Ordering Chinese Food

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kbmh611
kbmh611 Posts: 110 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was think of ordering Chinese food tonight. Anyone have some good choices for lower calories options when ordering off the menu? I was thinking Beef and Broccoli might be okay. What do you usually get and do you know what the calories are for that dish?

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  • fvsmar1124
    fvsmar1124 Posts: 5 Member
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    You're right about the beef and brocolli . I sometimes order the mixed vegetables in brown sauce . It also has tofu mixed in it. Just about everything thing else on menu is high in fat.
  • tequila5000
    tequila5000 Posts: 128 Member
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    Many fatty dishes at a typical Chinese place. What about some steamed rice-and portion it to meet your needs, and maybe ask for steamed veggies/meat on top? You can add soy sauce. It's simple, but a relatively nutritious choice in my book. And maybe some wonton soup!
  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
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    Most foods in chinese restaurants are high in fat and sodium. The healthiest would be something with steamed rice, nothing sweet [as the sweetness adds a ton of calories]. See if they have steamed veggies [some restaurants do. A local one here offers steamed green beans and mushrooms]. If you're set on getting something like broccoli and beef, see if they offer a chicken and beef variety, or even a seafood-based stir fry.

    Also, if they offer it, try out some Hot & Sour Soup. It's mainly a broth-based soup full of veggies and strips of firm tofu. It's one of my favorite soups.
  • dlkfox
    dlkfox Posts: 463 Member
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    Buddha's Delight
    Chicken and Snow Peas
    Egg Drop Soup
  • hannahsadler_tn
    hannahsadler_tn Posts: 77 Member
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    If I'm getting Chinese I'm going all out. Mongolian chicken/beef with crab rangoons. LOL. I'd estimate it's around 300 for crab rangoons and 1000 for mongolian chicken. I usually halve the entree and eat it for lunch the next day, though. :) Enjoy your Chinese! And drink lots of water!!
  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
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    hannahsadler_tn wrote: »
    If I'm getting Chinese I'm going all out. Mongolian chicken/beef with crab rangoons. LOL. I'd estimate it's around 300 for crab rangoons and 1000 for mongolian chicken. I usually halve the entree and eat it for lunch the next day, though. :) Enjoy your Chinese! And drink lots of water!!

    Whenever I have Chinese, I also go all out. We have a really good chinese/japanese buffet restaurant nearby and I usually go once every two weeks. To compensate, I usually have a very small breakfast and count the trip as two meals [lunch and dinner]. I also stick to the slightly healthier items on the menu, like soups, chicken/seafood-based stir fries and sushi.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    When I get Chinese, I order steamed veggies with a side of rice. No sauce( because I hate the taste of sauces) I put a bit of butter on it when i get home.
  • LandyBreigh
    LandyBreigh Posts: 207 Member
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    I like to order shrimp with broccoli, steamed with a small side of garlic sauce. Then I can control how much sauce I use.
  • Wophie
    Wophie Posts: 126 Member
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    Glad I came accross this thread as I'm heading down to the Chinese buffet with my mum and sister for lunch soon!I'm a vegetarian so go for the vegetable dishes anyway, but advice here had helped! Plus the place I'm going has a huge fruit selection for dessert too :)
  • Losewtforlife4him
    Losewtforlife4him Posts: 422 Member
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    If I eat at a Chinese restaurant which is a special treat, I will eat whatever it is my heart desires! Typically it's chicken lo mein or crispy steak or Kung pao chicken. I will either split it with a family member or bring home the rest. I also try to limit myself to a quarter of the serving as well. Chinese food does have lots of sodium which I don't like because of swelling up or bloating but I just drink lots of H2O. I try to eat it within my goal settings so won't eat as much for my other meals that day.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Anything with sauce and rice will be high calorie unless you eat a tiny portion. And steamed chicken and broccoli is so boring. I just go all out when I eat chinese food and plan for about 1200-1500 calories. Happens like twice a year.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    I order plain steamed chicken and broccoli and doctor it up with a simple peanut sauce made out of peanut flour.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,979 Member
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    I suggest cooking your own Chinese food. It's not hard to do and you can control the amount of oil/fat & sodium and eliminate any MSG content.

    If you do not have access to a local Asian market, most (except the rarest) veggies and canned/dry goods/spices can be purchased at any large supermarket and all other spices and canned/dry goods can be purchased online.
  • kbmh611
    kbmh611 Posts: 110 Member
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    LandyBreigh wrote: »
    I like to order shrimp with broccoli, steamed with a small side of garlic sauce. Then I can control how much sauce I use.

    I didn't know that Chinese places would do that. I always feel kinda bad asking them to even remove things like water chestnuts from my dish much less tell them how to cook it or deconstruct the dish and put things on the side. Maybe I'll try that next time. Fingers crossed they still want me as a customer :)
  • realcalm
    realcalm Posts: 63 Member
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    Husband needs a weekly Chinese fix. We settled on sharing an order of moo goo gai pan. Hasn't done any damage so far. I get hot and sour soup for my appetizer and keep my hands off the crispy noodles.
  • angeljr318
    angeljr318 Posts: 4 Member
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    Steamed Triple Delight (chicken, beef and shrimp, over vegetables, all steamed) Served with brown rice and garlic sauce on the side. Protein and veggies, somewhat healthier than any of their fried items.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
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    Most Chinese food is fried, and therefore it is not healthy. (I love Chinese food, FYI) Cooking your own or allowing alot of calories in your daily goal is your best bet. I usually put a side at least 1000 calories for a meal. You can easy log most places with MFP.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
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    a lot of places will have a light menu with steamed options that aren't bad.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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    http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/5-low-calorie-chinese-dishes-and-5-skip

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