Deep-fried sesame chicken, spare ribs swimming in oil or breaded and sauced sweet and sour pork are stars of Chinese food menus. While these dishes taste good, they can be high in fat and calories. But you don't have to give up Chinese food if you're on a diet. If you make wise choices from the menu you can enjoy a delicious Chinese food meal, right down to the fortune cookie.
Step 1
Order soup for a first course. Choose a broth-based soup such as hot and sour soup. Eating soup will help fill you up so you'll be less tempted to eat more fattening foods.
Step 2
Choose dishes with lots of vegetables. Chef Linda Gassenheimer recommends stir-fried shrimp with vegetables, or steamed vegetables.
Step 3
Order steamed rice instead of fried, and brown rice if available. Avoid other fried foods and anything with breading, such as sweet and sour chicken or pork, sesame or lemon chicken or General Tso's chicken. If you're not sure how a dish is prepared, ask your waiter for an explanation. Avoid foods that are described as "crispy" or "breaded."
Step 4
Ask the waiter if the dish can be served without MSG. The American Heart Association recommends you ask for dishes without added salt or soy sauce.
Step 5
Split an entree with another diner, or ask the waiter to bring a to-go box with your meal. Set aside a portion of your entree for another meal.
Step 6
Eat with chopsticks, especially if you're unfamiliar with these utensils. Eating with chopsticks will force you to take smaller bites and to eat more slowly. A 2006 study at the University of Rhode Island showed that diners who ate more slowly consumed fewer calories.
Step 7
Remove breading from meat or seafood and leave behind most of the sauce. Sauces often contain a lot of oil, salt and sugar.
Things You'll Need
- Chopsticks
Member Comments