On the surface, the idea of ordering chicken & broccoli with rice sounds about as healthy as you can get. But when it comes to Chinese food (the American version), most dishes are stir-fried in an abundance of calorically-dense sauces.
For me, Chinese food is very comforting. If I’m going to order takeout, I’m going to eat way too much and get way too full without worrying about calories. But everyone doesn’t share that mindset, and maybe you want to save yourself some calories. I mean, many dishes are well over 1000 calories, which is not necessarily the easiest meal to fit into everyone’s lifestyle.
One of the biggest tips for saving some calories is asking for light sauce. You do have the option to order your food steamed with sauce on the side, but I’ll admit that takes a lot away from the deliciousness. I like to ask for light sauce, and get some more on the side, that way my meal is still prepared in the usual fashion that I enjoy AND it still saves unnecessary calories.
Another tip that I recently learned is ordering a side of steamed vegetables with your meal. You can mix those veggies into your meal to fill you up on way less calories without sacrificing any of the flavor from the dish you love!
Also, be mindful of how much you are eating. That may sound obvious, but a lot of us try to eat our entire meal when ordering takeout. Problem is, Chinese takeout is notorious for containing huge amounts of food, which is generally around 3 portions. Instead of eating right out of the container, portion some out and enjoy. If you are still hungry, you can go back for more, but the will help prevent you from absolutely stuffing your face.
