Is Chinese Food Unhealthy?

Next to Pizza, Chinese food has to be on of the more popular takeout foods for Americans. So, is it bad for you?

Chinese food is a favorite of both the native Chinese and American foreigners alike. Their spicy dishes and authentic cuisine suits almost any palate and has endless possibilities. Unfortunately, sometimes Chinese food can be anything but a healthful dinner. Lucky for many Chinese food lovers, there are healthy alternatives that are equally tasty but lower in saturated fats and simple carbohydrates.

Choosing the right type of foods when ordering Chinese takeout can make a world of difference in the nutritional value you will receive. Picking foods that are high in protein, such as chicken or beef dishes and full of veggies are great healthy choices. As a substitute to fried dishes such as sweet and sour or sesame chicken, opt for a sautéed alternative such as cashew chicken or beef and broccoli. These dishes provide nutritional value that other traditional plates such as lo mein lack. Lo mein provides several sources of bad fats and carbohydrates due to the large amounts of noodles and the oil it is stir fried in. Always make sure that the Chinese restaurant you choose serves food without MSG. There have been conflicting reports about the poor nutritional value contained within.

For healthy side dishes, skip the fried egg roll and wontons and instead have a cup of soup. Skip the order of fried rice. It is an unnecessary supply of large amounts of calories. It also contains high concentrations of cholesterol. If available, brown rice is the most healthful alternative to fried or white rice. If possible, on the day you choose to order Chinese takeout, limit your intake of sodium rich foods. Many Chinese meals are high in sodium content due to the use of soy sauce and other additives. Don't add any more salt than necessary once your meal arrives! Additionally, if you are ordering a dish with peanuts, eat them in moderation. Peanuts can be very beneficial and contain many good fats and nutrients. However, eating too many can make a somewhat healthy dish unhealthy quite quickly.

Choosing between inexpensive restaurants and high end Chinese restaurants can also increase or decrease the health of the food served. As a generalization, many high end Chinese food restaurants will have a special menu with specifically healthy options as well as a list of their nutritional content.

When all else fails, do not hesitate to question your server or the manager of the Chinese restaurant. Most are eager and willing to provide you information on their native dishes and are usually very knowledgeable about their cuisine. The majority of restaurants are required to have nutritional content information on site. This could be useful in helping you decide on the best healthy Chinese takeout options.

Jerry Passi is with HealthFoodCompanies.com - providing free health food articles.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Top 7 Unhealthy Chinese Foods to Avoid and Lose Weight Fast

Who doesn't love Chinese food? But dishes are often loaded with salt, oil and carbs. So here are 7 dishes that you should definitely stay away from if you are watching your waist line.

Fried rice and Lo Mein. These dishes are about three fourths worth of a day's calories. As well you are eating four or five cups of white rice or white noodles loaded with oil and just a bit of vegetables. Scarily enough, these are often ordered as side dishes! Watch the noodle dishes and focus on choices that'll have a few more nutrients such as mixed vegetables or tofu.

Chow Fun. This dish is made of wide white rice noodles and tastes healthier than lo mein, but it's not. If you haven't noticed, it usually glistens in the light because its been fried in tons of oil and it tastes so good from all the salt!

Sweet and Sour Pork. First of all you shouldn't even be eating pork in the first place, it is loaded with sodium and pigs carry parasites in their bodies, thus you are ingesting parasites as well as disgusting meat. But what are you getting when you order this is three quarters of a pound of deep-fried pork, coated in sugar and oil. This also goes for other meat dishes such as crispy orange beef.

Lemon Chicken. This one dish contains 1,400 calories, two thirds of a day's fat, tons of sugar and doesn't come with vegetables. It's like eating three McDonald's McChicken sandwiches and a 32-ounce Coke. Yum.

General Tao's Chicken. Let's recap, this dish features breaded, deep-fried chicken chunks that are then soaked in sauce. Think chicken is healthier? Not in this case. One dish has about 1,300 calories and half a day's worth of saturated fat.

BBQ Spare Ribs. Usually consumed as appetizer, one plate of spare ribs carries two thirds of a day's worth of saturated fat and 600 calories. That's the same amount of calories as in two pork chops. If you won't eat two pork chops as an appetizer, why would you eat four spare ribs?

Healthier options include anything that is steaming including dumplings, vegetables and any vegetarian dishes that are not oil fried. You need to know the right foods to eat and in the right order if you ever want to lose your weight.

Discover how people lost tons of weight using a method called calorie shifting. Even with a lack of motivation this weight loss method is guaranteed to help you lose more than 10 pounds in under 2 weeks. Click http://www.lose9in11days.com your weight loss depends on it.

Note: You may wish to publish this article for your website, blog, etc. As long as the article remains in its full entirety; including the links and the about the author resource box.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.