View Full Version : Chinese Food
Frankie86
03-12-07, 2:22 pm
Is there anything healthy with Chinese food..every once in a while i find myself eating Chinese food, trying to pick what i think is the healthiest thing but not really knowing..so whats some of the best things, if there are any to get from Chinese food
Universal Rep
03-12-07, 2:27 pm
Is there anything healthy with Chinese food..every once in a while i find myself eating Chinese food, trying to pick what i think is the healthiest thing but not really knowing..so whats some of the best things, if there are any to get from Chinese food
Many places will steam chicken and veggies and give you sauce on the side. Along with white rice, you can't go wrong with that... Then again, General Tso's chicken.... Oh boy. Getting hungry.
Frankie86
03-12-07, 2:44 pm
yea true but what about stuff like general tsou chicken or sesame chicken..like all that slimy stuff coverin it..what is that stuff, is it healthy?
ironshaolin
03-12-07, 2:56 pm
I usually order chicken or beef with vegetables, brown instead of white rice, and either light on the sauce or no sauce. They will comply, kinda like Burger King. You can even tell them beef and broccoli with no sauce, but spicy. Mmmmm.
Rhetoric
03-13-07, 1:32 am
Not sure if you have these on the East Coast, but here in CA we have a couple pretty good Chinese chains called Pick Up Stix and Samurai Sam's that both offer brown rice, fresh vegies, steamed chicken, etc. Both are reasonably priced and use fresh ingredients. Good luck.
Freakshow
03-13-07, 2:01 am
Chinese is usually REAL greasy..cant go wrong with Japanese though...some sushi, steak and veggies over rice...yum. FreakShow
stumblin54
03-13-07, 3:50 pm
yea true but what about stuff like general tsou chicken or sesame chicken..like all that slimy stuff coverin it..what is that stuff, is it healthy?
Anything slimey and sweet or spicy covering the chicken is not going to be healthy because it will have too much sugar, and also contain HFCS. Try and stay with the plain chicken and rice, or go with sushi. Peace.
Stumblin
Is there anything healthy with Chinese food..every once in a while i find myself eating Chinese food, trying to pick what i think is the healthiest thing but not really knowing..so whats some of the best things, if there are any to get from Chinese food
It all depends on what you order. "Chinese" food can be healthy when steamed. When cutting I shoot for some steamed chicken w/ broccoli and brown rice. Nice solid meal.
JUGGERNAUT
03-14-07, 5:39 pm
Yup, steam everything!
Those are steamed and you can get veggie ones. Me being the fanatic that I am..I would just eat the darn stuffng..but honestly, those wonton wrappers they use are not bad at all. You can find them in the grocery in the freezer section and look at the nutrition content..not bad at all.
Just dont dip them in the sweet sauce...its all sugar. Use low-sodium soy sauce or that spicy stuff they use.
Everything else is always in a sauce and chances are the sauce is really high in sugar and sodium. Unless you make a request and they do it the way you want it, but it's hard to find a place to be so accomodating. A nice restaurant may help you out, buy you may also pay extra for such a meal.
I used to go to this one place and ask for specific items and the chef began to remember me, so when I walked in..he would just start preparing my food without me even asking. I paid extra, but it was sure worth it and I trusted him. That is cool if you could find a place like that....reliable and helpful as such.
I can always give you a couple of stir-fry type or chinese style recipes to try at home. Just pm me and I will post them n the recipe section here at the forum.
musclealchemist
03-14-07, 8:52 pm
i love chinese food, and i mean you cant go wrong with it its nothing but chicken and vegetables. As long as you stay away from the fried stuff, its all gooodd baby!
i LOVE chicken and broccoli with white rice.
friggin amazing if made well. perfect post workout meal too :P
I found these nutritional facts in a post on another bodybuilding site that I frequent.
P.F. Chang's China Bistro®
Beef with Broccoli (Lunch)
served Cantonese-style, tossed with fresh steamed broccoli
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 lunch
Calories 760 from fat 441
Fat 49g
-saturated 12g
Carbs 23g
Protein 56 g
P.F. Chang's China Bistro®
Ginger Chicken and Broccoli
served Cantonese-style on a bed of fresh steamed broccoli
Serving Size: 1 dish
Calories 620 from fat 189
Fat 21g
-saturated 2.5g
Carbs 43g
Protein 63 g
I used to love that place when I lived in california...that's a nice chinese restaurant...gorgeous food!
Chinese places will steam the vegetables and meat for the simple fact that there are a shitload of them around and they want your business. Skip sauces and eat up...
NorthernBarbarian
03-14-07, 11:06 pm
No self-respecting chinese person would ever steam their meats and veggies. Those american-chinese restaraunts ain't doing it right!
I just ate chinese food like two hours ago. Frickin incredible....
rockyIV
03-19-07, 10:49 am
Broccoli Beef is always solid and you can always get brown rice if your cut is strict.
mcbeast
03-19-07, 10:54 am
chinese food is actually really healthy or so ive heard,if you eat it plain..why do u think chinese people are so skinny?
just hold the sauces,and make everything steamed not fried.
damn this thread! im starving..mrp next period =)
BTW,off TOPIC but...
ids smartgainer,caramel chocolate..
656 calories,88 carbs,55 g protein..
BETTER THEN FREEKNG YOOHOO OR NESTLE
focused
03-19-07, 10:57 am
One of my good friends is Chinese and he laughs at how we love chinese food. because he tells me its so different from what he ate when he still was in China. not to mention the portion sizing is way smaller than the average chinese restaurant. but yeah...plus everything is all sauced up and full of sodium.
Hercules
03-21-07, 10:05 am
I just saw this article online and remembered this post.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,260120,00.html
It's a no-brainer study, but it's interesting....
knockout509
06-14-08, 5:50 pm
I know to stay away from any fried food, but what about chicken with brocoli? or lo-mein and all that good stuff? Tonight I had a pint of white rice and a small chicken with brocoli. Should I stay away from that also? Good cheat meal? or what. thanks:]
houseofpain
06-14-08, 5:56 pm
Anything is good for a bulk. If your on a diet, be aware it's extremely high in sodium. But if your bulking, no worries. Eat everything that isn't nailed down.
danny414918
06-14-08, 6:24 pm
i eat chinese food just about everyday i work, because there's a chinese place in the mall that i work in. i love it
Hola Bola
06-14-08, 6:25 pm
Just try and minimize your fried food intake at the chinese buffet... everything else is fair game.
Damn you General Tso's Chicken!!!
Just try and minimize your fried food intake at the chinese buffet... everything else is fair game.
Damn you General Tso's Chicken!!!
*drooling* General Tso's. I love that stuff. Anytime I eat chinese thats what I get. At most I eat chinese once a month just because the stuff I love is the worse for me. To me, I dont see a reason to eat out unless I can eat the stuff I want to eat.
But, as others have said before, try to stay away from fried stuff most of the time, it can get very unhealthy (not just gaining fat). If you're on a bulk, eat chinese food but remember to keep health in mind.
twisted_steel
06-14-08, 7:00 pm
When I crave chinese, i like to go into vietnamese food places and order their fresh wor wonton soups...those r filling, quite clean food wise, and nutritious...chicken, seafood, veg, a little dumplings, otherwise just a great dish. or the fresh rolls....just great to satisfy a heavy hunger, then u can order something smaller and healthier to fill u up after the fresh rolls. i usually go 2 fresh rolls to start then a bowl of wor wonton soup. 12.95$ and damn good and filling.
naturalguy
06-14-08, 9:51 pm
I love chinese food. It's really up to you. You can get plain steamed chicken and mixed vegetables all the way up to good ole general tsao's. It can be food on your diet or a big cheat meal based on how you order.
Aaron590
06-14-08, 11:12 pm
I love Tso's Chicken! But being on a clean bulk, it has become nothing but a memory...
prowrestler
06-14-08, 11:19 pm
chinese food is bad news. avoid it.
im talking about the normal chinese food at buffets and shit. i dont know to much chinese foods though.
FourThirty
06-15-08, 1:18 am
You could make your own stir fry meals and keep it pretty healthy. One TBSP of peanut oil in a wok (or fry pan), a pound of beef or chicken, and throw in a bunch of veggies. No MSG and way less sodium compared to the stuff at most restaurants.
Many authentic oriental restaurants will cook the food pretty clean for you.
Of course, I go crazy at PF Changs every once in a while.
I think it depends on where you get it.
Some places just use a shit ton of oil, you can see your chicken and broccoli swimming in the stuff. Some places make it a little drier.
I'd go with the route the NaturalGuy said, steamed chicken and veggies. I tried it for the first time earlier this year and I was pleasantly surprised. It was pretty damn good.
Maybe limit your regular chicken and broccoli and opt for the steamed.
ROC1291
06-15-08, 10:53 am
If you have the appetite at the end of the day, sushi and mongolian pit bbq at the chinese buffet is a great choice.
Just beware of anything doused in sauces.
If you can eat brown rice at a chinese place do it.
If they have the steamed option available i'd say do that too and they usually give you the sauce on the side.
Just dont go overboard with egg rolls and shit like that because its really not that great for you.
Damn you General Tso's Chicken!!!
With ya there! My problem with the 'non fried' stuff is the high sodium and the normally low quality meat. Usually, buffets at least, you are getting poopoo chicken and beef, very fatty etc. But push comes to shove, eat up! But the sauces, high in sodium, sugar, and who knows what else.
mritter3
06-16-08, 11:05 am
i do not see anything wrong with chinese food it is high in protein and has some steamed veggies to go along with it and over rice what could be better, just stay away from some of the chicken that has to go in a deep fryer for the batter.
JUGGERNAUT
06-16-08, 11:11 am
I love chinese food. It's really up to you. You can get plain steamed chicken and mixed vegetables all the way up to good ole general tsao's. It can be food on your diet or a big cheat meal based on how you order.
Yup, if you are going to eat it, get it ALL steamed!
The Hulk2011
06-17-08, 1:21 am
I say if your wanting to get bigger eat everything!! If not... Then I woulnt eat chinesse food because of the high sodium which will make you retain water.
its great tasting grub...but sodium....boy howdie...its a killer and Natalie ended up with a sodium issue and had to cut it out...so I cook as much as I can for her...and we got a low sodium cook book....but here is a good asian treat if you can find one...its called Shabo....its a bot of boiling water with spices....you cook vegies and thin lices of beef and lamb and its low fat...tasty and not a bad meal at all...
joelast
06-19-08, 11:16 am
Beef lo mein and chicken fried rice, I could eat that shit three meals a day
spicy shredded chicken and egg fried rice....i would live on that!!
Appollonian
06-19-08, 12:53 pm
As long as the food is stir fried and not deep fried, a lot of items really isn't that high in fat per SERVING. Now, if you eat 2-3+ servings, that's another story all together.
Coach Fowler
06-19-08, 1:24 pm
I quit eating Chinese unless I cook it at home. The last time I ate restaurant Chinese food, I swelled up like a balloon. It was all water weight caused by the sodium. It took me 3-days of cardio to work it all back out...I hate cardio.
If I have a craving, I go for sushi. I leave out the soy sauce. I do kick up the wasabi though.
We each work too hard too long to have "food addiction issues".
Pizzalamp
06-19-08, 1:47 pm
I quit eating Chinese unless I cook it at home. The last time I ate restaurant Chinese food, I swelled up like a balloon. It was all water weight caused by the sodium. It took me 3-days of cardio to work it all back out...I hate cardio.
If I have a craving, I go for sushi. I leave out the soy sauce. I do kick up the wasabi though.
We each work too hard too long to have "food addiction issues".
mmm sushi is the best
nevergiveup92
04-22-10, 9:05 pm
Just ate a big plate of take out Chinese food and was wondering how bad is it for you? I had it after my workout, I believe it was just beef chicken and fried rice. Does anyone know if its that bad for you?
Survivor831
04-23-10, 12:24 am
Not bad for you, just change the fried rice with white or brown rice.
naturalguy
04-23-10, 8:22 am
Just ate a big plate of take out Chinese food and was wondering how bad is it for you? I had it after my workout, I believe it was just beef chicken and fried rice. Does anyone know if its that bad for you?
It depends how they made it (sauces added, oil, etc.). Obviously the fried rice is not great, you would be better off with white or brown.
It all depends, are you bulking? If so it's fine.
If you are looking to get lean then you should order plain steamed chicken or shrimp with plain steamed mixed veggies and plain rice.
Mmmm, chinese food. My food of choice for refueling.
Girevik 69
04-23-10, 11:59 pm
Anything slimey and sweet or spicy covering the chicken is not going to be healthy because it will have too much sugar, and also contain HFCS. Try and stay with the plain chicken and rice, or go with sushi. Peace.
Stumblin
Not to mention that General Tso's and sesame chicken are typically deep-fried.
Some Chinese places will make the General Tso's without breading and deep-frying the chicken. The sauce is the same, but it's a bit lighter overall, without all that horrible fried dough.
Girevik 69
04-24-10, 12:04 am
More and more Chinese restaurants are offering healthier options... steamed chicken and even steamed beef, with steamed veggies and sauce on the side (brown, white, or garlic). The more progressive places offer brown rice as an option too, though the places around my area tend to use the brown rice that has a shape and texture closer to that of pearled barley--denser and chewier than white rice or the long grain brown rice that Uncle Ben's offers.
Girevik 69
04-24-10, 12:12 am
When it comes to Japanese places, I'm big on salmon rolls and cucumber rolls, clear broth soup, and beef shogayaki... shredded beef in a nice ginger sauce (comes on an iron platter, sizzling), with veggies, udon noodles, bean sprouts, and sticky rice.
jeff00z28
04-24-10, 12:42 am
i get it a lot for cheat meals. usually just the grocery store shit lately cuzz its cheaper. it takes me about 1500 calories give or take to be stuff.
http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/nutrition/how-to-own-the-chinese-buffet-a-guide-to-getting-huge-on-the-cheap/
Haha, chinese food is great!