What are some of the healthiest and unhealthiest things to get off a typical Chinese food menu?

Question

A standard Chinese food takeout menu in America. I love this stuff, but some of it seems very very bad for you, but their is no way to request official nutritional values. Some have a low-fat section, but I mean off the standard section. Also, how big of a health difference is the rice, from fried/brown/white. A lot? Thank you!

Answer 1

At a typical Chinese restaurant or buffet, you'll spot a lot of fried or heavily sauteed options such as Sweet and Sour Chicken, Crab Wontons, Orange Chicken, General Tso's Chicken, ect. Try to avoid these. Perhaps you should go for the Beef or Chicken and Broccoli dish or Chicken and Mushrooms. Sauteed green beans are also a smart choice. Avoid the FRIED rice - it has that name for a reason. Plain brown rice is the healthiest. Try mixing sauteed veggies with brown rice and the plainest chicken or seafood that you can find. Add Soy Sauce for a little UMPH - and if you do not like salt, try a sauce that appears to have a thinner concentrate. ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE STEAMED items, instead of FRIED or BATHED in THICK sauces.

Of course you can have the fried items. But limit yourself. Grab a few crab wontons - 3 = approx. 150 calories. Not too bad for a fried item. :)

Answer 2

First of all, be sure the restaurant you are frequenting does not use MSG. Then, as has been said, avoid anything fried, battered or coated, which doesn't leasve much unless you are ordering a meal to be prepared while you wait and you can specifiy broiled, steamed, no sauce, etc. Buffets are like nails in your casket. Check sodium levels in soy sauce/tamari. Bad! Bad! Bad! Even the low sodium varieties which some restaurants make available, are still way off the RDA charts. Soups, as were mentioned, are usually made from artifical (industrial-chemical) "chicken fat."

Answer 3

Jesus, don't get the fried rice. Plain old rice and maybe mildly sauteed veggies are probably the only decent stuff in the mix.

Answer 4

Try grilled tofu with sauce on the side. add steamed rice and Chinese broccoli. really really good and not greasy!

Answer 5

I always opt for the brown rice, as a healthier choice.

Answer 6

Healthy would be beef and broccoli, or maybe some soup. Unhealthy would be anything fried - general tso's chicken, for example.

Answer 7

you can get moogoogipan with the sauce on the side and only use a little also this is stir fried and not deep fried.

Answer 8

white rice is bad

Answer 9

Orange flavored chicken is good =] Dont care if its healthy or unhealthy cause it good =]

Answer 10

steamed beggies