Craving the delicious, savory flavors of Chinese takeout but worried it’ll derail your weight loss goals? You’re not alone. Many believe Chinese food is a diet no-go, but the fantastic news is that you can absolutely enjoy your favorite cuisine while still losing weight—it’s all about knowing what to order. Finding healthy, low calorie Chinese food options for weight loss is easier than you think.
The quickest way to enjoy healthy Chinese food is to choose dishes that are steamed, boiled, or lightly stir-fried and packed with vegetables and lean protein. Opt for choices like steamed dumplings, Buddha’s Delight, or beef and broccoli. Always ask for the sauce on the side to control calorie, sugar, and sodium intake, making your meal a perfect fit for a weight-loss journey.
Is Chinese Food Good for Losing Weight? Unpacking the Myths
A common question we hear at China Wok Menu With Prices and Calories is, “Is Chinese food good for losing weight?” The answer is a resounding yes, but with a crucial caveat. The healthiness of your meal depends heavily on the cooking style and ingredients, which can vary dramatically between authentic Chinese cuisine and its Americanized counterpart.
Why Traditional Chinese Food Can Be Healthy
Authentic Chinese cooking often aligns perfectly with healthy eating principles. It’s traditionally rich in vegetables like bok choy and snow peas, features lean protein sources, and utilizes cooking methods that preserve nutrients without adding excessive fat. Think of techniques like rapid stir-frying in a wok, steaming, and boiling. These methods use minimal oil and lock in flavor and nutrients. This style of cooking creates dishes that are naturally lower in calories and higher in fiber and essential vitamins.
The Calorie Traps in American-Style Chinese Takeout
The challenge for weight-conscious diners arises with American-style Chinese takeout. Many popular dishes have been adapted to suit Western palates, often resulting in meals that are deep-fried, battered, and drenched in sweet, sticky sauces. Items like General Tso’s chicken, crab rangoon, and sweet and sour pork are often loaded with calories, unhealthy fats, sodium, and sugar. These “calorie traps” are what give Chinese food a reputation for being unhealthy, but they don’t represent the full, vibrant spectrum of the cuisine. The key is to avoid fried options and be mindful of sauce content.
How to Order Healthy Chinese Food: A Dietitian’s Checklist
Navigating a Chinese restaurant menu doesn’t have to be a minefield for your diet. With a few simple strategies, you can confidently order a delicious and healthy meal that supports your weight loss goals. At China Wok Menu With Prices and Calories, we encourage our customers to become empowered diners by following this dietitian-approved checklist.
Prioritize Smart Cooking Methods: Steamed, Boiled, and Stir-Fried
The preparation method is one of the biggest factors determining a dish’s calorie count. Look for keywords on the menu that indicate a healthier cooking style.
- Steamed (蒸, zhēng): This is your number one choice. Steaming uses only hot vapor to cook the food, meaning no oil is added. Steamed fish, vegetables, or dumplings are excellent low-calorie options.
- Boiled (煮, zhǔ): Soups and some noodle dishes use boiling, which is another oil-free method. Clear, broth-based soups are fantastic appetizers.
- Stir-fried (炒, chǎo): A quick stir-fry can be a very healthy option. This technique uses high heat and minimal oil to cook ingredients rapidly, preserving their texture and nutrients. Ask for your dish to be “lightly stir-fried” with minimal oil.
- Avoid: Words like “crispy,” “battered,” “golden,” or “fried” are red flags that indicate the item is deep-fried and significantly higher in calories and fat.
Load Up on Lean Proteins and Vegetables
Chinese cuisine offers a wonderful variety of lean protein and vegetable options. Building your meal around these two food groups is a cornerstone of ordering healthy.
- Lean Protein: Choose dishes that feature chicken breast, shrimp, scallops, fish, or tofu. These are packed with protein to keep you full and satisfied.
- Vegetables: Don’t be shy about asking for extra vegetables. Many dishes are centered around nutrient-dense choices like broccoli, bok choy, snow peas, mushrooms, and bell peppers. A vegetable stir-fry is always a safe and filling bet.
The “Sauce on the Side” Strategy
This is perhaps the most powerful tool in your arsenal for ordering healthy Chinese takeout options for weight loss. Restaurant sauces, while delicious, can be a major source of hidden calories, sodium, and sugar. A thick, glossy sauce like a sweet and sour or Hoisin sauce can add hundreds of extra calories to an otherwise healthy dish.
By asking for the sauce on the side, you take back control. You can dip your fork into the sauce before each bite or drizzle a small amount over your food, allowing you to enjoy the flavor with just a fraction of the calories.
Be Mindful of Your Side Dishes (Hint: Brown Rice is Your Friend)
What you pair with your main course matters. The default side of white rice or, even worse, fried rice can add a significant number of empty calories to your meal.
- Best Choice: Ask for steamed brown rice. It’s a whole grain that provides more fiber, which aids in digestion and helps you feel fuller for longer.
- Good Choice: Steamed white rice is a better option than fried rice.
- Avoid: Fried rice is cooked with oil and often contains soy sauce and other additions that increase its calorie and sodium content. Egg rolls and spring rolls are also typically deep-fried.
15 Dietitian-Approved Low-Calorie Chinese Dishes
Ready to order? Here are 15 of the best low calorie Chinese dishes for diet-conscious diners. These options are flavorful, satisfying, and aligned with your weight management goals.
Appetizers & Soups
Starting your meal with a light appetizer can help curb your hunger and prevent overeating during the main course.
1. Hot and Sour Soup
This classic Sichuan soup is a fantastic low-calorie starter. It’s a broth-based soup filled with mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and tofu or egg. Its signature “hot” comes from pepper, and the “sour” from vinegar, making it incredibly flavorful without relying on fat. A typical cup of hot and sour soup contains only around 80-100 calories.
2. Egg Drop Soup
Another light and satisfying option, egg drop soup is made with a savory chicken broth, wispy beaten eggs, and often garnished with scallions. It’s simple, warming, and very low in calories, usually under 70 calories per cup.
3. Steamed Vegetable or Shrimp Dumplings
Dumplings can be a diet-friendly choice, but only if you get them steamed. Steamed dumplings are parcels of dough filled with minced vegetables, chicken, or shrimp. Because they aren’t fried, they are much lower in fat. An order of six steamed shrimp dumplings typically has around 200-250 calories.
Lean Protein Main Courses
These dishes are centered around lean protein and vegetables, making them filling and nutritious choices.
4. Beef and Broccoli
A takeout staple that can easily be a healthy choice. This dish features tender slices of beef and vibrant broccoli florets in a savory brown sauce. To keep it low-calorie, ask for the beef to be stir-fried instead of deep-fried and, of course, get the sauce on the side. When prepared this way, an order of beef and broccoli is a great source of protein and fiber.
5. Moo Goo Gai Pan (Chicken and Mushroom Stir-fry)
Moo goo gai pan is a Cantonese-inspired dish that translates to “chicken with mushrooms.” It’s a light and healthy stir-fry made with sliced chicken breast, mushrooms, and other vegetables like snow peas, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots in a clear, white sauce. It’s one of the best weight loss friendly Chinese restaurant dishes.
6. Shrimp with Garlic Sauce
Shrimp is an excellent source of lean protein. When stir-fried with a medley of vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and water chestnuts in a flavorful garlic sauce, it becomes a delicious and diet-friendly meal. Remember to request the sauce on the side to manage your intake.
7. Chicken Lettuce Wraps
A fun, interactive, and healthy meal. Chicken lettuce wraps typically consist of minced chicken stir-fried with water chestnuts, mushrooms, and scallions in a light sauce, served with crisp lettuce cups for wrapping. They are high in protein and lower in carbs than rice-based dishes.
8. Steamed Fish with Ginger and Scallions
This is one of the cleanest and healthiest dishes you can order. A whole fish or fillet is gently steamed with aromatic ginger and scallions, then finished with a touch of soy sauce. Steaming preserves the delicate flavor of the fish and its heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids without adding any fat.
9. Kung Pao Chicken
This might be surprising, but Kung Pao Chicken can be a healthy option if ordered correctly. Ask for it to be made with stir-fried chicken breast (not fried), extra vegetables, light sauce, and easy on the peanuts. This transforms a potentially high-calorie dish into a balanced meal with lean protein and veggies.
Vegetarian & Tofu Options
Vegetarian dishes are often excellent low-calorie choices as they are packed with fiber-rich vegetables.
10. Buddha’s Delight (Mixed Vegetables)
As the name suggests, this dish is a delightful medley of fresh vegetables. Buddha’s Delight typically includes broccoli, bok choy, mushrooms, snow peas, and often tofu, all stir-fried in a light, savory sauce. It’s a nutrient powerhouse and naturally low in calories.
11. Steamed Tofu with Vegetables
Tofu is a fantastic plant-based protein. When steamed with a variety of colorful vegetables, it creates a wholesome and satisfying meal. This dish is simple, clean, and perfectly aligned with a weight loss diet.
12. Mapo Tofu (Healthier Version)
Traditional Mapo Tofu can be quite oily. However, you can request a healthier version made with less oil and soft or steamed tofu instead of fried. It’s a flavorful Sichuan dish that can be a great low-calorie, high-protein option when customized.
13. Chop Suey
Chop suey is a stir-fry dish consisting of meat or shrimp and vegetables like bean sprouts, celery, and cabbage, bound in a starch-thickened sauce. Opt for chicken, shrimp, or tofu chop suey and ask for a light sauce to make it a healthy, low-calorie choice.
Healthy Sides
Complete your meal with a side that complements your health goals.
14. Steamed Brown Rice
As mentioned earlier, steamed brown rice is your best friend when ordering Chinese food for weight loss. It provides sustained energy and fiber to keep you full.
15. A Side of Steamed Vegetables (like Bok Choy or Snow Peas)
You can never go wrong with more vegetables. Ordering a side of steamed greens like bok choy or broccoli is an excellent way to add volume, fiber, and nutrients to your meal for very few calories.
3 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Ordering Healthy Chinese Takeout
Knowing what to order is half the battle. Knowing what to avoid is the other half. Here are three common pitfalls to sidestep.
Mistake #1: Assuming “Chicken” or “Fish” is Always Healthy
The name of the protein can be deceiving. Dishes like General Tso’s Chicken, Sesame Chicken, or Sweet and Sour Fish involve battering and deep-frying the protein before tossing it in a sugary sauce. This process can easily triple the calorie count compared to a steamed or stir-fried version of the same protein.
Mistake #2: Forgetting About Liquid Calories in Sugary Sauces
The sauce is the biggest variable in the healthiness of a Chinese dish. Brown sauce, garlic sauce, and sweet and sour sauce can be packed with sugar, sodium, and cornstarch, adding hundreds of “liquid” calories that don’t fill you up. This is why the “sauce on the side” strategy is so critical for effective portion control.
Mistake #3: Ignoring Portion Control
Takeout portions are often large enough for two or even three meals. A common mistake is to eat the entire container in one sitting. A great strategy is to portion out half of the meal as soon as you get it and save the rest for lunch the next day. This instantly cuts your calorie intake in half and gives you another delicious meal to look forward to.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the lowest calorie Chinese food meal to order?
The absolute lowest calorie options would be a clear soup like egg drop soup (under 70 calories) or a simple side of steamed mixed vegetables, often called Buddha’s Delight (around 200-300 calories for a full portion). A meal of steamed fish with ginger and scallions is also an incredibly low-calorie and nutritious main course.
How many calories are in a typical order of beef and broccoli?
A standard takeout order of beef and broccoli can range widely, from 500 to over 900 calories, depending on the restaurant’s preparation and portion size. The variation is due to the amount of oil used and the sugar and sodium content of the sauce. Ordering it with the sauce on the side and with steamed brown rice can keep the meal on the lower end of that range.
Is lo mein or chow mein healthier for weight loss?
Generally, chow mein can be a slightly healthier option. Lo mein noodles are fully cooked and then tossed with sauce, while chow mein noodles are often stir-fried to be crispy. However, the “healthier” choice really depends on the preparation. For either dish, ask for it to be made with extra vegetables and light sauce. Steamed rice or glass noodles are often a better carbohydrate choice than fried noodles.
Can I eat Chinese food on a low-sodium diet?
Yes, you can. The key is to be proactive when you order. State that you need a low sodium meal. Request that no extra salt or MSG be added to your dish. Most importantly, get all sauces on the side, as they are the primary source of sodium. Steamed dishes are your best bet.
Enjoying Chinese food while focusing on weight loss is not only possible but also delicious and satisfying. By choosing dishes prepared with healthy cooking methods like steaming and stir-frying, prioritizing lean proteins and vegetables, and being mindful of sauces and portion sizes, you can easily fit your favorite takeout into a healthy eating plan. Smart choices empower you to enjoy the flavors you love without compromising your health goals. At China Wok Menu With Prices and Calories, we believe that making informed decisions is the key to a sustainable and enjoyable diet.
What’s your go-to healthy Chinese takeout order? Share your favorite dishes and tips in the comments below