Spring Break
Is Chinese food healthier?
ISOSU: Yiqing Ma
Issue date: 3/11/08 Section: Forum
While the fortune cookie was invented in the 20th century, the original inspiration for it probably goes back further in time to the railway boom of the mid-1800s. Unable to enjoy traditional moon cakes during the annual Autumn Moon Festival, Chinese railway workers substituted biscuits with messages inside. According to legend, in 1368 moon cakes themselves were used to pass messages - plans for a Chinese rebellion against the Mongol warlords who had conquered northern China.
Back to our topic. Since most American Chinese restaurants do not prepare their dishes in the authentic Asian style, the fare you'll find at most of these eateries is oozing with fat, cholesterol, salt and sugar, making American-style Chinese food not much better than those fast food take-out meals.
But the good news is Chinese food is still healthier if you eat it the right way. Just avoid the high-calorie ones and try something else instead.
What To Avoid:
Egg roll. Let's see; fried meat, eggs and veggies encased in deep fried dough. That's the perfect recipe for a heart attack.
Fried Wonton. Fried, yes, that does mean deep-fried. And it's also stuffed with meat, so you really can't be shocked to discover that this little morsel doesn't pave the way to ripped abs.
Pork Chop Suey. You won't even find this dish in China and it won't take you long to figure out why. It's basically pieces of meat stir-fried with bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and bean sprouts. With all the oil used in frying and the fat in the meat, chop suey is definitely a dish to ax.
Beef & Broccoli with Garlic Sauce. Again, just because it has broccoli, that doesn't mean it's healthy. The ratio of broccoli to beef is usually one to three, making this dish a salty, artery clogging no-go.
House-Fried Rice. If you want to raise your cholesterol, this is the dish for you. House-fried rice contains an average of one egg per order. Did I mention that it's also fried?
What To Try Instead:
Back to our topic. Since most American Chinese restaurants do not prepare their dishes in the authentic Asian style, the fare you'll find at most of these eateries is oozing with fat, cholesterol, salt and sugar, making American-style Chinese food not much better than those fast food take-out meals.
But the good news is Chinese food is still healthier if you eat it the right way. Just avoid the high-calorie ones and try something else instead.
What To Avoid:
Egg roll. Let's see; fried meat, eggs and veggies encased in deep fried dough. That's the perfect recipe for a heart attack.
Fried Wonton. Fried, yes, that does mean deep-fried. And it's also stuffed with meat, so you really can't be shocked to discover that this little morsel doesn't pave the way to ripped abs.
Pork Chop Suey. You won't even find this dish in China and it won't take you long to figure out why. It's basically pieces of meat stir-fried with bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and bean sprouts. With all the oil used in frying and the fat in the meat, chop suey is definitely a dish to ax.
Beef & Broccoli with Garlic Sauce. Again, just because it has broccoli, that doesn't mean it's healthy. The ratio of broccoli to beef is usually one to three, making this dish a salty, artery clogging no-go.
House-Fried Rice. If you want to raise your cholesterol, this is the dish for you. House-fried rice contains an average of one egg per order. Did I mention that it's also fried?
What To Try Instead:
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