Chinese Cuisine: Three Essential Tips for Healthy Restaurant Meals
Posted on: 9 February 2018
Chinese restaurants have numerous delicious foods on their menus. Unfortunately, most of the provided meals are not ideal for individuals trying to maintain a healthy diet or lose weight. Moreover, the options might not offer sufficient nutrients for kids and adults who eat out often. However, this does not mean that you must give up on your favourite cuisine. In general, if you are more conscious of your orders and consider the entire menu, you will find some suitable foods to match your needs. Here are practical tips on choosing Chinese meals for a healthy diet.
Consider the Main Ingredients
You should check the main ingredients of your preferred foods before making your order. The choice of meal ingredients will determine the amount of nutrients and the number of calories. For the best results, you should choose dishes with more vegetables. Such foods will have a filling effect, provide minerals and vitamins and minimise your calories intake. You will also find some suitable meat options, including poultry and seafood. You should make comparisons on the health implications before selection. For instance, skinless chicken has lower fat content than duck. Finally, you should avoid meat and vegetable dishes with batter because the flour will retain a lot of oil.
Identify the Cooking Method
You should inquire about the cooking methods for your preferred dishes before making your order. Remember, you will not gain optimal healthy benefits if you choose healthy ingredients cooked in an unsuitable method. If you are trying to lower your fat and calories intake, you should avoid deep-fried and crisp-fried dishes. Where possible, you should avoid all fried dishes. You will find some delicious alternatives to satisfy your cravings for Chinese cuisine. For example, you can select roasted, boiled, barbequed and steamed foods. If you cannot do without some oil, you should ask for stir-fired dishes.
Know Your Sauces
The sauces in your food can compromise the health of your chosen meals. So, you should evaluate and compare the options in the restaurants. Under ideal circumstances, you should not use rich or high sodium sauces for a healthier lifestyle. However, if you must have some sauce, you should avoid options such as lobster sauce which contains egg and is high in cholesterol. Instead, choose plum sauce, sweet and sour or hot mustard for your dishes. You can also cut your sodium by minimising the use of oyster and bean sauce. If you decide to use any sauce, you should have it provided as a side for intake monitoring.
Share