Chinese Takeaway Healthy Options Suggestions Please!

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SukesLaLukes
SukesLaLukes Posts: 44 Member
in Food and Nutrition
We have family coming to visit and are planning to get Chinese takeaway for them on Friday - I would welcome some tips on what to avoid and what would be healthier options! Help! :)

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  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Just don't eat too much.
  • Bianca42
    Bianca42 Posts: 310 Member
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    My Chinese place has a section called "special diet menu". It's all protein & veggies, steamed together and then it comes with sauce on the side and white rice on the side. I use a small amount of the sauce and either some rice or none, based on my goals that week. I actually find it very satisfying.
  • William54321
    William54321 Posts: 652 Member
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    Any steamed options you can see on menu. Best just watch the portion size
  • aliblain
    aliblain Posts: 175 Member
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    Avoid starters like spring rolls and also fried rice, anything described as ‘crispy’.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
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    Agree with steamed veggies and meats. The brown sauce at my local place is good, not too oily or sweet, but they will vary from place to place. I usually have steamed rice, but a reasonable portion, not the pile they send with it! Sadly, orange and sesame chicken (my favorites) are total calorie bombs. Teriyaki chicken (chicken-on-a-stick :lol: ) is sometimes a good option, again depending on how it's prepared there.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Chicken chow mein, no starters.

    Or do some extra exercise Friday morning, and save a few cals each day between now and then so you can eat what you like and not worry about it.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,989 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Chicken chow mein, no starters.

    Chow mein is one of the worst Chinese,food choices if you're worried about cals, regardless of the type of protein you choose.

    Apart from the carb cals from the noodles, Chinese American restuaruants use an excessive amount of oil cooking chow mein (just as they do w/fried rice). So, if you are concerned about eating too many cals, you should avoid chow mein or eat it very sparingly.

  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    edited July 2018
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    The secret's in the sauce. No one really knows what goes in there because they have master chef secrets. That's what makes it tasty. You cannot duplicate good Chinese food at home no matter how hard you try. Gauge the very best you can and don't go overboard with the portions. Enjoy to the hilt. If you take away all of the good things and opt for steamed rice and steamed vege, might as well make the tasteless home version. This is Friday. An extra special occasion with the family and not something you do every day. Enjoy yourselves.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    sgt1372 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Chicken chow mein, no starters.

    Chow mein is one of the worst Chinese,food choices if you're worried about cals, regardless of the type of protein you choose.

    Apart from the carb cals from the noodles, Chinese American restuaruants use an excessive amount of oil cooking chow mein (just as they do w/fried rice). So, if you are concerned about eating too many cals, you should avoid chow mein or eat it very sparingly.

    I'm not in America
  • strongwouldbenice
    strongwouldbenice Posts: 153 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Chicken chow mein, no starters.

    Chow mein is one of the worst Chinese,food choices if you're worried about cals, regardless of the type of protein you choose.

    Apart from the carb cals from the noodles, Chinese American restuaruants use an excessive amount of oil cooking chow mein (just as they do w/fried rice). So, if you are concerned about eating too many cals, you should avoid chow mein or eat it very sparingly.

    I'm not in America

    Yeah, here in Australia it IS oily.. but.. not too much. Similar to when I get steamed veg and tofu, it's oily but sort of watery. Compared to getting something with a sauce, I'd take chow mein as a lower calorie option for sure.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
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    I always go with beef and broccoli if I am getting an entree.

    I'll first look at the appetizers for something like chicken skewers. If they have that, I get the skewers and something like miso soup or egg drop soup.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    If you want lower calories watch out for nuts, sesame seeds, breaded/battered and fried items, very sweet sugary items, fried rice or noodles. Otherwise just watch portion sizes.
    Soup can be a good choice. Something with a lot of vegetables is a good choice.

    You can look up nutritional information to similar restaurants/dishes to help you decide.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
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    Lounmoun wrote: »
    You can look up nutritional information to similar restaurants/dishes to help you decide.

    This is a good idea. I tend to use Panda Express numbers for local places. They cover the basics and the nutrition info is available online. It's not perfect but close enough for me, especially given it's not an everyday deal.
  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
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    Start with a soup to curb your appetite. Hot and sour, egg drop, wonton are all lower calorie as long as you don't add the crispy wontons.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,713 Member
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    Have soup for a starter to cut your hunger. Winter melon or wonton with greens. For a main have plain steamed rice and a stir fry of protein with veg such as prawns with snow peas or beef with broccoli. Or steamed fish with ginger and spring onion is a good option that is on a lot of menus. If you are eating Chinese style, everyone will share from a variety of mains so just ensure there will a few healthier options on the table.

    Avoid fried noodles or fried rice, and deep fried anything. Be aware that some stir fry dishes first deep fry the protein, before stir frying with veg and sauce so you will want to avoid those. General Tso chicken, sweet and sour pork, lemon chicken, and vegetarian Di San Xian all fall into that category of recipe.

    Post a link to the menu so we can have a look and live it up vicariously.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    beef and brocolli, chicken or other protien with steamed vegetables
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,713 Member
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    Actually Peking duck is not a bad option either. The subcutaneous fat from the duck has been rendered off to a very large degree, hence the thin, brittle skin. Just use the sweet hoisin/plum/bean sauce sparingly and load up your pancakes with lots of cucumber and spring onion.
  • Leannep2201
    Leannep2201 Posts: 441 Member
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    I’m in New Zealand and things are likely very different here, but when I have Chinese I either have Wonton soup (if we’re not sharing dishes and I can order just for me) or Chop Suey, which is like Chow Mein but with no noodles.
    I agree that figuring out the sauce is hard, but the sauce isn’t sweet or oily... it’s more like a thick broth.... so it seems one of the safer options!

    I also try and save calories, do extra exercise, and eat a smaller portion if I’m worried about my calories for the day.
  • SukesLaLukes
    SukesLaLukes Posts: 44 Member
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    Thank you all so much for these tips!! I'll let you know how it goes!! :):)

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