Traditional Chinese Takeout

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Christie23
Christie23 Posts: 357 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everybody! So it's a yucky rainy day here in Charlotte and my whole family is snuggling on the couch and watching movies... PERFECT time to order some traditional Chinese delivery. But, I don't want to go crazy with calories. What do you guys order when you still want to keep it somewhat healthy? I mean, besides egg drop soup cuz I'm DEFINITELY getting some of that!! :flowerforyou:

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  • mayhem1969
    mayhem1969 Posts: 27 Member
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    Steamed rice with chicken. Look for dishes that are not breaded, like cashew chicken, bourbon chicken, or broccoli and chicken. Also, dishes with lots of vegetables. Remember it's typically high in sodium so drink lots of water.
  • dietingsucks
    dietingsucks Posts: 26
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    I'm saving this one for the next Chinese takeout at my house. Thanks!
  • pannellkat
    pannellkat Posts: 709 Member
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    beef or chicken with veggies no teriyaki sauce. stay away from the rice and noodles if you can. Wonton soup or egg drop soup is great!
  • swopeswick
    swopeswick Posts: 43 Member
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    Get something steamed... You can go with any type of protein. Just stay away from the oils and fried stuff (like egg rolls). Also, opt for the white rice (instead of fried rice) and really watch your portion sizes because Chinese places always give WAY more than you need.

    Kind of a bummer because it takes away a lot of the fun and flavor that go with ordering Chinese (particularly stuff like the general's chicken or a lo mein in a schezuan (sp??) sauce. However, if you are serious about your weight loss efforts, when the meal is over, you will look back and be very happy that you took in 400 - 600 calories rather than 1500 - 2500.
  • czar1978
    czar1978 Posts: 83
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    I oftentimes order chicken and broccoli; asking to have the brown sauce on the side. Then I eat my steamed meat and veggies the same way as I eat my salads, dipping the fork tines into the sauce instead of pouring it over the food. It cuts down on the calories. I also order the steamed rice. When it comes to the table, I spoon away the portion I want to eat and discard the rest. It may not seem like much, but every little bit counts!
  • mayhem1969
    mayhem1969 Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    Get something steamed... You can go with any type of protein. Just stay away from the oils and fried stuff (like egg rolls). Also, opt for the white rice (instead of fried rice) and really watch your portion sizes because Chinese places always give WAY more than you need.

    Kind of a bummer because it takes away a lot of the fun and flavor that go with ordering Chinese (particularly stuff like the general's chicken or a lo mein in a schezuan (sp??) sauce. However, if you are serious about your weight loss efforts, when the meal is over, you will look back and be very happy that you took in 400 - 600 calories rather than 1500 - 2500.

    Man, I love the General's chicken and the noodles, too, and egg rolls and let's not forget the crab rangoon, and . . . . . . But Swopeswick is right, it's just not worth it if you're wanting to lose weight.
  • Christie23
    Christie23 Posts: 357 Member
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    Well... I don't know how well I did. I was craving seafood in the worst way, so I got the Seafood Delight... lobster, crab, shrimp, scallop and veggies in white sauce with white rice and egg drop soup. I will be very careful to watch my portions. But I sure hope I didn't blow it... time to research the internet and find out...
  • meg0112
    meg0112 Posts: 344
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    Go for BROWN rice definitely is number one, its better for and 1/2 is roughly 100 calories. My go to order options:

    Either egg drop, hot & sour, or combination soup (the place I order from has a great mix of the two)
    Brown Rice (pint sized)
    Broccoli in Garlic Sauce (1 cup is ~ 100cals) or Veggie Stir Fry (1 cup is ~ 125cals) (Pint size for either)
    Either add a protein to the above or get an order of crab Rangoon (not awesome for you, but 4 pieces are ~200 cals)

    Ordering smart is only the first step though. Typical Chinese delivery boxes are in Pint and Quart size. A Pint is 2 cups, a Quart is 4. Super easy to overeat Chinese food. As soon as the delivery comes, measure your portions and put them on a separate plate or bowl. (1 cup for main dish w/ 1/2 rice, 1 cup soup) and then divide the rest into Tupperware containers so you do not overeat and you are ready with lunch for tomorrow.

    You will have more rice than you need for your main dish, but you can still save it and make something later. Maybe steam some veggies on your own and mix them with soy sauce and do them over the rice. Yes, I know I will hear about soy sauce having a lot of sodium, but up your water to 10 glasses a day that day and you'll be fine.
  • meg0112
    meg0112 Posts: 344
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    oh no, i missed you, but hopefully this response helps others. And always database your options before you order so you don't end up stuck with something very high in calories. For me, when I mean to order well but don't, I end up with a "oh screw it" attitude and go ahead and overeat the already high calorie thing I ordered. See my food menu today- got a muffin out of the school vending machine that said "yogurt muffin" so im thinking oh its healther bc they subbed yogurt for butter, ect. NOPE couldn't see the whole label and it was a cream cheese yogurt bagel, so naturally I ate the whole thing. 800 calories later... well its a good thing I'm going to spinning tonight

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