Thailand’s Department of Health has asked consumers to avoid the locally popular Pa Thong Ko fried dough with Thai iced tea for breakfast, as they can provide too much energy and undermine health.
The advisory came shortly after the two local favourites made it to the top ten rankings on TasteAtlas, an online travel guide focusing on food and featuring reviews as well as recommendations from culinary professionals and critics around the world.
In February, Pa Thong Ko came fifth in a list of 10 best-rated street food sweets in the world on TasteAtlas while Thai iced tea was the seventh best-rated non-alcoholic beverage.
Pa Thong Ko – crispy, deep-fried dough sticks – is a common breakfast dish in Thailand and usually consumed with sweetened condensed milk and coffee.
“To have a healthy breakfast, it’s advisable to avoid fast food that provides too much energy or has to be fried over and over such as Pa Thong Ko with sweetened condensed milk and Thai iced tea,” Health Department director-general Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai said in a statement on Thursday (Mar 2).
Pa Thong Ko is a Thai version of Chinese crullers called Youtiao. Based on data from the Bureau of Nutrition, 100g of Pa Thong Ko produces 441kcal and contains 40.56g of carbohydrates as well as 27.79g of fat.
Thai iced tea could also lead to health problems. According to Dr Suwanchai, 200ml of Thai iced tea contains 69g of carbohydrates, 15g of fat and 53g of sugar – about 13 teaspoons – and can produce 430kcal.
Each day, he said, the body should not consume more than six teaspoons of sugar. Frequent consumption of Thai iced tea could cause diabetes, cancer, high-blood pressure, obesity, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
“Most importantly, do not forget to exercise in order to burn the energy along with your diet,” Dr Suwanchai added.
Source: CNA
