Thai Nutrition Information

Traditional Thai food definitions vary from region to region in Thailand. Central regions reflect both the Western version of Thai cuisine in simple fish, rice and vegetable dishes and the elaborate meals decadent in the spicy curries and sophistication of the Royal Court. Neighboring countries have helped to give Northern Thai cuisine a mild and hearty nature while cashews and coconuts reign in the south. All in all, Thai food has a little something for everyone -- including nutritional elements of naughty and nice.

Rice

As a staple cereal crop of Asia, rice is consumed throughout the country during breakfast, lunch and dinner meals. White rice is predominately a calorie-providing carbohydrate in the form of starch due to the removal of its bran during the milling process. The saving grace of white rice's nutrition profile exists in small portions of manganese and selenium -- two disease-fighting minerals that provide cellular support in the form of high-powered antioxidants, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.

Seafood

Thai food typically includes a feast of seafood such as squid, scallops, lobster and an array of fish. While debates over the safety of fish consumption include worries of mercury poisoning and diseases caused from environmental pollution, the inclusion of omega 3 fatty acids has prompted Malden Nesheim of the Institute of Medicine to label fish "a balance of risks and benefits." Cardiovascular health is one benefit when two or more weekly servings of seafood are consumed in large variety, says Nesheim.

Noodles

Egg or rice noodles are a basic commodity in Thai cuisine used to complement meat and curry dishes. Rice noodles contain the disease-fighting capabilities of manganese and selenium and can also offer a boost of energy via small amounts of carbohydrates and protein. The USDA Nutrient Database suggests egg noodles offer considerably more in the way of nutritional value than rice noodles by increases in protein, omega fatty acids and a healthier nudge of selenium. The small amount of bad cholesterol in egg noodles makes up the caboose of this health-train.

Fresh Fruit & Vegetables

A plethora of saucy fresh fruits and vegetables are used in Thai cuisine. Vegetables are typically leafy green with the exception of bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, Thai chili peppers. Veggies often drift lightly on plates filled with fish, soy and curry sauces. Thai desserts are generally fruit-based, using papaya, pineapple, star fruit and tamarind. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that these fresh fruits and veggies have been found to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

Spices

The mix and mingling of spices in unconventional ways is a trademark of Thai cuisine. In Thai Ayurveda medicine, the use of spice enhances flavor and promotes internal harmony and digestion when consumed in accordance to your dosha, or biological characteristics. In a 2007 article published by "Natural Solutions" magazine, Ayurvedic physician Ram Rao says that ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and fennel -- common spices in Thai curries -- work to relieve inflammation and a range of digestive symptoms.