by Emma Fogt
I am sure I am not alone when I order Chinese Takeout and wonder which dishes are the healthiest for my waistline and better for my blood pressure. With Ali Gorman RN, Health Reporter and Cheryl Mettendorf, Producer of 6ABC Action News Diet Detours, we set out to find out the secrets in these Asian dishes. Here is the low down on Lo-Mein and the mystery behind Chicken in Black Bean Sauce.
Chinese Takeout is fast and convenient but beware of the hidden salt and fats in the sauces says Ali in her live segment on 6 ABC Action News. Click here to see the full segment of 6 ABC Action News and Diet Detours.
We compared calories and sodium in : DIET DETOUR (VS) A HEALTHIER CHOICE
1 Fried Pork Egg Roll or 1 Vegetable Spring Roll: 400 calories / 711 mg sodium versus 160 calories/ 540 mg sodium
2C Chicken in Black Bean Sauce or 2C Chicken & Snow Peas: 638 calories / low in sodium versus 240 calories/ 681 mg sodium
2C Pork Lo Mein or 2C Buddah’s Delight : 1092 calories/ 1596 mg sodium versus 490 calories/ low in sodium
1C Pork Fried Rice or 1C Steamed Rice : 335 calories /118 mg sodium versus 190 calories/ 0 mg sodium
All caloric info was taken from the “My Fitness Pal “ website: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/88742842 4
Secrets to the Healthier Options when ordering Chinese Food.
- Sautéed
- Stir Fried
- Steamed
- Order Sauces on the Side
Finally, here are some more tips from this useful report by the CSPI to limit calories and fat in Chinese restaurant foods . The article is entitled “A Wok on the Wild Side” https://www.cspinet.org/nah/chinese.html:
- Look for dishes that feature vegetables, not meat or noodles.
- Ask for extra vegetables.
- Order chicken, tofu, or seafood that is stir-fried or braised; avoid breaded, battered, or deep-fried items.
- Use chopsticks or a fork — not a spoon — to get food from the serving plate. This helps keep some of the high-fat and high-sugar sauce on the serving plate.
- Don’t add extra salt by adding high-salt sauces to your food, such as soy sauce, duck sauce, and hoisin sauce.