Chinese Food Nutrition Facts

If you are fond of eating sumptuous rice and delicious noodles, the best representations of Chinese cuisine, you are on the right page. While you may be a fan of this cuisine, here’s a look into the nutrition data for Chinese food, along with useful suggestions for indulging in it the healthy way.

Did You Know?

Chinese people incorporate the philosophy of Yin and Yang in their food, which helps them maintain a perfect balance in the food texture, color, and flavor.

The characteristic way of eating Chinese food with the help of chopsticks makes everyone curious about the food, and the aroma of the food drives people crazy. It is not necessary to give up eating Chinese food because it is high in calories. Instead, you should look for low-fat, low-calorie authentic Chinese food.

It is very important to take into consideration the source and preparation methods while choosing food from a nutrition guide. Deep-frying, heavy sauces, and dishes loaded with meat can turn an otherwise healthy plate of food into a caloric and nutritional nightmare. The sections below try to highlight the calories and sodium levels in various Chinese preparations and suggests healthy ways to indulge in this cuisine.

Nutrition Facts

The nutrition facts of Chinese food may vary from place to place, depending upon the ways of preparation and the ingredients used. The amount served may also be different at different restaurants.

Dish Name	Calories	Sodium	Saturated Fat
Appetizer
2 Veg Spring Rolls – 96 g	160	540 mg	1 g
1 Egg Roll – 58 g	150	320 mg	1.5 g
Steamed Vegetable Dumplings – 6	400	1100 mg	3 g
Pan-fried Pork Dumplings – 6	500	900 mg	6 g
Soup
1 Egg Drop Soup	100	900 mg	0 g
1 Wonton Soup	100	800 mg	1 g
1 Hot and Sour Soup	100	1100 mg	1 g
Chicken
Sichuan Chicken – 1 serving (234 g)	331	1273 mg	2 g
Kung Pao Chicken – 1 serving	1400	2600 mg	13 g
Lemon Chicken – 1 serving	1400	700 mg	13 g
Rice and Noodles
Chow Mein Noodles Chicken Flavor – Half container (57 g)	260	680 mg	4.5 g
Chow Mein Noodles – Half cup (24 g)	125	110 mg	1 g
Fried Rice – 1 Cup (156 g)	290	1220 mg	0 g
Chicken Chow Foon – 1 Serving	1200	3400 mg	7 g
Vegetables
Stir-fry Vegetables – 3 oz. (85 g)	20	10 mg	0 g
Deep-fried Tofu and Mixed Vegetables – 1 Serving	900	2200 mg	9 g
Spicy Korean Vegetables and Tofu 1 Serving (100 g)	310	2710 mg	2 g
Meat
Beef with Broccoli – 1 entree (159 g)	124	685 mg	1.6 g
Orange Beef – 1 Serving	1500	3100 mg	11 g
Mu Shu Pork without Pancakes – 1 Serving	1000	2600 mg	13 g
Seafood
Stir-fried Shrimp and Veggies with Garlic Sauce – 1 Serving	700	3000 mg	4 g
Szechuan Shrimp and Vegetables (Equal Proportion), Stir-fried in Chili Pepper-garlic Sauce – 1 Serving	700	2500 mg	2 g
Pork and Shrimp Wontons – 5 (78 g)	210	400 mg	3 g
Shrimp Fried Rice – 1 Cup	321	925 mg	1.95 g

You must have noticed that Chinese food does not include cheese. Lots of vegetables, seafood, and lean poultry are the main ingredients used in the food. So, it actually belongs to the category of healthy food. The vegetable oil used in it has enough unsaturated fat, and it balances the cholesterol-raising properties of the saturated fat it contains. Though the food is popular all over the world, you don’t get the authentic Chinese dishes everywhere. What you get are the localized versions of these dishes, which may be higher in calories, saturated fat, and especially sodium. So, the food is considered to be more harmful than a pizza or burger. Before ordering your favorite dishes, you should check the nutrition facts mentioned in the menu card.

Ways to Lower the Calories and Sodium Content

Reduce the Quantity of Sauces: Healthy steamed vegetables and lean meat may turn unhealthy when they sit in a warm pool of sticky sauce all day. You can ask the sauce to be placed on the side. There is no need of dumping the sauce over your food. First, dip your chopsticks in sauce and then pick up the vegetables or meat. You will easily get the sauce’s flavor, and at the same time, you will be able to avoid ingesting huge amounts of fat and sodium. Eating with chopsticks prevents you from picking up too much of sauce.

Ask for Low-sodium Sauces: In the restaurant, you should request for low-sodium soy sauce. Though it has the same flavor, there is a notable difference in its sodium content. Do you know that hoisin sauce (used to prepare spring rolls, mu shu pork, Peking duck, and barbecued pork, etc.) has sky-high levels of sodium? According to the nutritional data presented by the USDA, 1 tbsp. (16 g) of hoisin sauce contains 258 mg sodium. On the other hand, 100 ml of soy sauce contains 6 g sodium.

Avoid High-sugar Sauces: The sauces which are high in sugar are sweet and sour sauce, duck sauce (orange in color, often used in egg rolls), oyster sauce, and plum sauce (often accompanies mu shu). Other spicy sauces and dishes like lemon chicken are also high in sugar. Make sure you try avoiding all of them.

Check the Quantity: You should watch the quantity of Chinese food that you eat. After looking at the dish, it can be very well judged whether you will be able to finish it or not. You can take away the remaining quantity home, for the next day!

Check the Hidden Unhealthy Elements: Sodium that raises blood pressure and saturated fat that raises blood cholesterol are the hidden unhealthy elements present in various sauces. Before placing your order, just think about such important factors. Order your food carefully so as to obtain low-salt, low-sodium, and low-sugar food.

Thick vs. Thin Soups: Cornstarch is often used for the thickening of sauces and soups. Soups are fine for weight loss, but they may affect your blood pressure and blood sugar levels. A bowl of soup may contain about 1 tsp. of cornstarch. Hot and sour, egg drop, wonton soups, etc., are all low in fat, but high in sodium. It is better to have clear thin soups like egg drop.

Deep-fried vs. Stir-fried: You don’t need to eat crispy chow noodles that often come free with your meal, as they are very high in fat. Avoid deep-fried food. Steamed vegetables, fish, and rice are comparatively healthy. You may enjoy flavorings like rice-wine vinegar, wasabi, and ginger.

Correct Choices

When you want to indulge in Chinese food, here are a few things you should know, which will help you to make the right choices.

Black bean sauce is low in carbs.
Small quantities of hot mustard are fine. You just have to be cautious as each packet has a substantial helping of sodium inside.
Steamed dumplings are healthier than deep- or pan-fried dumplings.
Spring rolls are healthier than egg rolls.
Instead of pork, you can choose vegetable fillings, so as to halve your saturated fat intake.
Avoid creamy dressings or crispy noodles in salads.
Avoid eating crab rangoons, egg roll, fried dumplings, or barbecued spare ribs as starters. They are high in fat.
Instead of fried rice, you may order for plain, steamed brown rice which is healthier.
Chicken/shrimp/pork fried rice are bad choices because they are rich in saturated fat, calories, and sodium.
Steamed vegetables without sauce would be a healthier option.
Look for steamed, boiled, or roasted food instead of fried food.

If this Chinese fare has tickled your taste buds, simply pick up those chopsticks, and indulge in some delicious, lip-smacking Chinese cuisine, but in the healthier way.