Full from Phở (Loving this Alliteration)

Although I'm busy working on a three-part blog about strength-training, there are many other topics that pop into my mind. Rather than wait to finish my strength-training novel, I'm going to interject an entry about Phở.

Phở is a Vietnamese-rice-noodle-soup  (originally from China) that is often mixed with beef or chicken, and various side vegetables and herbs (onions, basil, lime, and super spicy peppers). It comes in a very large bowl, and it is satisfying and filling. After eating it, I was curious to know the nutritional breakdown, so I went looking on the fabulous World Wide Web. Luckily, I found 113,000,000 (that's a hundred and thirteen million) potential sources in less than 1 second. Where would we be without Google. . . honestly!? 

***Remember, if you are EVER curious about the nutrition in any food- you can ALWAYS look it up online (sometimes not right that second, depending on your cell phone capabilities, and where you are in the world). Most sources are fairly accurate or at least give you a ball-park figure. Don't forget to factor in serving size***. 

After specifying to Google that I needed "Pho nutrition," I found more of what I was looking for (although the history of Pho is also interesting). Check out http://www.myfitnesspal.c/nutritiofacts- for the nutritional breakdown of all types of Pho. The general range is 350-600 calories, and 5-15 grams of fat, depending on what you order (the serving size is unclear, however). Pho with more meat, especially beef, is going to be more caloric than just veggies or chicken. Also, a larger bowl is going to have more calories than a smaller one. Simple! 

I would estimate that my sea-food Pho had at least 500 calories, perhaps more, considering how full I was after eating it. I ordered a medium, but a small would have been plenty. Luckily I have three garbage-truck brothers who finish anything I cannot.

Here are some pho pics that I took right from Google Images (it's not copyright infringement if I state the source, right?!): SOURCE: http://steamykitchen.com/271-vietnamese-beef-noodle-soup-pho.html

The veggies to add in.

 

Beef Pho with Veggies

These lovely images are actually from a very informative site about how to make pho (if you're interested). Again, the link is http://steamykitchen.com/271-vietnamese-beef-noodle-soup-pho.html

Anyways, Pho is becoming very popular, and I'm sure many of you have tried it at least once before. I think it's a great quasi-fast-food option. Tasty and nutritious (sorta)!

Let me know if you have tried Pho, and if you have any places that you would recommend. I went to one in Lafayette, off of South Boulder Rd. It was great! Most places are simply called "Pho."

Thanks for tuning in, and Strength-Training Part II is coming your way soon.

Nighty night!
~Dana