Are Asian foods healthier than Western foods: Evidence collected from St. Louis area grocery stores

Diets vary substantially across different ethnic groups while also having a significant and long-term impact on general health and well-being. Common perceptions are that the overconsumption of Western-style foods drives the increase in non-communicable diseases in Western society and that Asian-style foods are more nutritious and healthier than Western-style foods. Therefore, our research goal was to identify differences in the nutrient content of Asian-style foods and Western-style foods offered in grocery stores available to the general population in St. Louis County, Missouri. We hypothesized that the nutrient content in foods available at Western grocery stores would not differ from the similar foods available at Asian grocery stores. We hand-collected 648 food items randomized by store and food category in three Asian grocery stores and one Western supermarket in St. Louis and documented their nutritional information. We then characterized and compared the nutrient content of the collected foods at the store and food category levels. We found that foods from Asian stores had statistically significantly lower protein (p < 0.01), higher sodium (p = 0.10), and similar energy, total carbohydrates, cholesterol, total fat, and sugar content compared to Western stores. Also, we found that foods available in Asian stores had a significantly longer “Time-to-Expiration” period (p < 0.01). These findings challenge the common perception that foods from Asian stores are healthier than Western stores and contribute to our understanding of associations between ethnicity, diet, and health.