Healthy Chinese takeaway?

[Squidgytoo]

Is this possible? What are the best things to order? Obviously, eating less helps but I don’t want to be left hungry afterwards. No option for something different as it’s for someone else’s special occasion so I do need to go with it.

All suggestions welcome although I appreciate it’s difficult without seeing the exact menu.

If you’re wanting to go as low calorie as possible, go for the options that are steamed or stir-fry, nothing battered or deep fried, so chicken & brocolli, steak & brocolli, get sauces on the side etc. Or in all honesty, weight loss isn’t measured in individual meals and 1 meal out isn’t going to make any difference to your weight loss journey.

If you have time to plan ahead for the meal then just reduce your calories slightly for a few days leading up to it, or reduce slightly on the day of, to allow more wiggle room for you to have whichever meal you want on that night while staying within your deficit for the week.

Can you read the menu before going? That would make it quicker to choose when you go.

-I agree with nothing deep fried.
-Stir fried veg/chicken/prawns in a light sauce- so nothing too sugary. No sweet/sour, no honey sauces etc
-Steamed fish/veg
-Chicken/sweet corn soup
-Boiled rice rather than fried
-Steamed dumplings

I'm getting hungry now 😋

Egg Fu Yung
Stir fry chicken with boiled rice

The problem is though that even the lower calorie stuff still contains a high level of salt, the sauces contain a lot of sugar, and if no sugar you have salt etc. Some let you make special requests, so maybe this is something you could ask for, less salt and sugar. They usually do it without issue, it does mean they have to cook it up fresh, rather than use a prepared sauce, which most do.

To be fair Chinese doesn’t have to be that bad - just avoid things like sweet and sour, anything battered or fried! So boiled rice and then I’d go with a chicken or a beef dish as duck and pork can be fatty.

I agree with the above suggestions for meals, and also the idea that it is one meal in a week of 27, so to balance this one, I’d have lighter meals the day of, and the day after. I would also try and get some incidental exercise - walk to the restaurant rather than driving (or park further away and walk if you must drive) or get out at lunch time the day before and the day after and have a good walk.

I used to go to a lovely Chinese restaurant with a friend, but I had a private rule that I needed to get 20,000 steps the day before and the day of the meal. My weight always stayed the same (I was not trying to lose it), and I felt like I had earnt the right to eat everything I wanted at the meal!

We steam our own dumplings at home and have them with cucumber salad, then supplement with something a bit more treat like from the takeaway e.g. some prawn toast or a.noodle.dish. Feels like a takeaway but cheaper and less of the 'bad' stuff! Not that any of it's 'bad' but helps the whole 'in moderation ' thing.

I get tomato beef with boiled rice when I want a healthier Chinese meal. Look for meals that contain meat and vegetables that are not battered and avoid side dishes. On a personal note I allow myself one unhealthy meal a week, usually on a weekend. That way if I'm craving something " bad" I know I don't have long to wait and it gives me something to look forward to. Weight loss may be slightly slower but for me this is more sustainable as otherwise I crash and burn.

Thanks everyone!

I’m on a very long weight loss journey - 16kg down but still 25 to go - and this is the second of this type of thing since new year. I know one meal won’t make a difference in the long run but I really struggle with healthy habits and I know that I’ll be tempted to eat loads and then decide I’ve blown it. It’ll take a huge effort to get back on track so I’d like to stay within the realms of reasonable if at all possible.

I will do as suggested and look up the menu before we go so that I can find suitable options from those suggested, and try to get in some more exercise beforehand too.