A healthy diet includes a mix of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy with limited amounts of fat and sugar. A traditional Chinese diet can provide you with all of this nutrition. The Chinese diet common to most Americans -- restaurant fare such as fried rice and sweet and sour pork -- provide larger portions and more calories than most people need, however.
Nutritious Diet
For most healthy adults, a nutritious diet includes a minimum of 2 cups each of fruits and vegetables, 3 cups of dairy, 5 oz. of grains and 5 oz. of protein, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Depending on your age, gender and level of physical activity, you might need more servings to maintain or attain a healthy weight. But the balance remains the same. Although a Chinese diet may not include cow dairy or as much fruit as the USDA recommends, you could obtain this nutrition from other sources.
Vegetables
Chinese vegetables provide a variety of nutrients. If you don't include dairy in your diet, you can obtain calcium and keep your bones strong by eating bok choy, broccoli, collards and other leafy greens. Good sources of vitamin C, an antioxidant that protects you from disease and helps heal wounds, include broccoli, baked potatoes and red and green peppers. Onions also contain antioxidants that may delay the growth of cancerous tumors and prevent your blood from clotting, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Carrots, rich in beta-carotene, promote eye and skin health.
Protein
You don't need as much protein as the typical American diet includes. You can easily obtain 5 oz. of protein by including tofu and poultry in stir-fried dishes. You can also get protein in meat-based soups and broths. The inclusion of poultry, seafood and vegetable protein in a Chinese diet helps protect you against high cholesterol as these foods contain little or no saturated fat. A serving of skinless chicken breasts, for instance, contains about 2 g of saturated fat and a serving of prawns less than 1 g.
Grains
You can meet your need for grains with rice. Although white rice is a refined carbohydrate and not as heart-healthy as brown rice, this may not prove problematic if your overall diet includes little sugar or other foods such as candy, regular soda and other sweet foods that convert quickly to sugar in your bloodstream. If you are at risk for Type 2 diabetes, however, a switch to brown rice could prove wise as it helps regulate your blood sugar.
References
- United States Department of Agriculture: Steps To A Healthier Weight -- How Much Should You Eat?
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Nutrition Source, Calcium and Milk, The Bottom Line: Calcium is Important. But Milk Isn't the Only, or Even Best, Source
- Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health: Dietary Supplements Fact Sheet: Vitamin C
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Beta-Carotene
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamins -- Phytochemicals
- My Fitness Pal: Chicken
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