Yet, some Chinese food options can be not-so-great for your health, especially when you consider the sodium milligrams in an average dish, as well as the high amounts of carbs and saturated fat, both of which are not great for your heart health, blood pressure or blood sugar levels. Order a dish with noodles or a side of rice? You're going to add in even more carbs, guaranteed.
Plus, lots of protein dishes, like chicken or beef, are fried and drenched in sauce, meaning they are loaded with unhealthy fats and ingredients that contain salt, sugar, and other sneaky properties that can turn a basic meat and vegetable dish into a diet disaster. Yet, some picks are better than others, though.
"General Tso's Chicken is a very popular dish to order at a Chinese restaurant but it's far from healthy when talking about Chinese cuisine. This dish is breaded, fried, and smothered in a sugary, salty sauce," she says.
And that sodium content can take you back a whole day's worth or more in just that one dish. According to Harris-Pincus, there are almost 2,400 milligrams of sodium in one serving, which is a full day's worth. (And if you're looking for more tips, we've got you covered, as your ultimate restaurant and supermarket survival guide is here!)
If turn to some insight from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we often get most of our sodium from dining out or eating unhealthy, packaged foods, rather than whole foods. So, it makes sense this dish would have more anyway than a grilled or roasted chicken you make at home. And add on the frying texture, sauces, and sweet ingredients, and that sodium skyrockets.
Plus, "it's absent the usual array of mixed veggies to balance out the dish. One order contains 1,578 calories, a whopping 88 grams fat, and 62 grams of sugar, which is the equivalent of almost three days' worth based on American Heart Association recommendations," Harris-Pincus says. Yikes! Add this to the list of the 35 Sugariest Restaurant Meals on the Planet you'll want to avoid, too.
What should you eat at a Chinese restaurant instead?
If you love the flavor of this beloved dish, there's still a way to enjoy it without compromising your health.
"Ask for steamed chicken with mixed veggies with General Tso's sauce on the side. Add a couple of tablespoons worth to your dish and if the restaurant has brown rice, that's a bonus," Harris-Pincu says.
This meal will have a fraction of the calories, sodium, and sugar and you'll benefit from more fiber as well. That fiber will also boost satiety so you will be more inclined to stop at one portion and not overeat, so add in veggies (high fiber!) and go with brown over white. Why does the type of rice matter? Well, one study showed that people who chose brown rice instead of white rice lost more weight and felt fuller longer. Plus, their blood pressure was lower too. A double whammy!
Getting the sauce on the side is also a great tip as it lets you choose how much you want to eat, so your food doesn't arrive drenched. This helps with avoiding the sky-high amount of calories and sodium. Use a few forkfuls and that should be about it to spread throughout the dish.
Plus, go with chopsticks over a fork or spoon if you have them. This can help slow down your eating which is better your blood sugar levels so you can register hunger cues better and not consume as much. Now, you're all set! But if you want to make your own meals at home, be sure to check out these 20 Healthy Chinese Food Recipes!
Gallery: "Healthy" Restaurant Meals That Are Secretly Awful For You (Eat This, Not That!)
"Healthy" Restaurant Meals That Are Secretly Awful For You
It's always a struggle when you're dining out to eat and you're trying your best to stay on track and not choose a highly caloric meal that is overly packed with fat, sodium, and sugar. And if we're being honest here, it's a lot harder than you may think! So that's why many of your favorite restaurants offering up lighter, healthier meals has been a true gift.
1. Cheesecake Factory SkinnyLicious Asian Chicken Salad
590 calories, 24 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 2,710 mg sodium, 53 g carbs (11 g fiber, 18 g sugar), 44 g protein
When you're eating at The Cheesecake Factory, you know you're in for ridiculously large portions, so the SkinnyLicious menu seems like a great place to choose a meal from. And a salad can't be bad, right? Well, the SkinnyLicious Asian Chicken Salad is packing more than 2,700 milligrams of sodium and 53 grams of carbs. For reference, The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams a day, so you would be exceeding your daily salt allowance on just one salad…
650 calories, 25 g fat (9 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 1,330 mg sodium, 49 g carbs (6 g fiber, 2 g sugar), 63 g protein
At Maggiano's, there are "Lighter Take" versions of popular dishes, so yes, choosing one of these compared to their regularly made counterparts is a better option. But you'll want to be careful when it comes to the Chicken Piccata meal, as it's still high in sodium. (If you're looking for more helpful tips, your ultimate restaurant and supermarket survival guide is here!)
3. Bob Evans Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad (Small)
470 calories, 27 g fat (7 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 1,180 mg sodium, 31 g carbs (6 g fiber, 20 g sugar), 28 g protein
Again, don't just see the word "salad" and think it's good for you. At Bob Evans, you might think choosing the small-sized Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad is the way to go, but it's is topped with grilled chicken, bacon, dried cranberries, blue cheese, and pecans, making for a meal that is high in sodium and sugar. Your salad should just never have as much sugar as two Krispy Kreme donuts!
4. TGI Friday's Chicken Parmesan Pasta (Half Portion)
1,390 calories, 85 g fat (30 g saturated fat, 1 g trans fat), 3,540 mg sodium, 97 g carbs (6 g fiber, 19 g sugar), 89 g protein
TGI Friday's offers up half portion-sized meals of classic dishes. So it may seem like it's not as bad for you. But the Chicken Parmesan Pasta is one to stay away from, no matter the size of the meal. The half portion is packing more than 3,500 milligrams of sodium! And the 85 grams of fat, along with 1 gram of trans fat? It's a no-go.
5. Outback Steakhouse Brisbane Caesar Salad with Shrimp
550 calories, 40 g fat (10 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 1,400 mg sodium, 16 g carbs (4 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 35 g protein
This salad is part of Outback Steakhouse's "Under 600 Calories" and while it is considerably lower in calories compared to other salads, it's still not your best option. Caesar dressing and the whole salad, in general, is one that tends to be high in calories and fat. This version is packing a ton of sodium, too. For more meals to be careful of, here are the 25 Unhealthiest Restaurant Salads in America.
6. Ruby Tuesday Hickory Burbon Salmon
409 calories, 17 g fat (4 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 907 mg sodium, 18 g carbs (0 g fiber, 18 g sugar), 42 g protein
Salmon has tons of health benefits, as it's rich in omega-3s and serves up plenty of protein. But when you're at Ruby Tuesday, you'll notice this grilled salmon filet from the Fit and Trim options is glazed with hickory bourbon barbecue sauce, and that's where things go wrong. It's packed with sodium and sugar that you won't get if you go for the plain grilled salmon instead.
520 calories, 19 g fat (9 g saturated fat, 0.5 g trans fat), 3,460 mg sodium, 51 g carbs (5 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 33 g protein
Cheesecake Factory strikes again! Here, this sauteed shrimp dish that is served with asparagus over angel hair pasta really seems like a stand-out meal. It's a smaller portion size compared to the other pasta meals on the menu and comes in way under 600 calories—not bad! But it's the pesky sodium that earns demerits. Nearly 3,500 milligrams is just too much for one small dish.
8. On the Border "Border Smart" Chicken Fajitas
650 calories, 13 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 1,500 mg sodium, 80 g carbs (20 g fiber, 8 g sugar), 53 g protein
There are "Border Smart" menu options you can choose from when you're feasting at On the Border, which as you most likely guessed are lighter meal choices. The grilled chicken fajitas have potential, as the chicken is served with sautéed onions and red and green bell peppers, black beans, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and guacamole. It does come with white corn tortillas, and it's a bit high sodium-wise when you factor in that there are no other side dishes served here. Tacking on the Mexican rice, for example, takes the sodium up to 2,340 milligrams. Your best bet is to eat half and take the rest to go for you to eat the next day.
9. Chili's Margarita Grilled Chicken
650 calories, 17 g fat (3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 2,340 mg sodium, 68 g carbs (7 g fiber, 9 g sugar), 55 g protein
Chili's has "Guiltless Grill" options that are much lower in calories than other menu offerings and that's where you'll fine the Margarita Grilled Chicken. It's made with pico, tortilla strips, Mexican rice, and black beans, and is described to "only taste like a guilty pleasure." The sodium content though is far too high to be considered a guilt-free option.
10. Carrabba's Linguine Positano With Shrimp and Whole Grain Pasta
830 calories, 29 g fat (4 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 2,880 mg sodium, 108 g carbs (17 g fiber, 12 g sugar), 38 g protein
This pasta dish at Carrabba's is an example of how "healthy" meals can be transformed into unhealthy ones very quickly. It features shrimp and whole-grain pasta—two foods that are typically regarded as solid choices. But Carrabba's manages to create a dish that is high in sodium and actually contains 300 milligrams more of the salty stuff than the version of this dish that is made with regular pasta. No thanks!
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