Vietnamese food is the ultimate comfort food – from the comforting pho broths to the delicious grilled meats, the umami flavors in Vietnamese cuisine makes it so addicting. Having grown up in California, I've been lucky enough to access a plethora of authentic Vietnamese food.
While we can all agree that Vietnamese food is delicious, is Vietnamese food healthy?
Vietnamese food is very healthy given the wide variety of protein-based dishes and its usage of low-calorie condiments and herbs, such as fish sauce and lemongrass, to add flavor without adding additional calories. It also doesn't use much oil.
Vietnamese food can be great for weight loss as long as it is made with the right strategies.
Given the wide variety of Vietnamese food out there, it's easy to get overwhelmed trying to understand what to eat while trying to stay fit.
I wrote this guide to share some of my favorite healthy Vietnamese meals, some of which are naturally healthy and some of which I've tweaked to make low calorie. These are dishes I include in my own weekday meal plans and are great for weight loss and optimal protein consumption.
In this guide we’ll look at:
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How to Make Healthy Vietnamese Food via the Fitsian Method
Vietnamese cuisine is one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. Vietnamese people have some of the lowest obesity rates in the world. Most of the dishes in Vietnamese cooking consist of a protein marinated in condiments that are very flavorful and low in calories, such as lemongrass, fish sauce, and garlic.
Here are some principles I follow to eat a healthy Vietnamese-based diet:
- Portion Control Carbs – When using carbs, such as rice or noodles, I always portion using my food scale to ensure I'm using exactly one portion at about 160-200 calories. This way, I can still enjoy a healthy amount of carbs and intake enough to fuel my workouts without feeling heavy.
- Opt for Lean Meats – Vietnamese cuisine uses a wide variety of proteins, but on average is a relatively red meat heavy cuisine type. To make it healthier, opt for leaner meats, such as chicken thigh, seafood, or leaner beef cuts.
- Substituting, Portioning, or Omitting High-Calorie Ingredients – Some high-calorie ingredients can be omitted or substituted without sacrificing the flavor of the dish too drastically.
- Drink Lots of Water – A Vietnamese diet can tend to have higher sodium content. While sodium has no impact on weight loss, it does dehydrate you and can lead to high blood pressure and heart problems. Make sure you drink plenty of water to be properly hydrated.
Expert Tips for Vietnamese Cooking
How do I prepare the lemongrass?
To prepare lemongrass, start by peeling it back a few layers to reach the white fleshy part. Then, cut the lemongrass into thin slices starting from the white, fleshy bottom until you reach the green woody part.
For more information about how to cook with lemongrass, check out this article from The Spruce Eats on How to Prepare Lemongrass.
What brand of fish sauce should I use?
I love the Three Crabs Brand fish sauce. For more information about the different fish sauce brands, check out this article about the Top Ranked Fish Sauce brands.
My Top 15 Favorite Healthy Vietnamese Recipes
Chicken Pho
Pho is a classic Vietnamese dish that is beloved by everyone. It's a noodle soup dish that consists of a clear broth stewed with spices paired with rice noodles and a protein source, oftentimes beef or chicken.
While pho is undeniably delicious, is pho healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of a typical bowl of chicken pho:
Pho can be a very healthy dish, consisting of 418 calories, with 40 grams of protein, 15 grams of fat, and 48 grams of carbs.
The key to making this dish healthy is to choose a lean protein, such as chicken, portion it enough to hit your protein macros, and portion the amount of noodles used mindfully.
To learn more, check out my chicken pho recipe.
Five Spice Grilled Chicken
Vietnamese grilled five-spice chicken is a simple yet delicious grilled chicken, marinated in delicious spices and fragrant lemongrass.
It’s super versatile and can be great paired with a side of rice or on its own. It’s a great way to dress up your average cut of chicken in your meal prep.
While five spice chicken is undeniably delicious, is it healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of a typical five spice chicken plate:
Five spice chicken can be a very healthy dish, consisting of 418 calories, with 39 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat, and 43 grams of carbs.
The key to making this dish healthy is to choosing the right cut of chicken that will optimize for the protein to fat ratio and portioning the rice mindfully.
To learn more, check out my five spice chicken recipe.
Ca Ri Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Curry)
Ca Ri Ga, or Vietnamese curry chicken is the ultimate comfort dish. With a rich coconut-based curry paired with succulent chicken thigh and hearty root vegetables, this dish has an amazing depth of flavor.
While ca ri ga is undeniably delicious, is ca ri ga healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of a typical bowl of ca ri ga:
Vietnamese chicken curry can be a very healthy dish, consisting of 418 calories, with 31 grams of protein, 15 grams of fat, and 51 grams of carbs.
The key to making this dish healthy is to choosing the right cut of chicken, portioning the carbs, and making key ingredient swaps for high calorie ingredients.
To learn more, check out my Vietnamese curry chicken recipe.
Garlic Noodles
Garlic noodles are a classic favorite that originated in a popular Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco and has spread to restaurants all over -- the umami garlic flavor coated with chewy noodles are so satisfying and delicious. Best of all, they're super easy to make.
So what does the nutrition profile for garlic noodles look like? Are garlic noodles healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of the garlic noodles:
Garlic noodles can be a very healthy dish, consisting of 334 calories, with 32 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, and 40 grams of carbs.
It predominantly consists of carbs from the noodles and protein from the paired protein.
The key to making this dish macro-friendly is to add a lean a protein source to the garlic noodles and portion the noodles mindfully.
To learn more, check out my garlic noodles recipe.
Vietnamese Rice Porridge (Chao Ga)
Vietnamese porridge, or chao ga, is a comforting Vietnamese take on congee consisting of stewed rice with chicken. It's the ultimate comfort dish that will warm your soul.
So what does the nutrition profile for this rice porridge look like? Is this rice porridge healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of the Vietnamese rice porridge:
A serving of the chicken rice porridge consists of 342 calories with 35 grams of protein, 13 grams of fat, and 36 grams of carbs.
The key to making this dish healthy is to pick the right lean protein source, portion the rice mindfully, and omit any high calorie sides.
Check out my chao ga recipe to learn how to make it.
Vietnamese Beef Carpaccio (Bo Tai Chanh)
Bo Tai Chanh, or Vietnamese Beef Carpaccio, is a refreshing and light protein-packed dish that is flavorful and delicious. Made with juicy and tender wagyu beef mixed in a delicious umami sauce, this dish is undeniably delicious.
So what does the nutrition profile for Vietnamese beef carpaccio look like? Is Vietnamese beef carpaccio healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of the Vietnamese beef carpaccio:
This Vietnamese beef carpaccio can be a very healthy dish, consisting of 315 calories, with 39 grams of protein, 15 grams of fat, and 10 grams of carbs.
As you can see, the dish has a very impressive nutrition profile predominantly consisting of proteins, making it a great, protein-packed meal.
The key to making this dish healthy is to portion the beef mindfully. Pair it with a side of rice to make it a more well rounded meal.
To learn more, check out my bo tai chanh recipe.
Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew)
Bo kho is a Vietnamese stewed beef dish complete with warm savory spices and paired with delicious chewy noodles. It is the optimal comfort food.
So what does the nutrition profile for bo kho look like? Is bo kho healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of bo kho:
Bo kho is a very healthy dish given that it contains ample protein content from the beef, packed with nutrients from the vegetables, and is balanced with a serving of carbs.
A serving of bo kho contains 510 calories with 33 grams of protein, 19 grams of fat, and 54 grams of carbs.can be a very healthy dish, consisting of 290 calories, with 34 grams of protein, 20 grams of fat, and 12 grams of carbs.
The key to making this dish healthy is to portion the beef and noodles mindfully, as they are more calorie-dense ingredients.
To learn more, check out my bo kho recipe.
Caramelized Fish (Ca Kho To)
Ca Kho To, or Vietnamese Caramelized Fish, is a delicious Vietnamese dish consisting of a braised white fish simmered in a delicious umami caramelized sauce.
So what does the nutrition profile for ca kho to look like? Is ca kho to healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of the ca kho to:
A serving of Ca Kho to is only 353 calories, with 62 grams of protein, 0 grams of fat, and 14 grams of carbs.
Ca kho to is a really healthy dish given that predominantly consists of protein from the white fish.
Eat it with a side of rice or vegetables for a more well-balanced meal.
To learn more, check out my Ca Kho To recipe.
Shaking Beef
Shaking beef, or bo luc lac, is a deletable beef dish consisting of cubed pieces of beef marinated in a savory sauce and served with rice and vegetables.
So what does the nutrition profile for this shaking beef look like? Is shaking beef healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of the shaking beef:
A serving of shaking beef contains 423 calories with 25 grams of protein, 17 grams of fat, and 42 grams of carbs.
As you can see, the dish has a very impressive well-balanced nutrition profile.
Given that beef is a protein source that has a decent amount of fat, the key to making this dish healthy is to portion the beef mindfully.
Broken Rice Plate
Broken rice plate, or Com Tam, is a popular Vietnamese dish that is similar to a combo plat. It consists of grilled meat, rice, vegetables, and egg or egg meatloaf.
So what does the nutrition profile for broken rice plate look like? Is broken rice plate healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of the broken rice plate:
Broken rice plate is a very healthy dish given well-balanced macronutrient profile. A serving of the dish is 442 calories, with 36 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat, and 49 grams of carbs.
The key to making this dish low calorie is to pick a lean protein for the grilled meat, such as chicken, and portion the rice mindfully. Opt for a sunny side egg over an egg meatloaf as well, as the egg meatloaf contains pork, which can be a fattier cut of meat and pack on calories.
Lemongrass Chicken
This crispy air fryer lemongrass chicken is a healthy and flavorful dish -- made with an aromatic lemongrass sauce coating juicy chicken thighs and air-fried to a crisp, this dish is undeniably delicious.
So what does the nutrition profile for air fryer lemongrass chicken look like? Is air fryer lemongrass chicken healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of the lemongrass chicken:
Air fryer lemongrass chicken can be a very healthy dish, consisting of 295 calories, with 46 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, and 7 grams of carbs. As you can see, the dish has a very impressive nutrition profile predominantly consisting of proteins, making it a great, protein-packed meal. It is often eaten with a serving of rice or garlic noodles.
To learn more, check out my air fryer lemongrass chicken.
Tong Rim (Caramelized Shrimp)
Tom rim is a simple yet mouthwatering dish consisting of shrimp in a caramelized sauce. It's similar to Ca Kho to, but uses shrimp as the protein.
So what does the nutrition profile for Tom Rim look like? Is Tom rim healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of Tom Rim:
Tom rim can be a very healthy dish, as it predominantly contains proteins and can be balanced out with a side of carbs. A serving of this dish is 422 calories, with 39 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat, and 53 grams of carbs.
Lemongrass Beef
Lemongrass beef consists of the delicious umami herbal lemongrass marinated that coats delicious beef slices. It's often served over a bed of rice.
So what does the nutrition profile for this lemongrass beef look like? Is lemongrass beef healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of the lemongrass beef:
Lemongrass beef can be a very healthy dish, consisting of 425 calories, with 29 grams of protein, 15 grams of fat, and 43 grams of carbs. This is a great well-balanced meal that is flavorful and healthy.
The key to making this dish healthy is portioning the dish correctly given the dish is made with beef, which is a more calorie dense protein.
Lemongrass Salmon
Lemongrass salmon consists of the delicious umami lemongrass marinated glazed over a flaky piece of salmon. It's delicious and also great to be paired with a side of rice and vegetables.
So what does the nutrition profile for this lemongrass salmon look like? Is lemongrass salmon healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of the lemongrass salmon:
A serving of lemongrass salmon is only 441 calories, with 31 grams of protein, 15 grams of fat, and 43 grams of carbs, following the recipe and portions below.
As you can see, the dish has a very impressive well-balanced nutrition profile predominantly consisting of proteins and carbs.
However, the key to making this dish help rather than hinder progress towards your fitness goals is to portion the salmon mindfully, as it is a higher fat protein.
Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon)
Vietnamese spring rolls, or goi cuon, consist of protein, vegetables, and rice noodles wrapped in rice paper and dipped in a dipping sauce. They're a popular appetizer in Vietnamese cuisine.
So what does the nutrition profile for Vietnamese spring rolls look like? Are Vietnamese spring rolls healthy?
Let's take a look at the nutrition breakdown of the Vietnamese spring rolls.
A serving of Vietnamese spring roll consists of 394 calories with 24 grams of protein, 1 grams of fat, and 71 grams of carbs.
These spring rolls are a very well-balanced meal, with a good mix of protein and carbs.
The key to making this dish healthy is to opt for lean proteins, such as shrimp. I wouldn't recommend eating pork, which is another popular spring roll ingredient, as it can be a fattier protein.
Choosing the right dipping sauce is also important. Opt for nuoc cham, a savory Vietnamese fish-sauce based dipping sauce, instead of a peanut butter based sauce, which is very high in calories and fats.
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