My family likes Chinese food. It’s easy to order (all the dishes are numbered and pictured on the menu so you know what you are getting), comes delivered to our home before we can even hang up the phone, and is always tasty. But, is it HEALTHY?
This question always stumps me. It should be a relatively easy answer and yet it is not. Some dishes have symbols next to the item suggesting it is heart healthy, vegetarian or seafood. But the preparation that goes into the dish is not described (pan fried, sauteed or steam).
Here is my Chinese menu tip sheet:
Brown rice trumps white rice!
Summer rolls are lower cal than egg rolls (which are deep fried).
General Tso's anything is a definate NO!
The light as air shrimp chips may seem way healthier than old-school crunchy noodles, but don't be fooled: They're a mix of deep-fried shrimp and starch.
Thinking veggies are an easy go-to? Think again! What could be healthier than ordering a side of green beans? Sometime, before stir-frying veggie side dishes a chinese restaurant traditionally deep-frys them for extra texture. In addition, some veggies absorb oil the way sponges drink in water. For example, I love eggplant but it soaks up oil and sauce like no other vegetable. Go for less sponge-like veggies such as broccoli, snow peas, or peppers. Plus, ask them to stir-fry only and go light on the oil. Or healthier is to ask for the dish steamed and have the sauce on the side!
If you are going to order dumplings, get them steamed (for sure not fried!) and stuffed with veggies inside (this is lower in calories and sodium than pork or shrimp).
Being mindful when ordering out is a must if you want to eat healthy. It only takes a moment to make a good decision and longer and more work to undo a bad (unhealthy) one.