinese won’t do. Black.
Choice of lots of kimchi and chilli without the oil slick and the choice of going black on the edges.
First time I got it they must have been watching because one of the cooks made a trip across the food court to stir my bowl for me. God I was pissed off. I was waiting for the white bits to go a bit black.
Fruit. I was never much of a fruit eater back home, but now I stop at a fruit stand before work and go nuts. Asian pears, lychees, nectarines, Japanese grapes, mangoes, green tangerines, bananas. I can spend up to 50-60NT/day on fruit depending if I go for the fancy stuff.
I do miss vegetables, though. I sure wish that at all of those cheap restaurants where you can 魯肉飯 or 雞肉飯 or fried noodles, etc. that you could also order a plate of lightly sauteed vegetables. Not that greasy slop that comes on the side of a biandang.
Other than that, it’s been noodles, noodles, dumplings, and more noodles for me.
[quote=“alidarbac”]Fruit. I was never much of a fruit eater back home, but now I stop at a fruit stand before work and go nuts. Asian pears, lychees, nectarines, Japanese grapes, mangoes, green tangerines, bananas. I can spend up to 50-60NT/day on fruit depending if I go for the fancy stuff.
I do miss vegetables, though. I sure wish that at all of those cheap restaurants where you can 魯肉飯 or 雞肉飯 or fried noodles, etc. that you could also order a plate of lightly sauteed vegetables. Not that greasy slop that comes on the side of a biandang.
Other than that, it’s been noodles, noodles, dumplings, and more noodles for me.[/quote]
Most shops will serve steamed veggies if you ask for it. Or lightly boiled. I never have stir fried.
Also, a great source of daily veggies is to get a jinlitang at one of the Cottonfields around town. They pack a blender full of green leafy veggies, add a little nuts and pineapple, and a wheat grass liquid to make it into a shake. Delicious and soooooo nutritious. All organic too.
[quote=“Ironman”]I’ve discovered Korean food in Taiwan. There are actual fresh vegetables in the bowl like grated carrot and greens and very little oil or salt. I’m sort of addicted to it right now. I get the iron/ rock super hot bowl with rice, veg, raw egg and meat and then it cooks in that hot bowl and you stir it with a spoon and it goes black on the outside if you don’t keep stirring. I don’t mind a bit of black and that is another thing the Chinese won’t do. Black.
Choice of lots of kimchi and chilli without the oil slick and the choice of going black on the edges.
First time I got it they must have been watching because one of the cooks made a trip across the food court to stir my bowl for me. God I was pissed off. I was waiting for the white bits to go a bit black.[/quote]
Dol Sot Bibim Bap
Pul Gogi
Chap Chea
Kalbi
Oh, how I love Korean goodies. All of them. snicker
Sashimi, Grilled Fish, Boiled Chilled Aspargus (without mayo), fruit vegatable salad with Japanese dressing. Super healthy.
Don’t forget chilled soba noodles.
Don’t forget chilled soba noodles.[/quote] But I didn’t have any Soba noodles tonight. I was letting you know what I ate tonight. 
Don’t forget chilled soba noodles.[/quote] But I didn’t have any Soba noodles tonight. I was letting you know what I ate tonight. :-)[/quote]
You still shouldn’t have forgotten them. 