The 13 Healthiest East Asian Takeout Meals

Teppanyaki refers to a style of cooking, not an actual dish. The term teppanyaki stems from the Japanese words for "iron plate" and "grilled," which is precisely how these meals are prepared. Oil is spread on the flat-iron griddle, then topped with various ingredients, including sliced meats, seafood, veggies, and noodles. The dish is often made-to-order, and guests can mix and match depending on their preferences.

The way teppanyaki is prepared is healthier than most takeout options. Instead of being fried in copious amounts of oil, the food is sautéed using a smaller portion. Teppanyaki chefs sometimes use teriyaki or other sugary sauces. However, you can choose soy sauce for fewer calories or go sauceless if you're avoiding extra sodium or sugar altogether. 

Watching teppanyaki chefs is truly a sight to behold. They're skilled at their craft and put on quite the performance. As such, you might not realize teppanyaki can also be a takeout dish. Unfortunately, you'll miss the show — but the meal will be delicious (and nutritious) regardless.

Goma wakame, aka seaweed salad, is a common starter in Japanese restaurants. This salad is served cold or at room temperature and sprinkled with sesame seeds. It's refreshing and light on the palate but oh-so-satisfying.

And luckily, seaweed salad is also one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat. It's very low in calories, with 2 tablespoons of wakame ringing in at a mere 4.5 calories. However, it's packed with trace minerals. According to a study in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, seaweed has a mineral content of at least 10 times that of land-based plants. Many of these minerals are also essential, meaning we must get them from food because our bodies can't produce them. These trace minerals keep everything from our endocrine system to our nervous system ticking, and seaweed is an efficient way to get your daily dose.

Seaweed's biggest claim to fame is its iodine content. This trace mineral occurs naturally in seaweed and helps regulate thyroid function. Not consuming enough iodine can lead to hypothyroidism, and, according to the American Thyroid Association, almost a third of the world is at risk of deficiency. Even without a deficiency, low thyroid function is no fun, leading to moodiness, fatigue, and brain fog. So if you suspect low iodine and want to boost your levels, seaweed makes an excellent takeaway meal.

Variety is the spice of life, and Buddha's delight certainly keeps things exciting. In its unabridged form, Buddha's delight has a whopping 18 different vegetables. Common contenders are carrots, snow peas, cabbage, bok choy, and broccoli. All the veggies are sautéed in a light dressing made of sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.

Rumor has it this dish started in Buddhist communities but spread throughout China and, subsequently, the world. Buddhists traditionally eat a vegetarian diet, which explains why this dish is entirely plant-based. Chinese communities also consume Buddha's delight during the Lunar New Year celebrations since eating vegetables is said to bring good luck and purify the soul. Seeing how these holidays involve grand feasts, veggies can also help with digestive issues. Vegetables are a good source of fiber, so they help you absorb nutrients and keep that digestion moving.

Plus, the more color you add to your diet, the more likely you are to get all the nutrients you require. So if you want to "eat the rainbow," look no further than Buddha's delight.

Do you miss the days of packed lunches? Korean lunch boxes are the perfect replacement. But instead of your parents prepping it, you'll need to pick one up at a local Korean restaurant.

Korean lunch boxes, also called dosirak, consist of rice, a protein, a side dish, and pickled veggies. Koreans love fermented foods, particularly kimchi, which is made of fermented cabbage with a pepper paste and a hefty dose of garlic. The result is a pungent, spicy side dish that works wonders for your digestive system. In a 2021 study published in Cell, participants who consumed fermented foods increased their microbiome diversity and decreased their inflammation markers. So if the road to health is paved with good intestines, kimchi can get you one step closer.

These takeaway lunches are ideal for busy workdays or picnics. Sadly, they won't come in tin cases decorated with your favorite comic-book characters. But what you can expect is a healthy, convenient, and tasty takeaway meal.

If you love your health, you should learn to love your vegetables — and this Chinese dish is easy to fall for. Eggplant has a naturally meaty texture that gives this meal substance. When cooked in a savory garlic sauce, the result is a smoky, hearty stir fry that can support your gut health.

The human body contains trillions of microorganisms, and it's constantly trying to balance the good with the bad. The food you eat either helps or hinders this process. Vegetables play for the good team, while sugary or processed foods tend to bat for the baddies. And without enough veggies, the bad guys often come out on top. When this happens, we might experience digestive issues, a poor immune system, or fatigue.

Luckily, certain foods are known to bring your microbiome back into equilibrium. And throughout history, garlic has been one such superfood. It's revered as a natural antimicrobial that can be applied to a wide variety of harmful bacteria, fungi, and viruses. It was even considered one of the first performance-enhancing drugs used by athletes in the ancient Olympics. So if you want to enhance your overall health, include more garlic in your diet. And with this delicious takeout meal, it won't be difficult. 

As one of Taiwan's national dishes, this soup has beef, noodles, and bok choy in a richly seasoned sauce. Bok choy is native to China and common in East Asian dishes. However, this vegetable doesn't get the love it deserves here in the United States. Unlike more divisive cruciferous veggies like broccoli or Brussels sprouts, bok choy has a mild taste and soft texture, and most people enjoy these greens.

When ordering takeout, you can enjoy bok choy's yummy flavor along with its many nutritional benefits. One cup of bok choy has over 31 milligrams of vitamin C, roughly a third of the recommended daily amount. It's also a significant source of folate, beta-carotene, and selenium. Vitamin C and folate are water-soluble, and a high percentage of these are normally lost in the cooking process. But in Taiwanese beef noodle soup, the bok choy is cooked directly in the broth. This way, all the vitamins (and the flavor) stay in the soup.

Beef noodle soup is a standard takeout meal in Taiwan, but it's only recently becoming popular in the United States. So if you stumble across it on a menu, don't hesitate to place that order. It's sure to be an international sensation soon.

You won't find Tibetan restaurants on every street corner. But if you have one near you, many healthy options are on the menu. One such dish is the potato chickpea curry. This comforting stew can be eaten at any meal accompanied by rice or bread.

Tibetan food is healthy because the cuisine uses fresh, natural ingredients. What you see is what you get with this curry. Aside from potatoes and chickpeas, the dish has tomatoes, onion, turmeric, and cumin. Tibetans traditionally use yak butter when cooking, but ghee is a common replacement in the United States. Ghee is essentially clarified butter, making it safe for lactose-intolerant individuals. While other oils oxidize when cooked, ghee can handle high heat while retaining its nutritional properties. It's a rich source of vitamins A, E, and K, along with butyric acid (which is excellent for digestion and staying regular).

With fiber-rich chickpeas, this meal is also super satiating. So if you want to try something new but healthy, order this Tibetan curry for takeaway.