You might wonder about Chinese food to avoid. Here are the tips.
Chinese Food to Avoid
Avoid these unhealthy foods at all costs while dining at a Chinese restaurant.
Chinese Food to Avoid – One of the most well-liked styles of food in the United States is Chinese. According to statistics collected by Google in the year 2020, which cuisines online users looked for the most frequently (for recipes as well as restaurant locations), the answer was Chinese food (through Chef’s Pencil). Similar statistics have been published by Nation’s Restaurant News, which found that 36 percent of consumers claim they eat Chinese food “often,” while an additional 42 percent say they eat it at least “sometimes.”
In point of fact, Chinese cuisine has been a favorite in the United States ever since the first large wave of Chinese immigrants arrived here in the middle of the 1800s. These immigrants brought with them their own distinctive blend of a variety of foods, spices, and cooking techniques, which they introduced to the American consciousness (via Oxford Research).
But beware! Despite the fact that we are huge fans of Chinese cuisine, not all of it is of the same quality. There are numerous tasty healthy foods that are filled with protein and are just as good for you as they are nutritious. Nevertheless, there is also a great deal of Chinese cuisine that is not very beneficial to your health. These high-calorie, fatty, and sodium-laden catastrophes may have a pleasant flavor, but they are horrible for your health, particularly if you order them on a regular basis. The following are some of the ones that you should steer clear of:
Fried Chicken with General Tso’s Sauce
Chinese Food to Avoid – According to NPR, while being a cherished mainstay at restaurants serving American-Chinese cuisine, General Tso’s chicken is actually not all that well known in China nowadays. Although the dish is named after general Tso Tsung-t’ang, one of the most well-known historical figures in the Chinese military, and he is said to have enjoyed eating it frequently, people in the Hunan region of China, where he once lived, do not actually eat the dish very often these days. Despite this, the dish has been given his name.
Although sugar was not used in the preparation of the meal in its traditional form, the American-Chinese variant is loaded with the sweetener. Although many people like the combination of sweet and savory flavors, the excessive amount of sugar included in General Tso’s is a major contributor to the dish’s bad reputation. The combination of cornstarch, orange juice, rice vinegar, and sugar that is used in General Tso’s sauce has been described as “the formula for a diabetic coma” by the publication Prevention.
Chinese Food to Avoid – According to registered dietitian and nutritionist Lauren Harris-Pincus, who contributed to Eat This, Not That, “This meal is breaded, fried, and slathered in a syrupy, salty sauce.” According to Harris-Pincus, one order contains almost 2,400 milligrams of sodium per serving. Additionally, one order contains 1,578 calories, an astounding 88 grams of fat, and 62 grams of sugar, which is the equivalent of almost three days’ worth based on the recommendations of the American Heart Association.
Curry with meat and broccoli from China
When placing an order for Chinese food, selecting the beef and broccoli dish must be a wise decision, right? Wrong! According to the publication Prevention, the salty black bean sauce used in beef and broccoli may contain more than a day’s worth of sodium all by itself. In point of fact, an order of beef and broccoli at a restaurant like P.F. Chang’s can pack as much as 770 calories, 33 grams of fat, 33 grams of sugar, and 2,110 milligrams of salt into a single serving.
Chinese Food to Avoid – To put this into perspective, the American Heart Association recommends keeping your daily sodium intake to less than 1,500 milligrams. This means that you can’t even consume more than two-thirds of a single serving of beef and broccoli before you accidentally go over the recommended limit for sodium intake.
Chinese Food to Avoid – There is no way to order beef and broccoli in a Chinese restaurant without getting an unhealthy amount of salt. But, if you cook this meal at home, there are several simple methods to reduce the amount of sodium in it. Instead of flavoring your dish with the traditional combination of soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil, try the American Heart Association’s lighter variation of the recipe, which is made with low-sodium soy sauce, red wine, and honey. This will cut the amount of sodium in the recipe by a significant amount.
Related to Chinese Food to Avoid – is american chinese food healthy
Was this helpful?
I am a skilled chef assistant with a passion for Asian cuisine, I have honed my craft through formal training at At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy and years of experience in the culinary industry. I have extensive knowledge of cooking techniques and herbs and spices, with a particular focus on traditional Chinese dishes. I’m also an author of the book “Delicious Keto Low Carb Chinese Food for Busy Moms and Fitness Enthusiasts” which is sold on Amazon. On my blog, bowlakechinese.com, I share my expertise in Asian cuisine and provide tips and recipes for those interested in low carb Chinese cuisine.