Suggestions for Chinese take out?

Michla518
Michla518 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
We are ordering Chinese take-out tonight-some family coming over to celebrate my son's 11th birthday. I am planning ahead, and need ideas..I dread ordering Chicken/Shrimp/Beef with Broccoli. I love Pad Thai, but I know it is very high in calories. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Salad for lunch, a decent workout, then enjoy your Chinese!
  • Tanja_CHH
    Tanja_CHH Posts: 216 Member
    Just have half of your favourite meal if you are not so sure on other option! biggest problem with chinese is that the serving sizes are stupid!
  • hhayes06
    hhayes06 Posts: 189 Member
    Order what you want, just don't eat the entire container! :laugh: Also, like a PP said, do a workout today and have a lighter breakfast and lunch. Most importantly, enjoy your son's birthday and don't stress over how many calories you are eating. Today is a special day for both you and your son.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Pad Thai isn't Chinese.
  • jvolpegulley
    jvolpegulley Posts: 15
    I love Chinese food as well and I've swtiched my meal to chicken and broccoli STEAMED with no sauce (you can add your own spices) and brown rice. My local restaurant offers brown rice which is a healthier option as it doesn't jack your blood sugar up like white rice does.
  • melissa112
    melissa112 Posts: 99 Member
    Good call on the brown rice, I usually have egg fried so that will save on calories. I always go for sweet and sour chicken though :( I'm only on week 1 of new healthy eating regime, but I have plans to meet up with friends from uni at the beginning of June (I'm planning ahead lol) and we always order Chinese so I will switch to brown and just have half the sweet and sour portion and enjoy myself for that one day.

    I think you should enjoy the Chinese and your sons birthday, and you'll be back on track tomorrow :)
  • sleighgreen
    sleighgreen Posts: 4 Member
    Remember..... most Chinese food is HIGH in sodium. Make sure you drink lots of water the next day to help flush some of it out!
  • Sunnyjb
    Sunnyjb Posts: 220
    Don't get anything breaded and fried, only get the items that are tossed with vegetables and COMPLETELY SKIP the starch. Instead ask for an extra helping of veggies. If you're taking it home, have a salad before you start on your chinese. And measure your portions with a measuring cup, stick to the actual serving and don't eat the whole container full of food.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Beef with broccoli is an excellent choice. Why dread it?
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Pad Thai still isn't Chinese.
  • kaseyAnne425
    kaseyAnne425 Posts: 230
    I say enjoy your Chinese but be mindful. I had "fast food" for the first time in a few weeks on Friday night. I ordered Chinese take out. I had 2 crab rangoons, 2 chicken fingers, a few boneless spareribs, and some fried rice.. could I have made better choices? Yes. But I enjoyed it, I didn't overeat, and I still had success on the scale. As long as you can control your portions and be conscious of what you're eating, I wouldn't worry!
  • TimeForMe99
    TimeForMe99 Posts: 309
    Pad Thai (Chinese or no) really isn't high in calories. A pint with shrimp is only 400 calories. It's high in carbs but you can adjust for that by having a high protein lunch, such as tuna on a bed of greens.
  • sailawaykate
    sailawaykate Posts: 126
    I love Moo Goo Gai Pan! It's usually less bad than the other options, and you might actually be able to recognize the vegetables. Also, don't eat the whole box--save some for leftovers or share! And really, the portion sizes are what's killer about takeout. Get a plate out, put what's reasonable on it, and store what's left right away.

    Besides, one night of takeout is not going to ruin anything if you've consistently been eating well & exercising.
  • nickiog
    nickiog Posts: 187 Member
    Buddhas delight is really good anywheres ive ordered it..its basically veggies in a sauce.
  • duhblond
    duhblond Posts: 138 Member
    Get steamed veggies instead of rice and chow mein.
  • Daelzy
    Daelzy Posts: 1
    Beef/Chicken Brocolli is pretty safe with a cup of white rice and a cup of whichever entree you choose.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Beef and chicken broccoli are a calorie bomb! I looked at a Chinese nutrition menu not too long ago and the best bets were soups and steamed dumplings (which I had yesterday actually). All the rest was probably more calories than I would eat in one meal (but I don't like Chinese much in the first place).
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Beef and chicken broccoli are a calorie bomb! I looked at a Chinese nutrition menu not too long ago and the best bets were soups and steamed dumplings (which I had yesterday actually). All the rest was probably more calories than I would eat in one meal (but I don't like Chinese much in the first place).

    A calorie bomb? You would have to eat a couple of servings of it in one sitting. (or find a restaurant that uses lean steak, like the ones where I go)
  • gregwhitley
    gregwhitley Posts: 26 Member
    If you find Chinese take out that fits your plan, and you enjoy, that is wonderful! It is just a no-go zone for me. I really can't go into one of those joints and order anything but a combination Lo Mein, which I will destroy with extreme prejudice. When I get a craving for asian flavors now, I got get some Pho or something from the Vietnamese place nearby, and it satisfies my craving. For all the work I am doing trying to eat better, I still love the cornstarch laden, fried saucy goodness of General Tso's chicken and other crap like that, so I have to just avoid it completely.
  • Bianca42
    Bianca42 Posts: 310 Member
    The Chinese restaurant near my house has a "special diet menu" that has steamed veggie-protein combos with steamed rice and sauce on the side. I had Steamed Shrimp & Mixed Vegetables yesterday with a little rice and a tiny drizzle of the sauce. It was enough to give the flavor without being dredged in it.
  • madu7781
    madu7781 Posts: 3
    You could eat half a portion of your favourite dish or order king prawns in chilli and ginger sauce-usually very light. Stick to boiled rice instead of egg fried and you won't break your calorie bank. Good luck :-)
  • iwillbetinytea
    iwillbetinytea Posts: 264 Member
    Go for a clear broth soup for starters, hot and soup soup is my fave. Then I usually go for tofu, vegetables or seafood in garlic +ginger sauce. It doesn't really matter what sauce, try not to have too much of the sauce though. Boiled rice, not prawn crackers! Have some rice cakes with it!
  • iwillbetinytea
    iwillbetinytea Posts: 264 Member
    Buddhas delight is really good anywheres ive ordered it..its basically veggies in a sauce.

    Or Monk's vegetables is always good
  • sally_jeffswife
    sally_jeffswife Posts: 766 Member
    I recommend the Beef Curry that's pretty good. And the curry will speed up your metabolism a little bit and there's less sugar than in some of the other ones.

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