How Many Calories are in a Chinese Food Diet?

Many think of Chinese food as "healthy," but Chinese food can have a lot more calories than you think. Educate yourself before indulging, and your waistline will thank you.

Appetizers and Soups

Deep-fried Chinese appetizers are diet killers: a single egg roll (with pork) can have over 200 calories, and an order of spare ribs weighs in at over 600 calories. A better option would be a cup of hot and sour or egg drop soup, which run about 100 calories.

Watchwords for Chinese Entrees

Look for "steamed" entrees. These are usually your best bet for lower-calorie Chinese food. Breaded and deep fried entrees such as General Tso's Chicken and Orange Beef weigh in at about 1400 calories.

Don't Let the Veggies Fool You

Don't assume that veggies are always low-calorie: sauteed greens can have as many as 900 calories, while eggplant with garlic sauce can top 1,000 calories per serving.

Watch Those Portions

The average entree at a Chinese restaurant contains over 1,000 calories. Be smart and split the entree with a friend or take half of it home for another meal.

Hidden Calories in Chinese Food

Oils used for frying, sugar and corn starch used in sauces and nuts added to kung pao and stir-fry contribute a huge number of calories. Watch the rice: an order of steamed white rice can add as much as 300 calories to your meal.

Cook Chinese at Home

Control calories by learning to cook Chinese food yourself. Many grocery stores and adult education programs offer cooking classes, and online recipes and tips can be a great resource.

References

• Center for Science in the Public Interest
• Eat This, Not That!; David Zinczenko, 2008
• FitDay