In March of this year, I returned from a trip of a lifetime…two weeks exploring Vietnam. From the Sa Pa Valley in the north to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in the south, the people were welcoming, the landscapes breathtaking, and the tables brimming with delicacies.
While I could share pages and pages about my day-to-day experiences, this post is inspired by the food I had the good fortune to sample.
Vietnam was an easy place to indulge my preference for eating lunch and dinner for breakfast.
Nowhere else have I experienced soup served at every meal. If chicken soup is good for the soul, my soul was well nourished on this trip. Chicken Phó with scallions, garlic, bean sprouts, red pepper, and a plate of greens became a favorite morning dish – for lunch and dinner, too.
Greens were varied and plentiful. Mounds of tender spinach, basil, lettuces, mint, collards, cilantro, lemon grass, beet greens, and sprouts I didn’t recognize were served as added ingredients to hot pots or lightly sautéed with fresh garlic as a side dish.
Fish, chicken, pork, beef, and tofu are common protein sources for breakfast in Vietnam. The fish is often salted, fried, grilled, steamed, or ground into balls and patties. The latter are most often served in soup, each with its own subtle flavor.
Okra, a dish most linked to our southern states, was abundant in Vietnam. It was whole, lightly steamed, and tender.
Rice noodles and sticky rice are staples at each meal, and I admit I overindulged. The options were a welcomed alternative to the gluten-heavy choices in America and many other countries around the world.
Other starches, served sparingly, were grilled sweet potatoes and boiled cassava, a root vegetable high in vitamin C.
And then there was the locally grown fruit, noticeably more flavorful than the hybridized varieties available in the U.S. Mango, papaya, star apple, dragon fruit, watermelon, and passion fruit all had a depth of flavor like nothing I’ve tasted.
My SIMPLE ACTION since returning from Vietnam is to continue the healthful routine of nourishing myself with homemade broth, mounds of greens, a variety of protein, and non-gluten starches at EVERY meal…not just lunch or dinner.
I hope you’ll join me by taking action at your kitchen table.
You’re worth it!
