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$1 Bánh Mì and a Bigger Health Question

I spent two weeks in Vietnam this winter, and every day I bought a bánh mì from a street vendor around the corner. For about one U.S. dollar, I got a baguette filled with grilled meat, pickled carrots, daikon, cucumber, cilantro, and chili. There\’s nothing like it in the US.

One thing that stood out to me was how balanced a banh mi is. Every one has a portion of protein, vegetables, and carbs. It\’s fresh and made to order and not ultra-processed. Vietnam has much lower obesity rates than the United States, and eating this way every day made me wonder how food culture affects health.

Of course the benefits are clear. Street food in Vietnam is cheap and accessible. Eating out doesn\’t mean overeating. Meals are smaller and there are a lot of vegetables.

At the same time, there are a lot of concerns. From my perspective, food safety regulations were more limited than in the US. Meat could be undercooked and I worried about fresh vegetables carrying risks like typhoid or other infections if they weren\’t washed really well (and I observed first hand some questionable washing techniques on the sidewalks and streets).

Seeing both sides helped me think about what the US could learn from Vietnam. We might not copy the street food system exactly, but we can learn from the simplicity. Affordable and fresh meals make healthy choices feel normal. If food like bánh mì were easy to find in SF, choosing better options would become an easy daily habit.