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Can you order chinese food without sauce?

aprilflower18232
aprilflower18232 Posts: 205 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
im going out for chinese food with friends..I'm trying very hard eat healthy. Is it possible to order something like chicken and crooccli and ask for no sauce? I've never tried

Replies

  • Parkercomom
    Parkercomom Posts: 67 Member
    Sure! Chinese restaurants are usually very accommodating.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Yes. Most of the time you can order with no sauce or sauce on the side.
    Also ask if they have a steamed option. My place does steamed chicken and vegetables.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,251 Member
    edited April 2015
    Assuming it's a good place? Sure. We do it all the time.

    PS: great loss!
  • kkarcher94511
    kkarcher94511 Posts: 196 Member
    yep-i do it all the time at Terriyaki. I start with a stir fry order, but then just politely ask if there is any way they can steam the veggies instead of stir frying....usually i get a moment of hesitation or a lot of "are you sure?" "that wont be ask good.." but they always have done it with zero problems. then i get steamed brown rice and teriyaki sauce and hot sauce on the side and add it as i like! easy
  • BicepsAndBows
    BicepsAndBows Posts: 197 Member
    Yes, you can usually customize your order any way you want. I am vegetarian and they will even go so far as to make my food on a separate grill for me a lot of times at restaurants. You just have to ask :)

    If you are really concerned, you could always call the place you will be going ahead of time and double check. You could just ask if they will accommodate requests, such as no sauce. I don't see why it would be a problem though
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,832 Member
    edited April 2015
    The brown gravy-like sauce is pretty low calorie. You can also asked for things to be stir fried in very little oil. Many of the typical sauces like soy, etc., are very low calorie to begin with. Avoid heavy fried things like egg foo yung and anything battered and fried like sweet'n'sour. Cutting back on the rice would probably be an easier way to keep your calorie numbers down.
  • cosmichvoyager
    cosmichvoyager Posts: 237 Member
    It depends on the restaurant but if you avoid fried things, Chinese food can be not too bad for you. Steamed veggie or shrimp dumplings, hot and sour soup, a veggie stir fry with chicken or shrimp, brown rice. I'd think the hidden sugar in a lot of chinese-american style dishes would be what gets you in trouble, but a moderate portion of non-fried food should be doable. Definitely avoid anything general tso, sesame chicken, sweet and sour, orange beef, etc.

    Drink plenty of water too.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    yes, but why not ask them for dishes that are steamed or otherwise healthy? Stir fries are quite healthy, just be careful of deep fried or things in heavy sauces.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,513 Member
    Good idea, makes me wonder if I can get the batter on the side with fish and chips. j/k
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    yes. but the sauce really is ok for you its the msg that bothersome. so maybe ask for the same dish with no msg. they can do that.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    urloved33 wrote: »
    yes. but the sauce really is ok for you its the msg that bothersome. so maybe ask for the same dish with no msg. they can do that.

    I don't think there is any evidence that MSG is harmful.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    HeidiCooksSupper wrote: »
    The brown gravy-like sauce is pretty low calorie. You can also asked for things to be stir fried in very little oil. Many of the typical sauces like soy, etc., are very low calorie to begin with. Avoid heavy fried things like egg foo yung and anything battered and fried like sweet'n'sour. Cutting back on the rice would probably be an easier way to keep your calorie numbers down.

    This^

    Unless you have sodium issues the sauce won't be the biggest problem. Steamed is a great idea though...it's hard to know how much oil gets used.
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    edited April 2015
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    urloved33 wrote: »
    yes. but the sauce really is ok for you its the msg that bothersome. so maybe ask for the same dish with no msg. they can do that.

    I don't think there is any evidence that MSG is harmful.

    "The synthetic manipulation and processing of glutamate produces a form that is not found in nature. Proven by studying many other areas, particularly hormone medications, attempting to recreate a product of nature often produces less than desirable results. MSG has been labeled an excitotoxin because it is thought to have the ability to overstimulate cells to death. Many people link headaches, flushing, poor attention and other symptoms, as well as diseases like fibromyalgia, to MSG intake."

    Thats enough indication for me to keep it out of my body.


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