At Lose Baby Weight we have looked at the top types of restaurants and take away foods and what you can eat that won’t harm your weight loss plan. Today, we look at Chinese food.
The Chinese people are known for being healthy individuals and that is due mostly in part to their diet, as well as their lifestyle. Their diet is low in fat, high in protein and vegetables and also high in healthy carbohydrates. But Chinese food in Australian Chinese restaurants is not authentic and as such often has lots of hidden extra ingredients that are more suitable for the Australian palate, meaning you’ll find plenty of corn-flour thickened sauces and lots of deep fried and sugary foods.
Luckily though, with a few wise choices, there is still plenty you can eat next time you go for dinner at a Chinese restaurant that won’t damage your weight loss plan.
Our list what to eat and what to avoid for weight loss.
- Most Chinese restaurants offer a wide range of broth-based soups and these are excellent choices for a starter, as they’ll keep your appetite in check without compromising on calories. Hot and sour soup is a good choice, as is chicken soup, and egg drop soup or wonton soup are both excellent alternatives to egg rolls or fried spring rolls.
- If you want the flavour of spring rolls but without the fat, ask for a portion of them baked or steamed instead of fried. Spring rolls are not generally unhealthy, as they tend to just contain lean pork or chicken, vegetables, rice noodles and flavourings, so don’t be afraid to just ask the restaurant to change their cooking method.
- Stir-fry vegetables are also a good choice for either a starter or as a side dish, as the stir-fry process uses less oil than the deep-frying process. Stir fry vegetables are wonderfully flavourful, too – they’re often cooked with garlic, ginger and soy sauce meaning they are anything but boring. Lo-han monk’s vegetables are also a good choice for a starter or main course – vegetables are cooked in a soy-based broth with seasonings until tender.
- Teriyaki or satay chicken, game or tofu is a great entrée choice as the protein is low in fat but still high in flavour. Chop suey and chow mein made with lean protein such as beef or chicken are also excellent starter/main course choices.
- Most Chinese curries will be thickened with corn-flour and sweetened with sugar, meaning that there will be hidden calories that you might not ordinarily think about. If you’re going to choose a curry, your best bet would be a plain vegetable or chicken curry served with vegetables on the side rather than rice to save on fat. However, you could also choose something like chicken in black bean sauce, or something like chicken with mushrooms or beef with mushrooms. These dishes are served in a light broth-type sauce that has far less calories than other corn-flour thickened sauces, and they’re just as tasty. Choose plain steamed rice, boiled rice or plain steamed noodles as your side dish to save on fat and calories – although fried rice is very tasty, it has about a third more calories than plain rice and so is probably best eaten as a treat.
- Sweet and sour sauce is a definite baddy in terms of calories and fat. It’s thickened with corn-flour, so there are hidden carbs and calories in the sauce, but it’s also absolutely full of sugar. Hoisin sauce is also pretty high in calories – it’s made with sugar and plums, amongst other flavours, so although the fruit content means it’s a little healthier for you than sweet and sour sauce, it’s still not particularly good for you!
- For pudding, opt for a fresh fruit salad and stay away from the ice cream!
To see the best weight loss foods at an Italian restaurant click here
To see the best weight loss foods at a Japanese restaurant click here
