Chinese Restaurant Food Draws Criticism

[Evermore]

Wednesday, March 21, 2007 1:25 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By LIBBY QUAID

WASHINGTON (AP) — The typical Chinese restaurant menu is a sea of nutritional no-nos, a consumer group has found. A plate of General Tso's chicken, for example, is loaded with about 40 percent more sodium and more than half the calories an average adult needs for an entire day.

The battered, fried chicken dish with vegetables has 1,300 calories, 3,200 milligrams of sodium and 11 grams of saturated fat.

That's before the rice (200 calories a cup). And after the egg rolls (200 calories and 400 milligrams of sodium).

"I don't want to put all the blame on Chinese food," said Bonnie Liebman, nutrition director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which did a report released Tuesday.

"Across the board, American restaurants need to cut back on calories and salt, and in the meantime, people should think of each meal as not one, but two, and bring home half for tomorrow," Liebman said.

The average adult needs around 2,000 calories a day and 2,300 milligrams of salt, which is about one teaspoon of salt, according to government guidelines.

In some ways, Liebman said, Italian and Mexican restaurants are worse for your health, because their food is higher in saturated fat, which can increase the risk of heart disease.

While Chinese restaurant food is bad for your waistline and blood pressure — sodium contributes to hypertension — it does offer vegetable-rich dishes and the kind of fat that's not bad for the heart.

However — and this is a big however — the veggies aren't off the hook. A plate of stir-fried greens has 900 calories and 2,200 milligrams of sodium. And eggplant in garlic sauce has 1,000 calories and 2,000 milligrams of sodium.

"We were shocked. We assumed the vegetables were all low in calories," Liebman said.

Also surprising were some appetizers: An order of six steamed pork dumplings has 500 calories, and there's not much difference, about 10 calories per dumpling, if they're pan-fried.

The group found that not much has changed since it examined Chinese food 15 years ago. That's not all bad, Liebman said.

"We were glad not to find anything different," she said. "Some restaurant food has gotten a lot worse. Companies seem to pile on. Instead of just cheesecake, you get coconut chocolate chip cheesecake with a layer of chocolate cake, and lasagna with meatballs."

The group says there is no safe harbor from sodium on the Chinese restaurant menu, but it offers several tips for making a meal healthier:

—Look for dishes that feature vegetables instead of meat or noodles. Ask for extra broccoli, snow peas or other veggies.

—Steer clear of deep-fried meat, seafood or tofu. Order it stir-fried or braised.

—Hold the sauce, and eat with a fork or chopsticks to leave more sauce behind.

—Avoid salt, which means steering clear of the duck sauce, hot mustard, hoisin sauce and soy sauce.

—Share your meal or take half home for later.

—Ask for brown rice instead of white rice.

[Darcler]

Not only are they friend bits of heavenly goodness, but they give you 4 meals worth which some people feel compelled to eat in one sitting. I just finally finished my left over chinese food. Took 2 days of lunch and dinner.

[Tae-Bo]

you guys ever seen what goes on in an asian food kitchen ? out of all the different restaurant types ive ever been to while working doing kitchen equipment installation, asian food places were the filthiest

thats the kinda shit ppl should know about

[The Kizzy]

10 billion skinny asians and Jay can't be wrong!!

[Jay]

No. Duck is right. I lost a lot of weight and a contributing factor to that is the avoidance of Chinese food. One in a great while I'll have some noodles but if it's a regular part of your diet, there are a ton of health risks involved and also it's just plain unhealthy. Chinese people on the other hand are typically skinny and whatnot and eat Chinese food but they also have monstrous metabolism from laboring.

[The Kizzy]

Damn it, I was trying to call you fat, asshat!!

[Jay]

[Darcler]

oh and chinese people stay that skinny because they dont eat the bastardized version of chinese food they serve fat americans.

[Trielelvan]

No. Duck is right. I lost a lot of weight and a contributing factor to that is the avoidance of Chinese. One in a great while I'll have some noodles but if it's a regular part of your diet, there are a ton of health risks involved and also it's just plain unhealthy. Chinese people on the other hand are typically skinny and whatnot and eat Chinese food but they also have monstrous metabolism from laboring.

This is only true of Americanized Chinese restaurant food. Real Chinese food is healthier and better for you than 99% of what most people stuff their faces with everyday. Most of it is steamed, poached, boiled, or braised, and the stuff that is fried is done so in very little fat, and you don't eat much of it.

Also, the monstrous metabolism comes from working on the railroads, all the live long day, but they got smart and make the mexicans do the work while they supervise

[Trielelvan]

DARC NINJA!!!!

[Darcler]

WIN!

[Tossica]

Yeah, steamed veggies and white rice, you can't get much healthier than that.

[Arlos]

"You'll work harder with a gun in your back, on a bowl of rice a day..."

-Arlos

[KaiineTN]

you guys ever seen what goes on in an asian food kitchen ? out of all the different restaurant types ive ever been to while working doing kitchen equipment installation, asian food places were the filthiest

thats the kinda shit ppl should know about

Last time I went to an Asian place (Sawat Dee) I was with a Korean girl, and we went in the back door (her idea!) because it was too cold to walk around and walked through the kitchen to get to the restaurant, no one even glanced at us. It was kind of funny, though the place didn't seem filthy at all.

[10sun]

my favorite place was torn down to make way for new revitalization of the campus area =(