20 Supermarket Villains in Vietnam You Should Avoid
Beware the silent assassins lurking in Vietnam’s supermarket aisles: sugar-coated saboteurs and sodium-stuffed mercenaries disguised as snacks. But there’s hope: Vietnam’s real superfoods are your allies in this battle of the aisles. Choose wisely, and your gut will thank you.
Vietnam’s supermarkets are a wonderland of flavors, but hidden among the phở kits and fresh herbs are nutritional landmines. We’ve hunted down the 20 unhealthiest products you’ll find on shelves—backed by science, served with humor, and paired with swaps you can actually find in Vietnam. Let’s play Đừng Ăn Cái Này (Don’t Eat This)!
1. Lay’s Classic Salted Potato Chips
Why It’s Trouble: 10g fat + 170mg sodium per serving. Fried in cheap oils linked to inflammation.
Health Effect: Turns your snack into a greasy guilt trip.
Swap: O’Farm Baked Veggie Chips (found at Annam Gourmet) – crunch without the crunch-time regret.
2. CP Vienna Sausage
Why It’s Trouble: Processed with nitrates (Group 1 carcinogen) + 480mg sodium per can.
Health Effect: Colon’s worst enemy.
Swap: Fresh Vietnamese pork rolls (Chả) from the deli – real meat, no lab experiments.
3. Coca-Cola
Why It’s Trouble: 39g sugar per can. Liquid sugar rush linked to diabetes and weight gain.
Health Effect: Pancreas screams, teeth decay.
Swap: Trà Xanh Không Độ (zero-sugar green tea) – hydration without the chaos.
4. Hao Hao Instant Noodles
Why It’s Trouble: 1,900mg sodium per pack + MSG overload.
Health Effect: Bloated like a bánh bao.
Swap: Gạo Mầm Vibigaba Rice Noodles – lower sodium, higher fiber.
5. Vinamilk Sweetened Yogurt (Sữa Chua Có Đường)
Why It’s Trouble: 15g sugar per tiny cup. More sugar than a ripe mango.
Health Effect: Gut health? More like gut stress.
Swap: TH True Yogurt Unsweetened – tangy, probiotic, and no sugar ambush.
6. Chinsu Soy Sauce
Why It’s Trouble: 1,000mg sodium per tablespoon. Salty enough to pickle a cucumber.
Health Effect: Blood pressure skyrockets.
Swap: Tamari Low-Sodium Soy Sauce (available at Mega Market) – umami without the sodium tsunami.
7. Oreo Cookies
Why It’s Trouble: 14g sugar per 3 cookies + palm oil (deforestation’s BFF).
Health Effect: Energy crash + eco-guilt.
Swap: Lucky Luna Oat Cookies (Vietnam-based brand!) – gluten-free, less sugar.
8. Red Bull Energy Drink
Why It’s Trouble: 27g sugar + 80mg caffeine per can. A heart-pounding combo.
Health Effect: Jitters now, exhaustion later.
Swap: Cà Phê Đá (Vietnamese iced coffee) – skip the sugar, keep the buzz.
9. Miliket Instant Pho
Why It’s Trouble: 1,800mg sodium + artificial beef flavor (tastes like regret).
Health Effect: Kidneys work overtime.
Swap: Fresh phở từ quán (from a local shop) – real broth, real herbs, real joy.
10. Pringles Original
Why It’s Trouble: 2.5g trans fat per serving + acrylamide (a carcinogen formed during frying).
Health Effect: Clogged arteries, crispy regrets.
Swap: Pip Farm Kale Chips – locally made, air-fried, and actually green.
11. Nestlé Milo
Why It’s Trouble: 21g sugar per serving. Markets as “energy” but it’s just sugary cocoa.
Health Effect: Sugar crash before your next meeting.
Swap: Cacao Thảo Mộc (herbal cocoa) – unsweetened, mixed with almond milk.
12. Magnum Ice Cream
Why It’s Trouble: 20g saturated fat per bar. A heart attack on a stick.
Health Effect: Hips don’t lie, and neither does the scale.
Swap: Frosty’s Coconut Milk Ice Cream – dairy-free, lower sugar.
13. Oishi Prawn Crackers
Why It’s Trouble: Trans fats + artificial shrimp flavor (0% actual shrimp).
Health Effect: Cholesterol spikes, authenticity crisis.
Swap: Roasted Cashews (from local markets) – protein > MSG.
14. Dutch Lady Condensed Milk
Why It’s Trouble: 22g sugar per tablespoon. Turns coffee into dessert.
Health Effect: Diabetes in a can.
Swap: Vinamilk Unsweetened Fresh Milk – creamy without the sugar coma.
15. Snickers Bar
Why It’s Trouble: 27g sugar + hydrogenated oils. A “hunger fix” that fixes nothing.
Health Effect: Energy spike, then existential dread.
Swap: Marou Chocolate (70% Dark) – Vietnamese-made, less sugar, more class.
16. Kewpie Mayonnaise
Why It’s Trouble: 100 calories per tbsp + soybean oil (inflammatory).
Health Effect: Salad sabotage.
Swap: Tofu-based dressing (homemade with lime & herbs) – light and zesty.
17. Choco Pie
Why It’s Trouble: 24g sugar per pie + trans fats. A snack from the 90s that should stay there.
Health Effect: Sugar rush, then regret rush.
Swap: Bánh Da Lợn (steamed layer cake) – less processed, naturally sweet.
18. Vifon Instant Crab Soup
Why It’s Trouble: 1,500mg sodium + artificial crab flavor (aka “mystery seafood”).
Health Effect: Bloat like a rainy-season river.
Swap: Canh Chua (sour soup) – real tamarind, real fish, real flavor.
19. Nutella
Why It’s Trouble: 21g sugar per serving. Marketed as “hazelnut” but it’s mostly sugar.
Health Effect: Liver side-eye.
Swap: Peanut Butter (Bơ Đậu Phộng) from local markets – no sugar, just nuts.
20. Trà Sữa Boba Instant Mix
Why It’s Trouble: 35g sugar per packet + artificial pearls (plastic vibes).
Health Effect: Diabetes and a dental bill.
Swap: Trà Đào (peach tea) with chia seeds – sweet, chewy, and actually natural.
Final Thought:
Vietnam’s culinary scene is legendary, but supermarkets peddle pitfalls wrapped in convenience. Swap wisely, laugh at the absurdity of “energy” drinks that drain you, and remember: ăn uống lành mạnh (healthy eating) doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor. Now go conquer Lotte Mart like a nutrition ninja. Your body (and bà nội) will approve. 🍜✨
P.S. If you’ve eaten all 20, just drink more trà đá (iced tea) and hit the gym. We’re all human… except maybe the person who invented instant crab soup.
