Why Cooking Your Own Healthy Chinese Food at Home Makes Chinese Weight Loss the Right Choice

Does Chinese weight loss or any kind of weight loss program related to following a Chinese diet work at all? Magazines and books around the world are filled with articles and stories about using Chinese tea, herbs and even traditional Chinese medicine to help you lose weight. However, like most weight loss programs out there, there are a few things that you do need to keep in mind. Chinese weight loss is possible by following a traditional Chinese diet, no I am not talking about Chinese buffet food, and this really is the key to how most Chinese people manage to maintain a healthy weight regardless of their age. Eating right is the key to an effective Chinese diet program and you can make your own Chinese diet food easily once you know the basic principles to follow and the kind of food you should be cooking.

Balance is vital. Chinese meals follow this basic principal because it not only works but also makes perfect sense. If you visit any fast food restaurant, what will you see? Most of the time, you'll see people eating meals that are completely out of balance. They have very few vegetables, if any at all, and usually a lot of meat. It makes sense that if you want to lose weight you need to be eating food that is not only healthy but also in the correct proportions. Too many people have grown up eating meals that consist of large chunks of meat and very little of anything else. It is no wonder that many find themselves overweight later on in life. Healthy, traditional Chinese meals have the correct portions of meat, vegetables and everything else that goes into making a proper weight loss diet plan.

Another point worth mentioning about the average Chinese person's diet is that the bulk of the food they eat is not processed or prepared in advance. Everything they cook and eat is as natural as possible. Obviously this doesn't mean they don't splash out on things which aren't exactly great for your body, MSG for example, but on the whole traditional Chinese food is as natural as it can be. It might not sound like much but if you are stuffing processed and prepared food into your body day in and day out, then trying to lose weight will be difficult at best. You are what you eat and the first step to losing weight is making sure you are eating right. Chinese people manage to stay so thin because their meals, on the whole, are as natural as possible.

The good news is that you don't have to be Chinese to enjoy the benefits of Chinese weight loss or diets. You can easily cook healthy and great tasting Chinese food at home that will help you to plan your own diet and meal schedule. Healthy weight loss Chinese diet food doesn't have to cost the Earth once you know how to cook it from your very own kitchen.

Let me show you how easy it is to follow a Chinese weight loss plan. Discover how you can prepare your own Chinese diet food at home that will make losing weight easy.

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Ultimate Guide to Healthy Chinese Food

CHINESE food is one of the most popular cuisines throughout the world. It is quick and delicious and offers a nice alternative to fast food.

Traditional Chinese food is relatively low in fat, with an emphasis on rice, noodles and vegetables. However, some Chinese food can be very high in calories and fat if one does not order smartly.

Here are some tips on how to order healthfully from Chinese food restaurants. Here is the ultimate guide to healthy Chinese food.

To start, why not try some soup? Most soups on a Chinese menu are very low in fat, a great way to start a meal. A good choice is chicken or vegetable with rice soup, or even egg drop.

Chinese food appetizers can be high in fat, such as fried wontons and egg rolls. Instead, try steamed dumplings. The vegetable dumplings are simply delicious. When ordering main entrees, look for items that are steamed, braised, roasted, simmered, or stir fried (ask for foods to be stir fried with little or no oil). Try vegetable-based dishes to further lower fat and calories. Many Chinese food restaurants now offer steamed traditional items such as chicken and broccoli, with varying sauces on the side. Try these dishes with some steamed rice for a healthful meal. you can even go one step further in the direction of healthy and ask for brown rice.

When ordering noodles and rice, order them plain, not fried. Also, be aware that meats in sweet and sour dishes are often breaded and fried. Instead, ask for roasted and grilled meats to cut down on the fat and calories.

Most Chinese cuisines is very high in sodium, from the use of MSG and soy sauce. So you can request that your meals be prepared without MSG or even request for low-sodium soy sauce. Dishes prepared with hot mustard, sweet and sour sauce, plum or duck sauce, tend to be low in sodium.

For dessert, go a head and enjoy that fortune cookie, with a nice cup of grain tea. The fortune cookie has only 15 calories and is a wonderful way to end a delicious meal.

Look for dishes that feature vegetables instead of meat or noodles.
Ask for extra broccoli, snow peas or other veggies.
Steer clear of deep-fried meat, seafood or tofu. Order it stir-fried or braised.
Hold the sauce and eat with a fork or chopsticks to leave more sauce behind.
Avoid salt, which means steering clear of the duck sauce, hot mustard, hoisin sauce and soy sauce.
Share your meal or take half home for later.
Ask for brown rice instead of white rice.

To read more of the authors articles visit http://hubpages.com/hub/Healthy-Chinese-Food

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Chinese Food - Is It Healthy?

When eaten in China, there's no doubt that Chinese food is healthy. The Chinese focus on vegetables or tofu and use only a very small amount of meat. Unfortunately, the Westernised versions of Chinese food are often very oily, salty and contain huge amounts of monosodium glutamate, to which many people are allergic.

However, it is certainly possible to cook healthy Chinese food at home because you are completely in control of the ingredients. In fact, with careful choices even a meal eaten in a Chinese restaurant or taken home can be healthy.

In general, steamed, poached, grilled, barbequed, roasted or stir fried are good and deep fried, battered and breaded are bad. Here are some examples of how to choose a healthy Chinese meal.

If your local Chinese restaurant offers prawn crackers on arrival, don't eat them. Better still ask for them to be taken away so that you won't be tempted because these will have been deep fried.

For starters, avoid spring rolls, wontons or seaweed (fried) and spare ribs (fatty and in a sticky sauce). A good option is soup as it will help to fill you up. Choose hot and sour or chicken and vegetable and you can't go far wrong.

For your main course, choose a steamed, poached or stir fried dish which features lots of vegetables. Something with prawns, fish or chicken will be less calorie laden than duck, pork or beef. Of course, you could just have vegetables as these will be varied and crunchy.

Avoid like the plague sweet and sour dishes which, depending on the restaurant, may be balls of greasy batter with a tiny piece of meat inside, covered in sticky sweet sauce. In fact, most Chinese sauces are rather unhealthy because they either contain sugar in the form of Hoisin or Oyster sauce or corn flour for thickening. Opt for steamed rice rather fried. As all stir fried dishes are freshly cooked, you can also request that the chef uses a minimal amount of oil and halves the amount of sauce on your choice.

For dessert, don't be tempted by the toffee apples or bananas, just have plain fresh fruit.

Drink plenty of water and you'll find you won't have as much room in your stomach for food.

Another tip is to eat your meal with chopsticks. Chances are that you will fill up more quickly by eating slowly and you just can't devour as much as you can with a knife and fork.

So, yes, Chinese food is healthy if you choose the right dishes.

Liz Canham has been cooking healthy Chinese food at home for many years and features plenty of healthy recipes on her website, Asian Food and Cookery.

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Healthy Chinese Food

Opinion is divided as to whether Chinese food is good for you. Some say that there is a lower incidence of heart disease and some cancers among the Chinese but others consider that a normal Chinese meal is incredibly unhealthy. This latter opinion is based on the levels of salt, fat and calories in such a meal. Needless to say, reality isn't quite that cut and dried and some valid information has been overlooked. As with any other cuisine the exact content of the meal is what counts. When considering the nutritional value of Chinese food, it's not just the actual food which is eaten but how much of it that needs to be taken into account too.

Chinese food calories are mainly due to the saturated fat content of certain dishes. For example, if you have a passion for fried dumplings, just one contains around 120 calories, thirty percent of which are contributed by saturated fat. It is unlikely that you'll just be eating fried dumplings so if you add another fried dish such as sweet and sour pork, this meal will probably contain more than 1,250 calories.

That's all very well if you don't need to lose weight, you take plenty of exercise and your normal daily intake is around 3,000 calories but if you're trying to reduce those calories in order to shed some fat, then this meal will take up between fifty and seventy five percent of your daily allowance.

Having said that, you don't have to give up Chinese food just because you're on a diet as there is lots of healthy Chinese food which contains fresh vegetables and low fat protein such as chicken or fish. Even stir frying doesn't use an enormous amount of fat but in any event many Chinese dishes are steamed and that really is a healthy option.

Chinese soups such as hot and sour or wonton are not too full of calories and needn't be oversalted, while steamed chicken breast (no skin) or fish with steamed rice is a very low calore meal. Soy sauce is a common Chinese ingredient and provides natural salt as well as Vitamin B6 and isoflavones which are thought to be responsible for lowering cholesterol and thus a healthy heart, hence the low incidences of heart disease. So, enjoy your healthy Chinese food but keep an eye on those calories and you'll have as nutritious a diet as with any other cuisine.

Liz Canham is a writer and a lover of Asian food. To learn more about Chinese food click here and visit Asian Food and Cookery.

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Is Chinese Food Healthy?

Chinese food. It's certainly tasty enough, but is it healthy? In these modern days of looking good and feeling good this is a question that might often be on the lips of anyone who has just devoured an egg fu yung. Well the answer to the question is that, yes, authentic Chinese cooking is very healthy. In fact the Chinese diet might be one of the healthiest in the world.

Sadly the same can not be said about the meals prepared at some Chinese restaurants or take-aways, where the food is often prepared with highly saturated fats and the meat used in the preparation of the recipes is not exactly of the leanest cut. The meals prepared in establishments like this are neither authentic, or healthy. Although they might very well be extremely tasty. But at what cost to the diners health?

Good, authentic - and healthy - Chinese food is prepared and cooked with poly-unsaturated oils and has no use for dairy ingredients such as cream, butter, or cheese. Meat is included in the recipes but is not of an abundant quantity. So lovers of authentic Chinese cooking are easily able to avoid the dangers associated with the intake of too much animal fat in their diet.

So in answer to the question: 'Is Chinese food healthy?' the answer is a very definite yes, but you must be sure that the Chinese meal that you are eating is an authentic Chinese meal prepared in the traditional manner and using only traditional and healthy ingredients. You can have your cake and eat it; just as long as you know that it is the right kind of cake you are eating.

Daily Recipe

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Why You Should Cook Healthy Chinese Food in Your Own Home

Chinese food traditions have adapted freely with time. Over the course of more than 5000 years, these culinary practices have been devised and improved and have withstood the test of time. For example, steaming, a basic cooking technique, was used extensively long before the creation of the first dynasty. Through trade, non-native ingredients made their way to the kitchens of the court combining with the homegrown harvests to produce exceptional, unusual and surprising dishes.

A well prepared Chinese dish is expected to appeal to more senses than just taste. Its hues should be tantalizing to sight, the ingredients should be of uniform size and it should be fragrant. There should be contrasting tastes and textures within the meal; if one dish is crisp, it should be paired with another one that is smooth. A mild dish is paired with a spicy one, thereby always trying to create a balance. It is important to have this equality of yin and yang.

Real Chinese food is mostly vegetarian. Fats and meats are applied sparsely for punches of flavor and very few dishes involve deep frying. This is because fats and meats can be scarce and expensive in China. As a result, true Chinese food is quite beneficial to your health because most of the recipes are low calorie and low carb. Chinese people also prefer to use soy products instead of meat and dairy. Soy products or tofu is full of good fats and proteins and are a great alternative to meats because its texture can simulate the meats we all love.

Furthermore, Chinese food is quite cheap and easy to cook because it is a style of cooking that is very open to flexible interpretations of recipes and you can often use leftover ingredients to create new dishes. Chinese chefs have learned to make a lot with very little, and this can be applied in our kitchens to save money. Frugality is definitely a virtue in the Chinese culture, and it is sometimes said that a Chinese chef can make dirt and bark taste good. This is a tribute to the ingenuity and practicality of Chinese cuisine.

In conclusion, if you love Chinese food but feel guilty about eating it, then you should make it at home with fresh and healthy ingredients. You will find a new appreciation for the culture and genius of the Chinese people and improve your health at the same time.

There is a great collection of Chinese food recipes at Chinese Food DIY. the site also offers a plethora of Chinese food cooking and shopping tips. There is also a free email newsletter with more than 24000 happy subscribers so if you want free Chinese food recipes please go ahead and sign up!

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Healthy Chinese Food: Secrets Revealed

Food is one of the most essential needs of man in order to survive but it is not enough for a man to keep what he wants because the nutritional content of the food is really needed. No matter how big your appetite is if you are eating the wrong choice of food, it will be useless still. But if you carefully watch what you eat and you are really particular with the nutrients, you will surely benefit. There are lot of things one needs to consider when it comes to food and if you are looking for great taste and really healthy variety of meals that are extremely good for the mind and body, you need to treat yourself for the right and really healthy Chinese food and below are the secrets revealed.

The Chinese are group of people who are not only famous for the kind of culture they have. They are not really considered unique for most Chinese also live a simple way of life but when it comes to cooking, they have those unique standards to follow. Standards that are not only practiced by few Chinese but also by most of them because they simply don't want to be far from what is prescribed. There are no strict standards when preparing a healthy Chinese food, but there are actually three things a person needs to follow if he wishes to cook the Chinese way.

What do you think are those standards in order to prepare a healthy Chinese food? Do you have any idea about those, since you also love to eat Chinese food, or you don't have any thoughts in mind, since you don't want to do such thing? If you are interested to know, then you must be aware of the first standard and that is to observe balance and harmony when cooking or preparing something to eat. The kind of ingredients being used should be balanced to create harmony when it comes to the taste, color and texture of the food being prepared.

The second standard in perfecting a healthy Chinese food is the use of fresh veggies, meat or other ingredients. The Chinese usually makes use of fresh ingredients since they believe that it is the right thing to do and as much as possible they really see to it that they are making use of fresh ingredients for the recipes. And to complete the three, the Chinese are also particular with the preparation. They don't want to cook food in a harassed way; they always secure all the things needed before starting. Utensils should be ready and ingredients should be, too. These are the secrets to achieve a healthy Chinese food for the whole family to share.

Learn more about healthy Chinese food [http://www.chinesecookingadvice.com].

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Eat Healthy Chinese Food

Some people will write Chinese food off as fatty and full of MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamate). Saturated fats and excess salts are considered bad for the heart and so it follows that Chinese food is unhealthy, right?

Wrong Some Chinese dishes, corrupted to become popular to western palates, fit this bill. Authentic Chinese food is not fatty, and MSG, if used at all, is used sparingly. In fact Chinese food has a long history of being directed towards promoting health; a much longer one than any local 'fad' in the west.

Some history

Although united 2000 years ago, China never developed a state system for healthcare until recently. Citizens had to take their own measures when sick, and since these were often too expensive, that meant avoiding sickness in the first place if at all possible.

The first principles of food therapy were established nearly 4000 years ago, though it was only during the Tang Dynasty (608-906 AD) that this form of knowledge became really popular. Four 'pillars' were identified as crucial to staying healthy: lifestyle, diet, exercise and mind. Of these diet was considered the most important, probably as it was the one over which people had the most control.

Food plays a central role in Chinese culture. Cooking healthy food for the family is a lifelong profession for most women. Children are brought up with some knowledge of the health properties of their food and dietary restrictions are commonly understood and observed. Eating healthily is almost an obsession and forms an unspoken bond between family members.

Some background

Traditionally, foods are classified in 4 groups:

Grains are for sustaining

?

vegetables for filling

fruits for supporting

meats for enhancing

Using modern terminology we can identify Grains as equivalent to carbohydrates, vegetables as roughage, fruits as vitamins and minerals and meats as protein.

A balance of 40:40:10:10 is considered ideal, with perhaps some variation in the balance between vegetables and meats.

Note that dairy products do not feature here. Most Chinese do not eat any dairy foods after childhood and, in fact, become intolerant to them as young adults.

It all comes down to what you choose

Bearing just this little bit of knowledge in mind it is possible to order better and more healthy Chinese food. By definition that will also be more authentic Chinese food.

Steamed rice is the staple of choice at any Chinese meal and if cooked properly should be tasty. Forget the various forms of fried rice and try it next time.

Avoid dishes in which meats have been coated and deep fried. The batter soaks up fat whereas fat used to stir fry meat and vegetables forms only a thin film. A little bit of fat is fine (and indeed necessary) but keep it reasonable.

Avoid dishes with sauces. These are laden with sugar and are often the culprits if excess MSG is being used.

Finally, watch what you are drinking. Boiled water and tea are traditional, though usually only before and after a meal not during the actual eating.

Ian Ford has lived in China for most of the last 10 years. He is the owner and manager of China Journeys, a UK tour operator offering travel in China with added interest (Registered in England and Wales No. 07014791, ATOL 10236)

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