Healthier Dining Out: Chinese
Admit it, you’ve got the local Chinese restaurant on speed dial. Chinese tops many people’s favorite cuisine lists and it’s a common go-to when you don’t want to cook. Here are some tips on what to order next time you’re in the mood.
Order Less: Oily and Deep-Fried Foods
In the U.S., many Chinese menu favorites are battered, deep fried and coated in sweet and oily sauces. General Tso’s chicken is a perfect example — it clocks in at 1,300 calories, 11 grams of artery-clogging saturated fat and 3,200 milligrams of sodium (that’s a day and half’s worth)! Egg rolls, fried dumplings and crispy wonton strips are other fried foods to avoid.
Similar to some Japanese dishes, some Chinese menu items are drenched in oily sauces –- ask for your sauces on the side and dip lightly in a few tablespoons to keep calories under control.
Since soy sauce is a staple ingredient, sodium may be high in some dishes. If you have high blood pressure, keep this in mind or ask your server if they have a lower-sodium version.
As with many restaurants, portions can be out of control; when ordering Chinese, just plan on having half for lunch or dinner the next day or share with the group –- that’s a great way to save some cash, too!
Order More: Fresh, Steamed or Stir-Fried Dishes
Fresh vegetables, seafood, tofu and lean meats such as chicken and pork are main ingredients in many Chinese food options. Whole grain noodles and brown rice are also typically available. Cooking methods such as steaming and stir-fry help keep food light and fresh. Choose steamed dumplings or stir-fried veggie and meat dishes (it also never hurts to ask them to use less oil).
Start your meal with wonton soup or hot and sour soup rather than a greasy appetizer. Split an entrée with a friend (that also helps cut overindulgence). It’s never a bad idea to order an extra side of steamed mixed veggies, too — just to up the nutrients.
Wondering about the nutritional info on your Chinese food favorite? Look it up here.
TELL US: What’s your low-cal Chinese dish of choice?
I’ve never been a huge Chinese food fan. Something about the heavy sauces — at least the classics you get in American Chinese food restaurants — turns me off. The dishes can be so salty too.
Do you think you could post healthier dining out tips for middle eastern food?
Post well made.The Chinese are very particular about their meals. Their restaurants become popular because they tend to make quite healthy dishes. They like a lot of veggies and soup which may help but their fried meals can be oily.
We live right behind a small strip plaza that has a local family chinese restaurant and certain days or times people are lined to the door placing orders. My husband and I went on a diet in Feb. of this year and a couple of meals were hot and sour soup and chicken chow mein. Of course we ordered from our neighborhood restaurant and it was delicious!.We both have lost over 30 lbs. in the eight weeks we’ve been on this diet. We will enjoy our new found cuisine even when we hit our weight goals.
We go to our local chinese restaurant every other week to have yum cha( lots of little dishes for around NZ$3-6.a dish) we do as the asians do and put all the dishes in the middle and share, and we also make sure we have screeds of chinese tea with it as this helps the food and the oils wash through your bady rather than stay in the system. Afterwards we are so full we waddle out of the restaurant and usually dont eat for the rest of the day and dont seem to have any weight gain. Its a fun thing to do with family and friends and experimentation is the key. Our group of 4 adults spends around NZ$50-70 between us depending on how piggy we are.
I realized that my picky kids were eating healthier than I was at Chinese restaurants, so I ordered the same dish I order for them – chicken satay (from the appetizers). 4 pieces of grilled chicken teriyaki. Light, makes a meal with soup! Much better than what I had been ordering.
Verenia, Satay is from Thailand. I love Thai food, it’s so healthy!!!
For Marie Frazier who posted a comment on 3/24/09: Congrats on you & your husbands’ success w/ your weight loss! What program are you following (just wondering)?
Yes,I too want to know the plan you used to drop 30 lbs. in 8 weeks. That is just wonderful and my congrats also!!!!!!!
If you crave ‘Asian’ fare but do not want the fried and heavily sauced stuff that so many Chinese restaurants have, try both Thai and Vietnamese foods. They have extremely tasty and much heathier offerings. The sauces are lighter, very fresh vegetables and really great soups.
My dad has HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE/DIABETES 1 or 2 I THINK! I would like to know how he can control and maintiain his health so things won’t get worst. I make alot of homemade bread an buscuits and microwave popcorn with real butter and parmesean cheeese. He drinks alot of Green Tea and coffee with cream once in a while. I would like to know what kinds of meals to cook that require no deep frying, I would like to know more about steaming, baking, or healthy eating to help my dad with his healthy eating.
I am a food lover from China and been living in States for many years. I would suggest Chinese food lovers to try those Chinese restaurants that Chinese people would normally dining. They have more healthy manu than those American Chinese restaurants.Stirfry,steam,stew and soup are main Chinese cuisine.Honestly those fry Chinese food are mostly reformed to compromise local trend.
Try changing up the ingredients with other options, i.e. asked for general Tso’s with tofu. You won’t have the deep fried, breaded pieces of chicken, but you will still have the spicy sauce.
i never realized that Chinese food had so much salt…..i always knew that it was a bit salty but 3,000mg of sodium is a killer.. I have high blood pressure (controlled with meds of course) but I try to watch my salt intake. Please advise if there is any healthier chinese food.
I love chinse food !!! Moo goo gai pan… or vegatable fried rice. My favorites.. But I don’t like the junk they produce for sale to the U.S.
I hope I don’t come across as defensive when I say this because I really am just curious, but I grew up in Japan and I want to know what Japanese dishes you’re referring to when you say they’re drenched in oily sauces. I can’t think of any. Most Japanese dishes are really low in fat. I thought the only health hazard with most Japanese dishes was sodium.
And about Chinese food, I think Ma Po Tofu might be my favorite. And it’s a lot better for you when you make it at home, obviously. But it’s so tasty, I can’t resist it!
I love Chinese food. But it is tricky. Like any other cuisins, Chinese food can be either healthy or not. When eat out at a Chinese restaurant, I am very care to choose right food for me. Instead of deep fried dishes, I choose stir fired dishes with light sauce.
I think that there should be a list of Japanese food healthy choices since most Japanese food are fresh and light. =^_^=
I agree that real, authentic Chinese food is healthy…lots of fresh vegetables, little meat, mostly steam cooking, little or no heavy breading, thick sauces, or deep fat frying as in the Americanized version of the food. I also don’t know of any Japanese foods “drenched in oily sauces.”
I have found a delicious dish at our favorite Chinese restaurant, it is not on the menu so I have to request it. I ask for dry (no sauce) wok fried chicken and green bean with mild seasoning (this is a touch of red pepper) I am also usually able to get this dish when we travel.