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"headline":"Keto Chinese Food: The Best Low-Carb Dishes",
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"description":"Our ultimate guide to low-carb Chinese food will help you order healthy takeout and cook up keto-friendly feasts at home.",
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"text": "American-style Chinese relies on a lot of rice and noodles as well as starchy wonton wrappers. So you might think that simply crafting an order without these items would equal low-carb success―no sweat! Sadly, it’s not quite so easy. Many of the most popular dishes, like sweet and sour chicken, can really pack on the carbs—up to 70 grams in a serving, not counting any rice or noodles! That’s because of the heavy batters and sticky sauces that are so addictively delicious."
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"text": "In all our research, we’ve found that one of the healthiest dishes is egg foo young. It contains heart-healthy eggs and an array of low-carb vegetables like cabbage, mushrooms, and spring onions. You can go vegetarian or include a meat like roast pork, ham, chicken, or shrimp for extra protein."
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<article>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="#section1">Is Chinese Food Keto Friendly?</a></li>
<li><a href="#section2">What Is the Healthiest Option?</a></li>
<li><a href="#section3">Low-Carb Chinese Restaurant Food</a></li>
<li><a href="#section4">Helpful Tips for Ordering at the Restaurant</a></li>
<li><a href="#section5">Cooking Low-Carb Chinese at Home</a></li>
<li><a href="#section6">Keto Chinese Food Recipes</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<section>
<p>When we think ‘Chinese food,’ most of us think about getting takeout. It’s quick, easy, and often delivered right to your door—perfect for a busy weeknight. But it might not be perfect for your nutritional goals. If you’re trying to stay in ketosis, you might think twice about getting your weekly order of General Tso’s.</p>
<p>But even if you’re living low-carb, there are many great keto Chinese food options for satisfying your craving, both in restaurants and at home.</p>
</section>
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<section id="section1">
<h2>Is Chinese Food Keto Friendly?</h2>
<p>American-style Chinese relies on a lot of rice and noodles as well as starchy wonton wrappers. So you might think that simply crafting an order without these items would equal low-carb success―no sweat!</p>
<p>Sadly, it’s not quite so easy. Many of the most popular dishes, like sweet and sour chicken, can really pack on the carbs—up to 70 grams in a serving, not counting any rice or noodles! That’s because of the heavy batters and sticky sauces that are so addictively delicious.</p>
</section>
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<section id="section2">
<h2>What Is the Healthiest Option?</h2>
<p>In all our research, we’ve found that one of the healthiest dishes is egg foo young. It contains heart-healthy eggs and an array of low-carb vegetables like cabbage, mushrooms, and spring onions. You can go vegetarian or include a meat like roast pork, ham, chicken, or shrimp for extra protein.</p>
<p>Not in the mood for egg foo young? You’re still in luck! Flip through any menu and you’ll be delighted to find a wide range of good-for-you options. In general, Chinese food contains plenty of veggies, protein, ginger, spicy chilis, and other ingredients that can rev up your metabolism, reduce inflammation, and otherwise boost your health.</p>
<p>However, the preparation methods can leave something to be desired if you’re living low-carb, since many dishes are battered and fried, coated in sugar-heavy sauces, or filled with other starches. Still, there are some healthful options on almost any menu if you know what to look for!</p>
<p>Anything with ‘steamed’ in the name is probably a safe bet, especially if you ask for sauce on the side. Vegetarian dishes also tend to be on the healthier side, though you’ll want to watch out for sneaky carb sources like carrots or beans. Hunan pork with peppers or braised fish are other great choices.</p>
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<h2>Low-Carb Chinese Restaurant Food</h2>
<p>Although most of us think ‘takeout’ when we think of Chinese food, if you’re trying to stick to a low-carb diet, you may actually want to opt for a buffet.</p>
<p>Usually "diet" and "buffet" don't get to live in the same positive sentence, but in this case a buffet can make it easier to pick and choose options that are best suited to your diet! At a buffet, you don’t automatically get a side of fried rice that might tempt you into ‘just a little cheat.’ You can also engineer your own satisfying keto Chinese food by mixing sautéed broccoli, garlic mushrooms, braised mustard greens, and butter shrimp to create a delicious meal that’s not on regular menus.</p>
<p>But what if you’re too tired to head out and just want it to come to you? Have no fear, takeout can be low-carb modified.</p>
<h3>Options to Choose From</h3>
<p>There are a host of great low-carb options at most Chinese restaurants, though you may have the best luck with a local place instead of a big chain where it’s harder to ask for your meal to be customized if necessary. Some healthy classics include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Egg drop soup</li>
<li>Smashed cucumbers</li>
<li>Beef and broccoli</li>
<li>Butter shrimp</li>
<li>Roast duck (skip the sauce)</li>
<li>Egg foo young</li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/diet/are-cashews-good-for-depression-and-anxiety/" rel="noreferrer">Cashew</a> chicken</li>
<li>Moo goo gai pan</li>
<li>Garlic eggplant, mushrooms, or broccoli</li>
<li>Buddha’s Delight</li>
<li>Sichuan poached fish</li>
<li>Mu shu pork (skip the pancakes)</li>
<li>Braised greens</li>
<li>Garlic sauce</li>
<li>Vinegar sauce</li>
</ul>
<h3>Things to Look Out For</h3>
<p>While a number of classic Chinese dishes can be lower in carbs, most of the common orders aren’t so healthy. It’s best to avoid:</p>
<ul>
<li>Eggrolls</li>
<li>Wonton soup</li>
<li>Lo mein</li>
<li>Fried rice</li>
<li>Black bean sauce</li>
<li>Hoisin sauce</li>
<li>Sweet and sour sauce</li>
</ul>
<p>Most of these are obvious no-gos—fried rice=carb central—but even dishes that appear keto-friendly can pack a sneaky carb surprise. When ordering, watch out for:</p>
<ul>
<li><b>Sauces:</b> Black bean sauce is clearly off limits, and sweet and sour plainly uses a bunch of sugar. But many other sauces also pack a double whammy of carbs. They use cornstarch to thicken and sugar to amp up the flavor. Dishes that come in a heavy sauce, like sweet and sour chicken or General Tso’s, are often super-high in carbs. Go for the lightest option you can, like butter shrimp or garlic beef.</li>
<li><b>Breadings and Coatings:</b> Watch out for fried meats coated in breading! But also keep an eye on other meats. For instance, that beef and broccoli may not seem to be battered and fried, but the beef is often “velveted,” which means it’s been dredged in cornstarch before stir-frying. That adds hidden carbs. Ask politely to have your order steamed instead.</li>
<li><b>Thick Soups:</b> Thick, luscious soups like hot and sour typically use cornstarch to thicken them, getting that great mouthfeel we all learned to love. Where possible, stick to clear, thinner soups like egg drop or wonton soup. Just don’t eat those wontons! Instead, try stirring in some garlic mushrooms to enjoy instead.</li>
</ul>
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<h2>Helpful Tips for Ordering at the Restaurant</h2>
<p>So what do you do if you just really want some Chinese takeout? It can seem like all those restrictions make it off-limits on keto! Thankfully, not all is lost.</p>
<p>Take the opportunity to develop a relationship with your local Chinese eatery. Go at a relatively calm time, like 4 p.m., and ask if you can see nutritional information. Some family-owned shops won’t have this available, but it never hurts to ask! Local shops may also be willing to make a special order for you.</p>
<p>Ask for sauces on the side, whether you’re eating in or getting takeout. It may take longer to prepare, but it’s worth it to control how much sauce ends up on your plate—especially if you don’t know if there’s excess sugar or starches hiding in there. You’ll control your carbs better by dipping the occasional piece of beef into the sauce rather than wolfing down an order of beef and broccoli that’s been drenched and saturated in syrupy sauce already.</p>
<p>Ask for your order to be steamed. Many dishes are already steamed so asking for your meat and vegetables made this way won’t throw them off too much.</p>
<p>Order extra vegetables, especially if your order typically comes with a side of rice. Just request that they leave out the rice and give you extra of whatever low-carb veggies come in your dish. Broccoli and mushrooms are great options! Just be sure not to go for carrots or other higher-carb vegetables.</p>
<p>Get creative! Although crispy wonton wrappers aren’t low-carb, the cabbage-and-pork-filled interior is. Crack open a couple eggrolls and scoop out the tasty filling to mix with your steamed chicken and veggies for added flavor, or stir it into your egg drop soup for a filling meal.</p>
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<h2>Cooking Low-Carb Chinese at Home</h2>
<p>One of the best ways to stay in ketosis and still enjoy Chinese dishes is to make them yourself. That way, you can control what goes into the sauce as well as maximize your low-carb veggies and healthy fats.</p>
<p>Many classic recipes are easy to update—just trade sugar for smarter options like monk fruit or stevia, then make smart swaps for the rice or noodles!</p>
<h3>Ingredients to Swap</h3>
<p><strong>Cauliflower Rice:</strong> Subbing cauliflower rice for regular white or brown rice is one of the easiest keto-friendly switches you can make! Just steam up a bag from frozen or make your own with a food processor and you have the perfect base for your low-carb Chinese meal. You can also skip the rice altogether and use greens as a base for your meat or stir-fry dishes.</p>
<p><strong>Low-carb Noodles:</strong> Instead of making lo mein with carb-heavy egg noodles, try tossing your sauce, meat, and veggies with spiralized zucchini noodles. Spaghetti squash makes another great low carb noodle alternative—and tastes great in a spicy, savory Singapore noodle dish!</p>
<p><strong>Lettuce & Cabbage Wonton Wrappers:</strong> Craving moo shu chicken or street-style roast duck with pancakes? Missing the handheld goodness of an eggroll? You don’t have to skip wrapped dishes entirely when you go keto! Swap a lettuce or cabbage leaf for the typical wonton wrapper. Or whip up a batch of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/diet/almost-zero-carb-low-carb-wraps/" rel="noreferrer">low-carb wraps</a> to enjoy. These go particularly well with moo shu pork!</p>
</section>
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<section id="section6">
<h2>Keto Chinese Food Recipes</h2>
<p>Although American-style Chinese cuisine, the kind we find in restaurants, is often loaded with sugary sauces or other sneaky carbs, traditional recipes tend to be much healthier. Consider expanding your palate and your cooking repertoire and taking a class on, say, Sichuan or Hunan cooking.</p>
<p>In the meantime, try one of these great recipes. They’re nearly as fast and easy as takeout, and packed with the tastes you crave while staying keto-friendly.</p>
<ul>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/diet/beef-and-cabbage-stir-fry" rel="noreferrer">Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/diet/sesame-chicken-salad/" rel="noreferrer">Sesame Chicken Salad</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/diet/asian-crack-slaw" rel="noreferrer">Asian Crack Slaw</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/diet/sriracha-cauliflower-fried-rice" rel="noreferrer">Sriracha Cauliflower Fried Rice</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/diet/asian-cucumber-salad" rel="noreferrer">Asian Cucumber Salad</a></li>
</ul>
<p>From flavorful cauliflower rice bowls to spicy stir-fries and everything in between, there are tons of great low-carb Chinese food options. Whether you’re cooking at home, going out to eat, or ordering takeout, you can stay low-carb by making smart choices. Opt for steamed instead of fried, get sauce on the side, and hack the menu to create filling new dishes.</p>
<p>With these healthy swaps, tips, and tricks, you’ll be enjoying keto Chinese food in less time than it takes to order delivery!</p>
</section>
</article>