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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: Can anyone recommend some low calorie/carb Chinese food?
Basically I'm sick of eating oily/wheaty food and am looking for some lighter options. Are there any dishes or certain Chinese cuisines that are generally quite light and don't render me immobile after eating them?
My girlfriend and I will just cook meat and vegetables in a small amount of oil or even bake everything. Cut the carbs and you'll feel much better.
I think that Yunnan cuisine (or at least the Beijing version I've had) is pretty light. I often order a fish, some sort of mint leaf salad and some mushroom dishes. My personal feeling is that cold dishes are often less heavy.
Cold tofu, spicy cucumbers, steamed fish, vegetables malatang, steamed Hainan chicken, street barbecue (not the fried ones, and ask them not to put oil even if they say it won't cook properly), Cantonese food is often steamed but they also often use flour.
After the waitress finishes writing my order, I always tell her to use a little bit of oil, a little bit of salt and no MSG. They sometimes have a funny look or say that the dishes won't be tasty. Tell them it doesn't matter because you can't eat salty or oily food for health reasons. Just be careful though, since this is China, they might try to get around it and add soy sauce instead.
Sichuan cuisine is great for low or no carbs! I have shed about 20 pounds in 6 months, and am still losing weight! I eat as much as I wish, I indulge in some carbs now and again, and I drink quite a bit! But due to the general lack of rice or wheat in the local diet, I can still lose weight and feel good!
JustinF:
Isn't Sichuan food reputed for its food swimming in chili oil?
Cantonese food is quite light - usually steamed too which of course is much healthier.
unfortunately Chinese food is mostly stir-fry, and it won't taste nice unless the wok is very hot and enough oil is heated in. But the oil shouldn't concern you that much unless you're on a diet. Anyway, in terms of Chinese food, some dishes are steamed such as sea bass, water steamed egg etc, which you could try, typically the amount of oil in steamed dishes is less than stir-fries and I would personally classify as healthy options
Steam baskets. You can steam anything that lives or has lived: fish, chicken, beef, eggs, veggies, shoots, tubers, rice & other grains, fruit, etc. A sprinkle of olive oil, soy sauce (or whatever), fresh lemon juice, a dash of this, that and the other, and lots of cilantro or lemongrass. (Oops. That's Thai...) You won't be disappointed. Experiment according to your personal preferences.
You will eat more healthfully and enjoy it more. And since you are not drowning your food in peanut oil, it makes great leftovers for the next day or two. Try it.
Happy eating!