Welcome to my first blog! It has been a long time coming.. I am finally excited to start writing up blog posts all about my food experiences, recipes and nutrition of course. To kick off my blog, I am sharing a bit about my Thailand trip with a pun-ny blog title. I love puns, so be prepared to see lots more in my blog posts.
Here we go...
Last year, in December of 2018, I went on my first overseas trip EVER. Our first stop. Thailand. And boy did I learn ALOT about the cultural food... Here is a brief breakdown of the 5 food based experiences I had in Thailand:

(1) Spicy-ness
WOW it is spicy and it is spicy everywhere, especially all the authentic Thai restaurants! One of the most memorable moments from this trip happened during our first week in Thailand. *story time* We had been out all day and it was late. Conveniently, with a 7-11 store nearby we opted for a vegetable fried rice (the only pre-made meal that was vegan friendly). Hangry and tired I opened the pack and noticed that chilli was spread everywhere. Yep - not in a separate satchel and not to one side, it was all over and there was no avoiding it (Note: I was accustomed to the spice at this stage). Hungry as ever, I took my first bite and then spent the next hour chugging water, literally after every bite, non-stop till I couldn’t go on anymore. I didn’t even finish it. To this day it is the spiciest thing I have eaten. Though on the bright side I guess, every other spicy meal after that seemed more tolerable.
(2) Fresh coconut
One of my FAVE perks of my Thailand trip, was having access to what felt like unlimited fresh coconut water. It was so great to taste fresh coconut water, which back home in Australia, would have otherwise been sold in a bottle with the label “made in thailand”. Trust me when I say - The real deal is mighty good!

(3) Local produce markets
What I noticed around Thaliand – particularly in the bordering provinces, is that people would sell ALOT of local grown produce and I would assume this produce was often traded or sold to bordering countries. While hygiene wasn’t always the best, I saw lots of little produce markets with bags of homemade curry sauces sold in bags, bags of cooked rice, marinated meats and edible bugs, fruit, vegetables etc.. none of which had a fancy label or a nutrition panel or even an ingredients list! but realistically made putting together meals easy for locals.
(4) 7-Eleven convenience stores are everywhere
We did ALOT of walking in Thailand, especially in Bangkok -which was a great way to avoid getting scammed by tuk tuk and taxi drivers- though realistically a great way to explore the country and stay active while on holiday! By doing so, I noticed more frequently the abundance of 7-eleven stores in Bangkok, every couple of metres. This made getting convenience food was no issue, although the nutritional quality was poor there was always a pit stop for shnacks while on the go!

(5) 24/7 street food vendors
Despite not eating any of the meat based dishes from food vendors, I was able to try lots of DELICIOUS desserts; the ones that were coconut milk based and vegan. During our road trips around the country provinces there were so many pit stops to buy some fresh fruit or desserts. I found that many desserts were wrapped in banana leaves and there was even a time where we tried sticky rice that had been roasted inside a bamboo tube – super yum!
Coming home from Thailand, I can now appreciate more, the amazing culture and flavorful (even though spicy) food. My spice tolerance has changed since the trip and I am so grateful for the experience. Moving forward, it has given me a lot of confidence to try new spicy foods! I will be back!
Dana is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, an active member of the DAA (Dietitians Association of Australia) and founder of Plantiful Nutrition. She holds a nationally recognised nutrition qualification, with a passion for exploring all things food related in and out of the kitchen. Dana provides a variety of nutrition services through her consultations in person at one of her Brisbane clinic locations, as well as online via Zoom video conferencing.
Disclaimer: This blog post is intended as general discussion of nutrition topics only and does not represent individualised dietary advice. For appropriate individualised dietary advice please make a booking with an Accredited Practising Dietitian. Information detailing Dana's nutrition consultations and booking links can be found at www.plantifulnutrition.com.au/bookings
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