Healthy food on our tours

Table of Contents

The importance and delight of food

We pay a lot of attention to the food we serve on our trekkings and our tours. We can accommodate all food requirements such as vegetarian, vegan, halal, and other food varieties. Please inform us upon booking if you have any special wishes or requirements when it comes to nutrition. Especially on trekkings, you need good nutrition to keep you going. We will make sure of that.

Healthy food on our tours and  treks

Healthy food is a very important component of our tours. Promoting healthy food is part of our mission statement. A balanced and healthy diet can protect you against disease and illness.

Thailand is world famous for its fantastic kitchen. Northern Thailand has its own specialties. The hill tribes also have their own specific traditional dishes.
Healthy food is an essential element of your trip. We want to surprise you with dishes and specialties you have never seen or tasted before. We want to make your trip a culinary exploration. You need a lot of energy on our trips and food should provide you with the fuel you need to trek through the forest.

Woman with plates of food healthy food
Meal during Karen trekking

Fresh food markets

The fresh food markets in Northern Thailand are an attraction in itself. Despite the proliferation of superstores such as Lotus and Big C, fresh food markets fortunately are still thriving. The best example is, of course, the Warorot Market in Chiang Mai but every village has its own small local market.

Before you go trekking we always stop at a local market. There our guides will do some of their shopping for the meals they will prepare on your trekking. If you are interested, they will involve you in the shopping and explain about some of the most exotic food that is for sale there. Where ever possible we will buy food in the mountain villages.

One of the markets where we will stop on the way to Chiang Dao is the local market at Mae Malai. It is one of the most interesting markets. Another fantastic market is the weekly Saturday “Buffalo Market” at Sanpatong. Our sister brand Chiang Mai a la Carte offers a tour to this unique market.

Guide with tourists at a local market
Local guide explains at the Mae Malai Market

Local food versus Western food

We promote local food and, where ever possible, will buy food at the place where it is produced. During our treks you will be served a combination of Thai dishes and Northern Thai specialties. We only serve local food because we think this adds to the authenticity and quality of your experience. We hope to surprise you with serving some dishes and specialties you have never tasted in your life. Apart from this we don’t serve any Western food or other non-local food.
We want to surprise you!

Our guides our great cooks. They take care of the menu. Before your trekking they will ask you what you don’t like or can’t eat. Apart from that the menu is a surprise …and a pleasant one. You can be sure of that.

Cooking on trek
Help to cook the food

Healthy and fresh food

We promote healthy food. You will get plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables on our treks and tours. We promote vegetarian food. We do serve meat but during all meals, there will be at least one vegetarian dish. Our guides don’t use monosodium glutamate.

Thailand is a paradise for fruit lovers. It is delicious, very healthy and we will serve you plenty of it. Fruit of the season is a very important ingredient of the food we offer during our treks.

Plant with papaya fruit healthy food
Papaya plant

Cooking course on our treks

All our guides are good cooks and, if you are interested you can help them prepare the meals. They appreciate a helping hand and you can learn some recipes and handy tricks of the cooking trade. The kitchens in hill tribe village look very different than the kitchen you probably are used to. It is quite amazing what our guides can prepare in a wok on a wood fire. They will explain about the different varieties of rice.

Cooking in a wok Green Trails Tour Reviews Green Trails Chiang Mai
Cooking in wok on a wood fire during trekking

Dietary requirements

Again: if you have any dietary requirements, please let us know in advance. I prefer vegetarian food myself. Vegetarian, Vegan, or any other food requirement, we can take care of it. Just inform us in advance. Enjoy our healthy food.

Two ladies helping cooking in a hut healthy food
The kitchen is the best place