How to enjoy Asian food on the keto diet in Hong Kong, where rice, noodles and corn starch are king
- Two experts give advice on adopting the very-low-carb keto lifestyle in Hong Kong while still enjoying Asian dishes, and what ingredients to watch out for
- More restaurants and bakeries are catering to the keto diet and even offering things like keto mooncakes and radish cake
From instant noodles with satay beef to roast meats on rice, carbohydrates play a key part in the average Hongkonger’s daily meals.
But rice is also often villanised, particularly with the rising popularity of the keto diet, which eschews carbs and promises quick weight-loss results and better energy levels.
For the average Asian palate, adopting the keto diet possibly means dismantling the foundation upon which many favourite recipes are built.
A quick search for “Asian keto food” presents results like “kung pao chicken” and “moo shu pork” - mostly resources aimed at readers in the West. But how feasible is it to eat little to no rice or noodles in a city like Hong Kong, where carbs are king?
Derived from the word “ketosis”, a metabolic state in which the body produces fat-burning ketones, the keto diet relies on high-fat foods and protein to derive energy instead of from carbohydrates.
