Healhty Chinese Food!!

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HealthEqualsLife
HealthEqualsLife Posts: 11
in Recipes
hi! i am seriously having a craving for some Chinese takeout! i know its not the best, so does anyone have any suggestions on what a more healthy menu option would be? or what you usually get? and does anyone know if they will generally substitute brown rice for white rice? any suggestions are welcome!! thanks a bunch!
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Replies

  • crazyellybean
    crazyellybean Posts: 999 Member
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    Chinese food is generally considered healthy because it's made fresh and handmade (not processed). If your going with Chinese the best thing to do is stay away from Fried foods or Creamy Foods.

    However, I got General Tso's Chicken last week and half the plate plus half the rice was under 500 calories!
  • xuashe
    xuashe Posts: 46
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    Last time we went out for Chinese I had steamed vegetables with some kind of sesame sauce. Delicious!
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
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    I've never seen a chinese resturant that had brown rice

    But if you want to eat healthy I'd just avoid it entirely
    OR you could decide one meal won't kill you and enjoy your chinese food (this is what I'd do)
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
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    Besides the sodium intake, I find a lot of entrees aren't too bad. Especially if it's just meat and veggies.

    Chow Mein or Lo Mein will kill your calories.
  • MonkRocker
    MonkRocker Posts: 198
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    Steamed vegetables. That's about it.

    Chinese food is always gonna kill you with the sauce as far as calories and/or sugar and such goes. Anything beyond steamed veggies and plain rice is gonna be calorie rich.
  • UsaJewels05
    UsaJewels05 Posts: 229 Member
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    Chicken and Brocoli is not to bad. Stay away from any of the Fried meat! ASk them how they prepare it. Also if you can get vegetables instead of rice it is not to bad, but if you really want rice stick to steamed or brown, not fried rice.

    Every Chinese place is different so don't be afraid to ask questions about how they prepare things.
  • funkyspunky872
    funkyspunky872 Posts: 866 Member
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    I usually get steamed chicken and vegetables with brown rice and add some soy sauce for that chinese flavor. :P Or I hit up Panda Express where I get some steamed rice, steamed veggies, and 1/2 cup of broccoli beef.

    There's also lean cuisine chicken potstickers which I'm absolutely addicted to.
  • JessicaJonker
    JessicaJonker Posts: 28
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    I always get white rice with chicken and broccoli, and generally about 1 cup of chicken and broccoli plus one cup of rice is about 600-700 cals. The rice is what gets you, so the less rice, the better. Enjoy! Chinese is so YUM.
  • robin820
    robin820 Posts: 150 Member
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    I make my own chinese at home and use brown rice instead of white. Taste wonderful!
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,783 Member
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    They have seafood options which is always low, but watch the creamy ones. Eat the rice doesn't mean you have to have it piled a mile high. Stay away from the fried foods which should go without having to say it. The meats on a stick are always a good choice.
  • mocha106
    mocha106 Posts: 64 Member
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    Order an entree that comes with vegetables. Ask for sauce on the side. Some Chinese restaurants do have brown rice, ask to find out. Pay attention to the serving size.

    You can easily satisfy your craving without killing your calories for the day.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
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    I do garlic chicken or chicken with broccoli -- I get streamed white rice, (I don't like brown for Chinese - but it's better than fried rice or lo mein), and some kind of steamed veggie. I also get one veggie egg roll.
  • LadyQueefsalot
    LadyQueefsalot Posts: 150 Member
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    If you're willing to go out on a limb, you can save calories ordering a tofu dish! I'm by no means vegetarian, but sometimes spicy basil tofu with steamed white rice is enough to kill the craving. the tofu is stir fried, but if you want deep-fried, sesame tofu is still less damaging than sesame chicken and really good! wonton or egg drop soup is a decent choice, and beef broccoli isn't bad if you're watching carbs.
  • ShelleyGardner
    ShelleyGardner Posts: 4
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    Most of the Chinese foods are drowning in sauces- this is the bad for you part. If you must eat out, ask if the chef can make you a selection NAKED with the sauce served on the side, so that you can control how much of it will go on the food.

    Solution- learn to make your own! A healthy selection of vegetables, stir fried, and lean meat, also stir-fried, with dry seasonings sprinkled on will control the calories. You can make your own sauce and then use sparingly drizzled over the top. Make your own brown rice to go with it, or another healthy grains (coucous, barley, quinoa, etc.) I've found making your own Chinese stir fry is a fast meal, unless you are doing something like General Tzo's Chicken.
  • wtfusernameisnttaken
    wtfusernameisnttaken Posts: 192
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    When I'm in the mood for Chinese food, I typically will order Thai instead. It kills that craving and most Thai food is made fresh with healthy stuff like coconut oils/milk etc... I especially LOVE Red Curry ... I make it at home most often.
  • RobinvdM
    RobinvdM Posts: 634 Member
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    It isn't the calories that kill you, its the enormous amount of sodium in each portion.

    Im with the other guy, either avoid it or accept that having it won't kill you and enjoy yourself :)

    I am a fan of enjoying food I want, just not overdoing it ;)

    ETA: You can always make your own brown rice, and get take away with no rice and sub your own in :)
  • hopsywopsy
    hopsywopsy Posts: 47
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    I had this low-calorie version of sweet and sour chicken tonight:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/sweet_and_sour_chicken_52908
  • Kamille2007
    Kamille2007 Posts: 34
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    word
  • AsellusReborn
    AsellusReborn Posts: 1,112 Member
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    Chicken and broccolli is pretty good, low cal but all chinese is high sodium. My chinese place doesn't do brown rice but couldn't hurt to ask. Mongolian chicken isn't terrible either.
  • hopsywopsy
    hopsywopsy Posts: 47
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    Sorry - I just read your post again. You wanted advice on eating out, not recipes for making your own at home.

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