Whether you are eating Chinese food in a restaurant, from a packaged item you purchased at the grocery store or made from scratch, you'll be able to tell how many calories are in your meal using a variety of printed or online tools to guide you. Nutrition labels, online calorie calculators and manufacturer and restaurant websites provide accurate information on calorie content of dishes and ingredients.
Step 1
Read the nutrition label on packages in which Chinese foods come. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires most packaged foods to have nutrition labels that provide the number of calories per serving in the package. Make sure to note how many servings are in the package or bottle -- don't assume the maker of the food has labeled a small item as one serving.
Step 2
Visit the food maker's website and look for a link to nutrition information. Many food manufacturers and marketers provide complete nutritional breakdowns of their products on their websites, providing much or all of the information mandated by the FDA for nutrition labels.
Step 3
Ask the manager or counter person at the Chinese restaurant you are visiting if they have nutrition pamphlets if the restaurant is part of a large chain. Visit the restaurant's website if you are looking for calories in Chinese food sold at a restaurant chain, and look for a link to nutrition information. Many restaurant chains now offer nutrition information in their stores and on their websites.
Step 4
Ask the waiter or delivery person about the ingredients in your food if you are ordering at a local restaurant. Use an online calorie calculator, such as LiveStrong's Daily Plate, to determine the amount of calories in your meal, researching the calories in the fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts and other ingredients in the dish. Don't forget to include the calories from cooking oil. Use online calorie calculators to research similar, packaged foods to the restaurant dish you ate. This will give you an estimation of how many calories might have been in the dish you ate.
Things You'll Need
- Nutrition labels
- Online calorie calculators
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