Chefs Compete to Create Iodine-Rich Tom Yum for Pregnant Women
Three chefs from The Restaurant War Thailand compete on the TV show Flavor Exchange to create a high‑iodine tom yum soup for pregnant women, while hosts Chef Golf Sanya and Chef Off Nattawut share essential pregnancy nutrition tips. The episode, produced by the Thai Health Promotion Fund, Channel 7HD and Heliconia H Group, airs October 19 at 18:00 on Channel 7HD and will also be available on Netflix.
The kitchen heats up! Three chefs from The Restaurant War Thailand—Omsin, Nokki, and Nidnoi—take the stage in “Flavor Exchange” to showcase their skills in crafting a tom yum dish rich in iodine for pregnant women, while also delivering practical nutrition advice that viewers can apply in daily life. The program “Flavor Exchange” is a collaboration between the Thai Health Promotion Fund (THPF), Channel 7HD, and Heliconia H Group.
This week’s hosts, Chef Golf Sanya Thadathanawong and Chef Off Nattawut Thammaphan, will lead the audience through the nutritional needs of pregnancy, a period when the body requires extra nutrients, especially folic acid (or folate), iron, iodine, and calcium.
The challenge for this episode is to create a tom yum menu that is high in iodine for expectant mothers. Iodine was chosen as the key nutrient because it is essential for thyroid hormone production and plays a vital role in fetal brain and nervous‑system development.
The three contestants are Omsin Prachaya, a kua soi rice vendor and protégé of Chef Ton from The Restaurant War Thailand Season 2; Nokki Nechanok, a spicy‑curry‑puff seller who ranked in the top five of Season 2; and Nidnoi Saowanuey, a beautiful and fiery vendor nicknamed “Pu Pla Ra still calls her elder,” from Season 3. Each must prepare a tom yum dish within 45 minutes.
The excitement isn’t just about racing the clock; during the competition, nutritionists also share tips on selecting ingredients, seasoning, and appropriate portion sizes for each meal, showing that healthy food need not be bland—the key lies in choosing the right ingredients and seasoning them just right.
Judging the dishes are M.L. Pasan Sadawivat, a respected food critic and ingredient expert; Suphanuch Son Damsri, director of the Senior Office at the Social Marketing Department of the Thai Health Promotion Fund; Ajarn Waeta Ekachon, a nutritionist and independent diet planner; and Chef Off Nattawut Thammaphan, who together will decide which chef best meets both taste and nutritional goals for pregnant women.
Viewers can follow the fun and pick up nutrition tips for pregnancy meals on “Flavor Exchange,” airing Monday, October 19 at 6:00 p.m. on Channel 7HD (digital channel 35), with reruns available on Netflix.
Stay updated with all news and movements from Channel 7HD across its digital channel 35 and social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, and Threads—and enjoy the program and other content via the station’s website and the CH7ON app.
