No matter how consistent you try to be about your diet, keeping up with healthy cooking and meal prep every day can be a challenge for anyone.
Sometimes you’re in a jam, sometimes on the go, maybe you forgot to get groceries. Or maybe it’s just one of those nights when you don’t feel like cooking.
We get it. Everyone deserves a break.
You can still have an easy takeout meal once in a while without affecting your fitness. That’s why dietitians often point to healthier options to order at places like Chipotle, McDonald’s, Subway, and Domino’s.
But if you love Chinese takeout, this one’s for you.
Is Chinese Food Healthy?
Like with most cuisines, whether Chinese food is healthy depends on exactly what you eat and how much.
Some Chinese dishes are fried with high amounts of sodium, which can raise blood pressure.
For example, the popular General Tso’s Chicken has more than 2300 mg of sodium. That’s more than the daily recommended amount in a single restaurant serving.
Chinese restaurants aren’t different from others in terms of calorie counts and big portion sizes. At most spots, a dish like sweet and sour pork is likely to have around 1600 calories, which may contribute to you taking in more calories than you need during the day and lead to weight gain.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t find a healthy dish on Chinese menus.
We spoke to registered dietitian Emily Sullivan to find out some of the most common Chinese restaurant dishes you can enjoy while still getting plenty of nutritional value.
Her top piece of advice is to consider how dishes are prepared before placing your order.
“When looking for nutrient-dense Chinese food, choose steamed or sautéed options instead of fried,” says Sullivan. “Fried foods are much less healthy, with potentially serious long-term consequences that include increased risk if heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.”
She also recommends choosing entrees that include a lean source of protein, like chicken breast or tofu.
Here are some common Chinese takeout menu choices likely to help you stay on track with your health goals.
5 Healthy Chinese Food Options You May Enjoy
1. Steamed Vegetable Dumplings
For a delicious, healthy, and filling dish, look no further than steamed vegetable dumplings.
Choosing the steamed alternative means avoiding the risks of eating deep-fried foods, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Try sprinkling some chili flakes on your dumplings instead of dipping them in soy sauce to cut down on salt.
Nutritional content per dumpling:
50 Calories
2.4 g Protein
7.3 g Carbs
1.2 g Fat
2. Broccoli and Beef Stir-Fry with Steamed Brown Rice
A takeout staple at Panda Express, broccoli and beef avoids fried foods and provides a healthy serving of vegetables. Best of all, it has 31 grams of protein.
Sullivan has an ordering hack: “Get the sauce on the side to lower calories and opt for brown rice for increased fiber content, which can enhance gut health and reduce inflammation.”
Nutritional content per serving (13.7 ounces):
455 Calories
31 g Protein
58 g Carbs
10.5 g Fat
3. Buddha’s Delight with Tofu
This plant-based dish contains fiber from vegetables like bok choy, broccoli, and cabbage while being rich in vitamins A and C. Like most soybean products, tofu is an excellent source of protein.
“The high levels of iron, manganese, calcium, and vitamin B5 in tofu means it also has other health benefits, like improving heart health and lowering cancer risk,” says registered dietitian Natalie Romito.
Nutritional content per serving (1 cup):
224 Calories
10.1 g Protein
16.9 g Carbs
14.3 g Fat
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4. Moo Goo Gai Pan
This dish comes with sliced chicken and stir-fried vegetables, typically mushrooms, carrots, snow peas, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots in a savory sauce.
The protein in the chicken makes the dish filling, and a healthy serving of vegetables provides plenty of fiber.
It’s a smart move to ask for the sauce on the side. The base of Moo Goo Gai Pan is made from soy sauce, which is very salty. So asking for the sauce on the side makes it easier to control your sodium intake.
Nutritional content per serving (12.7 ounces):
298 Calories
20 g Protein
39 g Carbs
4 g Fat
5. Chop Suey
Vegetables take center stage in chop suey, another Chinese takeout classic. Most Chinese restaurants use a combination of onions, cabbage, carrots, celery, bean sprouts, snow peas, and bell pepper along with a protein like chicken or pork.
“With chop suey, you can satisfy salty food cravings and enjoy a low-calorie meal full of veggies,” says Silvia Carli, RD.
Nutritional content per serving (1 cup):
167 Calories
15.7 g Protein
9.1 Carbs
7.8 g Fat
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re in a rush, need a night off from cooking, or feel like treating yourself, there are healthy fast-food options. That also goes for Chinese takeout.
Many Chinese food dishes can be healthy, satisfy your cravings, and fill you up without throwing off the balance of your nutrition.
Knowing your daily calorie target can help when ordering Chinese, and apps like MyFitnessPal combine various food-tracking strategies to make it easy.
If tracking food isn’t your thing, you can still use the app to view the macronutrients in Chinese meal ingredients, discover new recipes, and customize a nutrition plan that works for you. Sign up for free and learn how to stay fit and healthy without sacrificing life’s little pleasures.
