Mediterranean/Middle Eastern and Vietnamese.
A selected amount from each ethnic food group. The Vietnamese diet consist of raw veggies. Some cooked dishes tend to have alot of salty fish sauce but if you make your own, you can dilute it with lemon and water. Also, alot of their dishes are semi Chinese and some are definately not healthy.
I wouldn't say Japanese is the best because the raw fish is not for everyone. Their tempura is not exactly fat free.
Indian/South Asian food has its limite. The food are often overcooked and it loses its nutrients although the various spices are good for you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd say Vietnamese, esp. the soups with the large piles of cilantro and veggies available as garnishes. I wish I had some pho ga right now!

Unless they're laden with MSG.

Even if there were evidence that MSG is harmful, I've not heard that it's commonly used in Vietnamese cooking. Is it?

Japanese or Greek.
If you are worried about salt and MSG then you can't eat at ANY kind of restaurants.

Anonymous wrote:We were just in Costa Rica this spring, and the traditional "casado" meal they eat there is just so tasty and wholesome, I felt like I did something really good for myself every time I had it. I wish I could find a "soda tipica" somewhere in the DC area!

Very heavy on carbs/high glycemic index foods. Rice, flat bread, plantains, beans with just a little salad on the side and a meat.

We were just in Costa Rica this spring, and the traditional "casado" meal they eat there is just so tasty and wholesome, I felt like I did something really good for myself every time I had it. I wish I could find a "soda tipica" somewhere in the DC area!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lebanese

Not enough veggies.

Really? Name the dishes you are thinking of that are low on veggies! Because most Lebanese don't eat shawarma daily.

They do use a lot of legumes and carbs If you are trying to lose weight or maintain you shouldn't eat a lot of Lebanese cuisine.

Anonymous wrote:I'd say Vietnamese, esp. the soups with the large piles of cilantro and veggies available as garnishes. I wish I had some pho ga right now!

Unless they're laden with MSG.

I'd say Vietnamese, esp. the soups with the large piles of cilantro and veggies available as garnishes. I wish I had some pho ga right now!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Indian vegetarian.

I think in India, or in Indian-American homes this might be the case. But since the OP clarified she's looking for what you might find in a restaurant here, I'd disagree. Most Indian restaurants here use a ton of oil in their dishes, and/or cream bases. It's a shame.

Wow. That is interesting. I knew Chinese food has been changed a lot, here. Didn't know about Indian. I don't go to restaurants much. I learned my recipes from Indian and vegetarian friends. I have a killer spicy eggplant that uses just a drizzle of oil. Tons of veggies, fresh ginger, black mustard seed. Ok, hungry now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think in terms of the fats used, I'd have to vote Mediterranean. Indian food makes use of a lot of butter (and sometimes cream, I think)- making it highly delicious, but not necessarily as figure / heart-friendly as a diet rich in olive oil.

Regardless, this thread is making me hungry.

I totally agree with you! Mediterranean is the best. Indian is good but too fatty for me and I have a hard time with fenugreek.

Not true that Indian food uses a lot of butter/cream. Depends on the region, and/or if the food is being cooked at home or in a restaurant. Restaurant Indian food is often fattier than what people eat at home.

Couldn't you make this statement about just about any cuisine?

Yes but being Indian myself it's always amazing to me how restaurants can make Indian food SO unhealthy esp. the vegetarian dishes. You think of potatoes, cauliflower, spinach, chickpeas etc., you think -- how can they be unhealthy. Then you see restaurants throwing in oil or cream and it's amazing HOW unhealthy a vegetarian dish can be.

Exactly. Some foods might be inherently problematic -- dishes with cheese as a key ingredient, say -- but a lot of Indian curries are totally healthy in their own right, and it's only when they're prepared in restaurant kitchens do they get loaded up with oil or ghee.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think in terms of the fats used, I'd have to vote Mediterranean. Indian food makes use of a lot of butter (and sometimes cream, I think)- making it highly delicious, but not necessarily as figure / heart-friendly as a diet rich in olive oil.

Regardless, this thread is making me hungry.

I totally agree with you! Mediterranean is the best. Indian is good but too fatty for me and I have a hard time with fenugreek.

Not true that Indian food uses a lot of butter/cream. Depends on the region, and/or if the food is being cooked at home or in a restaurant. Restaurant Indian food is often fattier than what people eat at home.

Couldn't you make this statement about just about any cuisine?

Yes but being Indian myself it's always amazing to me how restaurants can make Indian food SO unhealthy esp. the vegetarian dishes. You think of potatoes, cauliflower, spinach, chickpeas etc., you think -- how can they be unhealthy. Then you see restaurants throwing in oil or cream and it's amazing HOW unhealthy a vegetarian dish can be.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lebanese

Not enough veggies.

Really? Name the dishes you are thinking of that are low on veggies! Because most Lebanese don't eat shawarma daily.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think in terms of the fats used, I'd have to vote Mediterranean. Indian food makes use of a lot of butter (and sometimes cream, I think)- making it highly delicious, but not necessarily as figure / heart-friendly as a diet rich in olive oil.

Regardless, this thread is making me hungry.

I totally agree with you! Mediterranean is the best. Indian is good but too fatty for me and I have a hard time with fenugreek.

Not true that Indian food uses a lot of butter/cream. Depends on the region, and/or if the food is being cooked at home or in a restaurant. Restaurant Indian food is often fattier than what people eat at home.

Couldn't you make this statement about just about any cuisine?

Mediterranean/Turkish -- grilled chicken/fish; grilled veggies; some rice or break but that isn't usually the "base" of the food -- it is centered around meat and vegetables.

I was going to say Indian until you mentioned restaurants. Indian restaurants are notoriously unhealthy. They can take a simple potato and cauliflower veggie dish that most Indians make at home and fill it with (usually low quality) oil to make it "richer" and "fancier." Lots of cream in restaurant food too -- I don't know any Indian who cooks with cream at home (minus desserts) the way the restaurants around here do.

I was thinking Mediterranean too. Lots of fish and veggies.