Chinese!

Zaggytiddies

I'd like Chinese for dinner... Any tips on lower calorie/fat stuff?

ashleynicol3

I get chicken and broccoli with white rice from my favorite Chinese place. The chicken and broccoli doesn't have much sauce - but I think you can ask them for the sauce on the side or for no sauce. I would say shrimp and snow peas or something like that wouldn't be bad either - a leaner meat with a veggie and no noodles.

emma110984

i always go for bean sprouts instead of noodles, they usually do them with garlic or mushrooms! then i will get a meat in sauce (not sweet and sour)... as a starter chicken satay, and have very little of the satay! :0)

Kerri_is_so_very

They have a great section of steamed veggies, chicken or shrimp would be good to add along with brown rice. Personally I like a dish that is called the "side by side", it is crab and seaweed salad. Delicious!

JediMaster_intraining

Stay away from a lot of fried foods and eat veggies. Be careful on the soups because most have really high sodium. Otherwise just enjoy!

delilah47

I have done this recipe. It is delish! I use prepared Sichuan sauce instead of making it by the recipe. It takes the prep time down to almost nothing and makes the dish easy.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/sichuan_style_chicken_with_peanuts.html

seamonkey789

If it's available, find a mom and pop Chinese food place by you. They tend to use less sodium and MSG. We have one right down the road from my house and are able to eat without the scale shooting up the next morning from sodium

jonchew

I've been using Birdseye stirfry veggis, adding either/and ham, chicken breast meat, shrimp - and making my own... tastes great, alleviates my Chinese food jones, is relatively inexpensive and is low calorie.

jamesfit99

If you're watching calories, fat and sodium intake -- Chinese food can either be the best or worst food choice.

Your average Chinese meal is flagrant with calories and sodium. General Tso’s chicken, for example, has about 1000 calories (2 cup serving) and around 2000mg/day of salt. And that's without the rice, soup, etc.

On the other hand, I'm currently eating less than 2,000 calories a day -- and on a low sodium diet of 1500mg or less per day -- and yet I eat at Chinese restaurants several times a week.

The trick is to order your dishes either steamed or sauteed *only* with ginger, garlic or pepper added according to taste. The culprits with Chinese food are the sauces -- all of them -- and the soups with are usually pre-made with MSG. I'd also eliminate dumplings or any speciality dish, and just stay with a meat, poultry, or fish choice plus vegetables and rice. Ironically, the fortune cookie isn't really all that bad with only 30 calories and only 22mg of sodium and practically no fat.

My last Chinese meal was mixed Chinese vegetables with Jumbo Shrimp and brown rice sauteed in only soybean oil with added fresh ginger and garlic plus a fortune cookie for desert. That's just under 400 calories, and under 200mg of sodium. You could subtract around 100 calories if you ordered it steamed. The light saute of oil, ginger and garlic actually tasted pretty good.

-- James

delilah47

The key to making good Chinese at home is SESAME OIL. It makes everything taste good! YUM!

maf66

I stay away from Chinese restaurants and make it myself at home. You can reduce the cost by purchasing frozen veggies if you don't keep a lot of fresh veg in the house. Canned/jarred bean sprouts are a great filler. I use Organic low sodium Tamari instead of Soy sauce and Shirataki Noodles.

I just prefer to make it myself because I know I can make something super flavorful and yummy and not kill my diet.

jonchew

The key to making good Chinese at home is SESAME OIL. It makes everything taste good! YUM!

Agreed! ...or for a slightly Jamaican twist (Caribbean Chinese?? Polynesian???) - try using coconut oil - it really makes the flavor of those veggies pop!