Chinese food is one of the most popular cuisines around the world. It is quick and tasty and provides a good alternative to fast food.
Traditional Chinese food is relatively low in fat, with an emphasis on rice, noodles and vegetables. However, some Chinese food can be very high in calories and fat if one does not order smartly.
Here are some tips for ordering from Chinese food restaurants in a healthy way. Here’s the ultimate guide to healthy Chinese food.
To start, why not try some soup? Most soups on Chinese menus are very low in fat, a great way to start a meal. A good choice is rice soup with chicken or vegetables, or even egg drop.
Chinese food appetizers can be high in fat, such as fried wontons and egg rolls. Instead, try steamed dumplings. Vegetable fritters are very tasty. When ordering main dishes, look for items that have been steamed, braised, roasted, broiled, or fried (ask for foods fried with little or no oil). Try vegetable-based recipes to further reduce fat and calories. Many Chinese food restaurants now offer steamed traditional items such as chicken and broccoli, with different sauces. Try these recipes with some steamed rice for a healthy meal. You can even go a step further on the healthy side and order brown rice.
When ordering noodles and rice, order them plain, not fried. Also, be aware that meats in sweet and sour dishes are often breaded and fried. Instead, ask for roasted and grilled meats to reduce fat and calories.
The sodium content in most Chinese dishes is very high with the use of MSG and soy sauce. So you can request that your food be prepared without MSG or even request for low sodium soy sauce. Dishes made with hot mustard, sweet and sour sauce, plum or duck sauce are low in sodium.
For dessert, enjoy that fortune cookie, along with a nice cup of buckwheat tea. A fortune cookie only has 15 calories and is a great way to end a delicious meal.
- Look for dishes that have vegetables instead of meat or noodles.
- Ask for extra broccoli, snow peas or other vegetables.
- Stay away from fried meat, seafood or tofu. Order it fried or braised.
- Catch the sauce and eat with a fork or chopsticks to leave behind more sauce.
- Avoid salt, which means staying away from duck sauce, hot mustard, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce.
- Share your meal or take half home for later.
- Ask for brown rice instead of white rice.
Source by Rayman Abiva
