11 Responses to “Can I Still Eat Chinese Food When I’m Dieting?”

1. Rachel on February 13th, 2008 1:12 pm

   Yeah, you need to be careful with Chinese food, some of the dishes can have at least 1,000 calories. But, that doesn’t mean you have to give it up. Be sure to stay away from ordering dishes that are breaded, fried or coated in flour. Stay with simple meats, and veggies and order them steamed with the sauce on the side. By the way, fortune cookies are usually only 25-30 calories each (and no fat)!

2. Lana on February 14th, 2008 8:22 am

   Yeah, I’ve always wondered about teriyaki chicken and plain fried rice. That’s my favorite dish, but the sauce on the chicken skewers worries me. I don’t know of any way to find out the amount of calories and fat in these Chinese dishes. So I have no idea what it’s doing to my diet.

3. Carmella on February 14th, 2008 8:47 am

   I LOVE Chinese, most places offer a Lite or Weight Watcher menu. I always go with steamed chicken, mixed veggies, brown rice and steamed vegggie dumplings. The also offer low cal sauces. I always get the garlic. Just stayed away fried dishes. ENJOY!!!!

4. BJC on February 14th, 2008 4:24 pm

   Definitely! However, I have a few suggestions: Steamed Veggies and lean Protein, sauce on side, brown rice if they have it (steamed of course), broth based soup, plenty of spices (garlic, ginger, mustard seeds), and a fortune cookie.

5. lisa on February 21st, 2008 8:25 am

   egg drop soup is not bad
   i try to limit myself when it comes
   to egg rolls and spare ribs.
   i cannot resist general tso’s shrimp.
   try calorieking.com to get nutritional info.

6. vivian on February 29th, 2008 1:12 am

   I have always found that no matter how sparingly I eat Chinese food means I will weigh 2 pounds more the next day. However, two days later I will have returned to my normal weight.

   I am just glad that I don’t especially like Chinese food!

7. Scott on March 6th, 2008 4:03 pm

   One thing about white rice(and all other starches). While it seems innocent enough, rice(and other starches, like potatoes) metabolize to pure sugar. Keep that in mind the next time you think of rice as a ‘low cal’ alternative.

   Of course, “Chinese” food comes in many, many ethnicities. Depending on where you get it, it could be Vietnamese-Chinese, Thai-Chinese, Japanese-Chinese, Korean-Chinese etc. Even in the same genre it can vary pretty wildly. Some restaurants use a lot of sugars in their cooking, and a TON of frying. How they’re cooking it makes just as much difference as WHAT they’re cooking. Many places offer lots of steamed vegetables(which are good for you, regardless of diet) and prepare their dishes in a more health-concious manner.

   Even in the worst case though, if you can’t find any ‘healthy’ Chinese where you are I think that as long as you enjoy in moderation it should not be that bad. In fact, eating 5 smaller meals in a day is better for you than eating two or three ‘average’ size meals. Gets your metabolism up and running and your body can process the food better. Good points by all. Best of luck to you,

8. Tyreek on March 8th, 2008 1:23 pm

   I have found a way to lose weight and eat Chinese food. As others have stated, stay away from the breaded, fried, and syrupy(General Tso/Sesame ect) items

   Yeah, that takes away most of the pleasure, but hey… General Tso probably didn’t look good in a pair of fitted jeans either. Here’s what I do..

   Hot & Sour soup is low in fat usually, and lower carb, go for that . Stick with veggie/meat combos with lighter sauce and ask the restaurant if they could cook the food with little or no oil. Usually they will comply. Here’s the biggie !! DON’T eat the rice. Don’t even let them put it in the bag. If you are getting takeout, replace the rice on your plate with salad !!! It’s GREAT… I get a bag of pre-mixed salad, dump it on the plate, then load my chinese dish on top of that… Along with the Hot & Soup , Miso (very low fat/carb), or moderate amounts of Won-Ton or Egg Drop, you have a lower fat, lower carb meal that you can eat once or twice a week… NOT everyday!!!

   Buffet: This one’s hard… All of the food is pre-prepared so you really can’t ask for modifications. Still.. If you’re out with friends , or need a quick lunch, choose a buffet that has salad on the bar. Still stick with the veggie dishes, but pile LOTS of salad on the plate and use the food dishes sparingly.. You can even sneak a tiny bit of bad stuff, once you learn to control yourself, but not until then… Learn to LIKE the modified food, before hitting the buffet, then it will be easier to control yourself…

   I lost 70lbs eating this way in a year…. Along with exercise

9. Teresa on March 28th, 2008 2:35 pm

   You can have items from the “diet” menu, or be creative with wisdom. If I eat Chinese, I ask for things like steamed veggies (usually brocolli) and chicken, with the brown/curry sauce on the side- hold the rice. I find that a big serving of the veggies with chicken keeps me full. The soups are nice, but I have witnessed one restaurant worker pouring many many tablespoons of salt into a pot of the soup broth before preparing my order. I was aghast, and I vowed not to ever buy the soup again. Lots of sodium. Also, I like the chow meins are good. Moderation, my friend!!

10. Pat Pilla on April 17th, 2008 2:41 pm

    I was told from Weight Watches that if you go for Chinese food the best thing to order is Moo Shoo chicken or shrimp. You can eat half the portion with 2 wraps.

    It is mostly cabbage…and the sauce is on the side.

11. marie on July 10th, 2008 9:49 am

    I go to a buffet that offers a chef cooking your meals on a large slab. Therefore I take all the veggies I want, I add some lo mein noddles and the sauce that I want and depending on the day chicken or seafood, very little of that. I really pile on the veggies. I also heard the wontons (not the fried ones) are a good bet too.

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