Good choices at the Chinese restaurant

UsedToBeHusky
UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
edited September 28 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all! I kind of overdid it at the Chinese place tonight. It's just that it is one of my favorites. Any suggestions on the more healthy choices. I really would like to avoid the veggie dishes.

Replies

  • Gilbrod
    Gilbrod Posts: 1,216 Member
    No such thing. Everything is super high in sodium. If you can get brown rice, that would be a good start. Anything with steamed veggies is also good. It's just a matter of moderation. And earning that splurge by working hard. Good luck!
  • stanvoodoo
    stanvoodoo Posts: 1,023 Member
    Maybe a chicken dish with no sauce not much rice and steamed veggies!
  • tammyr76
    tammyr76 Posts: 174
    I eat the hot and sour soup,,8 oz only 90 calories....
    Chinese is my weakness too..i love the fried egg rolls and wontons...
    I eat the pork with veggies and rice instead of noodles w/sauce..
    Good Luck it's hard to give up them favorites...
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Well, one of my favorites does sushi too. I'd have been okay if I had stuck with that. I split my plate of chow mein with my daughter and I didn't finish the egg roll, but I was so hungry when I got there that I dove right into the chips. Those things are terribly high calorie, I didn't even realize how bad it was until I was halfway through the bowl. :(
  • katy4193
    katy4193 Posts: 44
    If they have a mongolian grill that would probably be better, as you can choose what goes in your food...and then they grill it for you.
  • dodd319
    dodd319 Posts: 228
    One of our local Chinese restaurants has a grill. We can choose the meat, veggies, cooking sauce, & extra sauce after it's cooked. See if there is a local joint that has a grill like that. That might be the best way to go.

    Chinese food is my husband's FAVORITE! I gave in and went to a different place with him last week. Two plates of food, which included white rice, veggies with little sauce, sushi, and crab, was over 1000 calories! I don't remember how much sodium it was but I know it was a crazy amount.

    Good luck!
  • smlamb33
    smlamb33 Posts: 342 Member
    Well, the chicken and broccoli is a better choice than most if you don't want a veggie dish but, I do recommend having them put the sauce on the side and dipping your chicken and broccoli into it rather than have it slathered all over the food. Also, the teryaki chicken on a stick isn't a bad choice either. They weigh in at around 190 each, I think. Also, stay away from the rice, because it is loaded with calories. Good Luck!
  • tammyr76
    tammyr76 Posts: 174
    Well, one of my favorites does sushi too. I'd have been okay if I had stuck with that. I split my plate of chow mein with my daughter and I didn't finish the egg roll, but I was so hungry when I got there that I dove right into the chips. Those things are terribly high calorie, I didn't even realize how bad it was until I was halfway through the bowl. :(
    We all have our bad days,,I went over in calories myself today,,what I did was type in chinese food in the food diary and just browsed through my fav foods and figured out what I could and could'nt have.....
    Don't let it get you down,tomorrow is another day....
    Good luck sweety....
  • LJCannon
    LJCannon Posts: 3,636 Member
    I don't know of any really "Good" choices at the Chinese Buffet but when I can 'Prepare' I will eat an Apple on the way to the restaurant or maybe a Spinach Veggie Salad before we go.Then as someone else said--Get in a GOOD Workout that day.
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
    I love Chinese food.

    I love being thin better!

    We ate a P. F. Chang's a few months back and the only thing that we could eat were some of the appetizers and I had part of a bowl of hot and sour soup. The sodium hit was pretty bad.

    I won't be eating there again 'til I get into maintenance. Even then…
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    I don't know of any really "Good" choices at the Chinese Buffet but when I can 'Prepare' I will eat an Apple on the way to the restaurant or maybe a Spinach Veggie Salad before we go.Then as someone else said--Get in a GOOD Workout that day.

    Well, unfortunately, I pulled an abdominal muscle recently and I am on hiatus from my workouts. If I could have worked out tonight, I wouldn't have had to worry about it.
  • MelMoly
    MelMoly Posts: 1,303 Member
    Some "lighter choices"

    Chicken and Broccoli (1 cup) 280 calories and can always get sauce on the side

    1 vegetable dumpling (steamed) 25 calories

    Hot and Sour or Wonton Soup (1 cup) 110 calories

    Hot Tea 0 calories

    White Rice (1 cup) 150 calories

    1 Mini Spring Roll 165 calories
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    I just checked my sodium and the funny thing is that my sodium level was the lowest it had been all week. LOL!
  • CherrySunday
    CherrySunday Posts: 301
    You should buy the Eat This Not That Restaurant Guide; I swear that book is a life saver for whenever you have to dine out!
  • yankeefamily05
    yankeefamily05 Posts: 657
    Chinese sounds awesome. I haven't had chinese food in well over 3 months, because I have no idea what I can have. I am sure I can have whatever I want, but I have NO idea how many calories are in a dish, or even what is involved in cooking the dish.

    I must learn how to cook some chinese food. healthy chinese food that isn't drowning in sauce and high in sodium.:)
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Chinese sounds awesome. I haven't had chinese food in well over 3 months, because I have no idea what I can have. I am sure I can have whatever I want, but I have NO idea how many calories are in a dish, or even what is involved in cooking the dish.

    I must learn how to cook some chinese food. healthy chinese food that isn't drowning in sauce and high in sodium.:)

    When you make this discovery, I will bow before your nutritional magnificence for cracking the healthy Chinese barrier! Songs will be sung to you in praise! LOL!

    Actually, the Chinese really eat very healthy foods. The stuff that we get here in the states has been Americanized and that is why it is so bad for us.
  • andtouchfaith
    andtouchfaith Posts: 1
    You should buy the Eat This Not That Restaurant Guide; I swear that book is a life saver for whenever you have to dine out!

    swhitney2, I have this book if you'd like to borrow it. It was fairly useful when I started my diet in narrowing down what was reasonable and what was just downright horrifying. (3,021 cals for a full rack of baby back ribs at Outback Steakhouse? No freakin' way!)
  • yankeefamily05
    yankeefamily05 Posts: 657
    I am going to check out the library for a cookbook. I'll let you know what I can find. I have been wanting to learn some asian recipes anyway:)
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    You should buy the Eat This Not That Restaurant Guide; I swear that book is a life saver for whenever you have to dine out!

    swhitney2, I have this book if you'd like to borrow it. It was fairly useful when I started my diet in narrowing down what was reasonable and what was just downright horrifying. (3,021 cals for a full rack of baby back ribs at Outback Steakhouse? No freakin' way!)

    You did mention it before. I'll have to get with you on that. Thanks.
  • SandyEdge
    SandyEdge Posts: 72 Member
    Be REALLY careful of any Chinese dishes that use a sauce - they are typically full of oil and salt.

    Try any of the clear soups - even a shrimp wonton soup is only about 150 calories.

    How about a steamed fish ?? Thats pretty hard to refuse....
  • retromomof2
    retromomof2 Posts: 44 Member
    I hardly ever have Chinese food so when I do have it, I have what I like and just control myself with portions. For me, if I want this type of food the healthy version is just not going to cut it for me.

    I hope you find some great suggestions though.
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
    Chinese sounds awesome. I haven't had chinese food in well over 3 months, because I have no idea what I can have. I am sure I can have whatever I want, but I have NO idea how many calories are in a dish, or even what is involved in cooking the dish.

    I must learn how to cook some chinese food. healthy chinese food that isn't drowning in sauce and high in sodium.:)

    I cook my own Chinese sometimes! Brown rice, chicken breast fried in an oiled pan, lots of frozen stir fry veggies, and a little bottled sweet and sour! So good!
  • Trinity0210
    Trinity0210 Posts: 7
    now i want chinese
  • Gemini_at_36
    Gemini_at_36 Posts: 207
    I didn't know there were any good choices at the chinese place. And you know that Chinese people do not eat like the restaurant menu because how often have you seen a fat chinese person....? Really think about it. Let me know if you find adjusted chinese food recipes...I love chinese.:flowerforyou:
  • kbw414
    kbw414 Posts: 194
    Hmm, I am convinced healthy choices at Chinese places do not exist. Everything is skyrocket high in sodium and may contain MSG. Add to that that everything is smothered in sauce and you're probably looking at a ton of calories. I think the Chinese food sold in the U.S. is junk food. I'm convinced "real" Chinese food must be healthier.

    Have you tried Thai? There are lots of great healthy curries and rice noodle dishes and even their desserts seem to be in very small portions and consist of mainly fruit or rice. Much more tasty if you ask me!
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    You should buy the Eat This Not That Restaurant Guide; I swear that book is a life saver for whenever you have to dine out!

    Yay for someone else who supports ETNT! I promote it all the time on the forums. I know that at Panda Express, Beef and Broccoli is the best choice!

    For anyone that doesn't have the ETNT book, the website is also amazing. It has great articles about eating out, grocery shopping, and more!

    http://eatthis.menshealth.com/home
  • cupotee
    cupotee Posts: 181 Member
    Steamed tilapia/ any white fish is delicious, they make it with a light vinegar sauce, and you can eat it on brown rice. Bean sprouts and eggplant are good too.

    The only reason chinese food has a lot of sodium in it is because it is meant to be eaten as a topping for rice. 1 cup of steamed rice should be topped with 1/2 cup of veggies and 2 or 3 pieces of meat. Use chopsticks or a fork, and shake off any excess sauce on the food before you eat it. Drink some kind of broth/soup as an appetizer before the meal, and skip dessert.
  • nicolelink
    nicolelink Posts: 7
    Oh goodness, I'm totally craving chinese food after seeing this! It's my favorite food ever and I NEVER get anything healthy (fried rice and lo mein = yummy, but SO bad!)

    Even though I guess nothing at a chinese food restaurant is super "healthy", steamed veggies with chicken and brown rice, with the sauce on the side is definitely a lot healthier than most options! And honestly not terrible tasting.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Thanks for all the great suggestions! To those of you who shun Chinese food for its sodium, you must know that sodium isn't actually a concern for me. I am among the 2% that have low blood pressure so sodium is actually good for me. I don't add salt to any of my foods and rarely cook with it so I can take the hit. I'm looking at calories and fat.

    I am now in posession of the ETNT book, thanks to my sister, so I have a better idea of what I can have at the Chinese food place. A lot of it though is the same suggestions that you guys have given me. Thank you all again!
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