Chinese Food

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fsogfm
fsogfm Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone,

Just wondered if anyone had any food CHOICE tips about eating Chinese food. I don't have much choice but to eat it once or twice a week, I can judge the portion size, but what is the best choice to eat? Everything seems to have a lot of sauce. :( I appreciate any suggestions.

Replies

  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
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    Why don't you have a choice?

    I ask because if you are stuck eating at a Chinese restaurant, then that will be difficult. What you see at a Chinese restaurant, and what the typical Chinese diet really is, are two very different things. Aren't all restaurants required to have nutritional information available? I would go off of that. I would imagine it would be hard due to the amount of soy and brown sugar they use in their sauces.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
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    One of the Chinese food places at the mall where I used to work had a good selection of several mixed vegetables and chicken done several different ways(one was stir-fried with other vegetables). I got that pretty much every other day. Lol.

    My rule of thumb: Avoid sauces, noodles, and batters. Everything else should be basically fair game at that point.

    Edit: Also, don't be afraid to ask what's in the sauces and play it off like you have allergies or something.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I think some places just have grilled chicken and veggies. Or you can't go wrong with soup.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Hot and sour soup.
  • fsogfm
    fsogfm Posts: 3
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    Thank you everyone. We have a lunch meeting once a week and our boss always goes to the Chinese Buffet near the office. It is so limiting. I don't want to make a scene, but just discretely eat what is my best choice. I think soup may be it. My boss, is a great guy and always just buys everyone the buffet so you can choose what you want to eat, so the option to order something else kind of disrupts the flow and I don't need everyone in my weight loss business, if you know what I mean.

    I appreciate everyone's insight!
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
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    There are a few generic entries on the database here, if you can't find nutritional information for that specific restaurant. Do some research in advance.

    I would avoid anything battered and/or deep fried. Go for boiled rice instead of fried rice. And a dish with vegetables in is always a good choice (eg. beef and broccoli in oyster sauce), as the vegetables take up some of the bulk of the dish for less calories.

    Enjoy it! Anything that sends you over your calorie target can be made up with a good workout and Chinese food is delicious!
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    Just eat what you used to, only less of it.
  • lmd_1979
    lmd_1979 Posts: 130
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    Just stick to stuff which is grilled or boiled and soup as well.
  • SarahJains
    SarahJains Posts: 35 Member
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    I love Chinese, and don't think I could ever give up what I normally have from the Chinese. So I give myself one day off a week where I can enjoy battered chilli chicken and lots of beer! Saturdays are my day off.

    If I was to have Chinese mid week at work, I would go for boiled rice and chicken chop suey.

    x
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    I usually start with soup, try to steer clear of fried chicken/shrimp, fill up on veggies, and eat only a couple of bites of rice.

    Don't get me wrong, I LOVE rice and it's part of my diet on a pretty regular basis. But I would rather have more of the meat and/or vegetables and sauce. If possible, I get sauce on the side.

    I don't eat egg rolls or spring rolls but that is partly because I never cared for them much anyway. If a crab Rangoon accompanies my meal I'll just eat the best ridiculous cream cheesy part, and toss the rest, lol.

    Some Chinese restaurants in my area have branched out to offer some Japanese dishes and sushi. Often I'll opt for those when possible.

    I brace myself for 1-2 lb of sodium "gain" after eating Chinese. It happens almost every time, but vanishes within 2 days.
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
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    I don't think my boss like Chinese because we never go there and I know my husband doesn't like it. I wish someone would make me eat Chinese once a week! Enjoy it! It's life, it's never going to be perfect. Good luck to ya! :flowerforyou:
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
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    Some areas in China are known for eating very rich, calorie-dense food, yet they are not suffering from an obesity epidemic. Now I'm not saying "China Buffet 27" is authentic Chinese food, but certainly there are some common traits between, say, the caloric density of many Szechuan dishes and the fried food you find at the buffet. The biggest difference is in portion size. I've had Chinese friends that come to the states and are blown away by what we consider a single portion of food at a restaurant.

    Take what you will from that (as I'm not a big fan of Americanized Chinese food to begin with), but if you're going to a buffet, I would simply limit yourself to small portions and eat the foods you like.
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
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    Just eat what you used to, only less of it.

    This, or most places have a "diet" section which is normally steamed foods with sauces on the side.
    I normally can fit panda express easily into my calories.
  • FitnFeistyLyness
    FitnFeistyLyness Posts: 757 Member
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    i eat the veg, shrimp and crab mix a few clams in. i skip all the fried , battered foods.. i dont eat meat so i dont have problems with sauce i do have some of the sushi rolls with seaweed salad and fruit for dessert. sometimes a little pudding.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    Orange Chicken, Crab Rangoon!!!!
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,324 Member
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    Orange Chicken, Crab Rangoon!!!!

    YES!

    and if i may add, szechuan lo-mein, general tso's chicken, and sesame beef!

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