Help choosing wisely - Chinese - suggestions?

Options
2»

Replies

  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
    Options
    Thanks again! Lots of good suggestions!
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
    Options
    It's been ages since I first posted this. One thing I found in Thai, and some Chinese, restaurants that I like is eggplant in garlic sauce. It often has some breading, but is roughly 150-200 calories per cup. Then add rice.
    Most servings are 2 or 3 meals for me. So I use a suggestion from long ago, ask for a take-away container with your meal and put away all but one serving before you begin to eat.
  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,726 Member
    Options
    I ALWAYS get the menu item steamed, no oil or sauce in cooking with sauce on the side. I get mixed vegetables and bean curd (vegan) but they will steam fish, shrimp, chicken, etc. If you choose to get a regular menu item ask for "low fat" and stick to vegetable bae, not lo mien or fried rice. Nuts are great, but the peanut or cashew dishes have a big portion which ups the calories.
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    Options
    Asian food is always a toss up. I made the mistake of venturing into my favorite Chinese restaurant kitchen with the owner who explained that the 8oz of peanut oil they were putting in the wok gave the fried rice a real nice mouth feel. Admittedly it was for several servings. But a cup? 2000 calories for maybe 3 or 4 servings?
  • Safari_Gal_
    Safari_Gal_ Posts: 1,461 Member
    Options
    VegjoyP wrote: »
    I ALWAYS get the menu item steamed, no oil or sauce in cooking with sauce on the side. I get mixed vegetables and bean curd (vegan) but they will steam fish, shrimp, chicken, etc. If you choose to get a regular menu item ask for "low fat" and stick to vegetable bae, not lo mien or fried rice. Nuts are great, but the peanut or cashew dishes have a big portion which ups the calories.

    This! 👆 love Chinese food... my fav place will do “barely there sauce” for me -/ which is just a taste - not dripping in sauce. Also saves a ton of sodium/ which I also watch.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,659 Member
    Options
    Just avoid anything deep fried, and be aware that some stir fry recipes require deep frying some of the ingredients before stir frying with remaining ingredients in a sauce. Di san xian (a Sichuan aubergine, potato and green pepper dish), General Tso chicken, sweet and sour pork, and lemon chicken all fall in that category. I would also avoid fried noodles and rice which absorb quite a lot of oil.

    Steamed fish with ginger and green onion with some soup and stir fried greens and steamed rice would be my choice.

    If you can choose the region, Shanghai and Beijing have relatively light cuisines with a lot of steaming and roasting. The stir fries from Szechuan and Hunan are often swimming in oil but hot pot and skewered BBQ meats are low calorie options from those regions. If you are at a Cantonese place, just avoid things that are deep fried or served in very sweet sauces.

Categories