Which Chinese Food Can You Eat When Trying to Lose Weight?

Chinese food is one of the most popular foods around the world for its delicious flavors. At the same time, many Chinese takeouts are high in calories and saturated fat. This makes people in their weight loss journey wonder if it can be incorporated into their diet.

When planning to lose weight, our focus shifts toward our daily calorie needs. Since Chinese food is known to be packed with calories, there is an existing assumption that it is not suitable for weight loss.

But what we need to realize is traditional Chinese cuisine offers a variety of healthy food options that can support your weight loss goals. When you include Chinese food in your diet in a certain way, you can achieve your weight loss target over time.

In this article, we shall determine whether Chinese food supports weight loss and the ways to include Chinese food into your diet to lose weight steadily.

Is Chinese Food Good for Weight Loss?

Chinese food can help you lose weight when taken in moderation. The healthy ingredients used in making the Chinese food you consume have a positive impact on your weight. Consuming Chinese food that contains nutritious veggies can provide you with essential vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients.

If you choose to include brown rice in your Chinese meal, you are likely to have a fuller feeling and consume fewer calories in a day. This is because of the high-fiber content of brown rice.

Drinking healthy soup before a meal can reduce your calorie consumption. When your appetite is regulated, you’ll consume fewer calories than your body burns, which aids in effective weight loss. A 2007 study published in the journal Appetite found that consuming low-calorie soup as a preload increased the sensation of satiety and reduced total meal energy intake in adults. According to this study, soup preload is linked to a reduced total meal energy intake.

Chinese food that is high in fiber and low in calories can help you control your daily calorie consumption while also supplying you with a number of essential nutrients. Chinese food can thus aid in weight loss when taken as part of a healthy, low-calorie diet and consumed at moderate levels. 

How to Consume Chinese Food for Weight Loss?

Chinese food can support your weight loss goals when prepared and consumed using specific methods. As some Chinese foods contain a high amount of sodium and fat, it is best to incorporate healthier Chinese foods into your diet for weight loss. Various factors influence the weight-loss effects of Chinese food. Here are some helpful tips that you can utilize to lose weight while consuming Chinese food.

Select healthy ingredients

While choosing Chinese foods for weight loss, you can opt for foods with more veggies. Vegetables occupy a significant part of traditional Chinese foods. Consuming low-calorie veggies that are loaded with vital vitamins and minerals helps you achieve your weight loss goals. It is also best to have vegetables as a main ingredient in your Chinese food. 

Choose leaner meat varieties and include them in your diet to increase protein intake while sustaining weight loss. You can also have steamed brown rice in your diet as a side dish instead of white rice. Brown rice is packed with fiber, thus increasing the sensation of fullness and aiding in weight loss. 

For instance, you can opt for skinless chicken over duck, which contains high levels of fat. Choosing low-calorie, high-fiber, and high-protein Chinese foods can speed up your metabolism, reduce your cravings, and support your weight loss goals.

Consume soup as an appetizer

Chinese diets include at least one soup in any meal of the day. There are wide soup varieties in Chinese cuisine that have delightful flavors. You have to choose low-calorie soups like broth-based soups to manage your calorie consumption.

Including nutritious soups as an appetizer in your diet is found to reduce your total meal consumption. Soups can increase fuller feelings and help to regulate your calorie consumption. It is better to plan your diet with low-calorie soups to lose weight steadily.

The method of cooking meals

How you cook your meals has an impact on their nutritional profiles. Deep-fried foods are loaded with saturated fat and calories. Hence, it is best to avoid deep-fried and battered Chinese foods to support your weight loss plan. As an alternative to deep-frying, you can instead eat dishes that have been air-fried or lightly stir-fried, which have fewer calories and fat.

You can include steamed, roasted, poached, barbequed, or broiled Chinese foods in your diet for better outcomes. The use of less oil in the preparation of the food can improve its weight-loss effects. Chinese food that has been steam-cooked is a healthy option to include in your diet because it can help preserve the dish’s essential components and support your well-being.

Plan three meals a day

Chinese culture necessitates that they eat three meals a day. You can plan your diet with three meals a day to prevent snacking on unhealthy foods. Breakfast is an important meal in Chinese diets. When you plan your breakfast with nutritious foods, you’ll be able to sustain your energy levels throughout the day. 

Include low-sodium sauces in your diet

Sauces occupy an important place in Chinese foods. It is best to avoid sauces that contain high levels of sodium, fat, or MSG. You can opt for sauce varieties like mustard sauce, hoisin sauce, duck sauce, or plum sauce to support your weight loss efforts.

Even though these sauces are low in sodium, they should be included in your diet at moderate levels. Instead of consuming foods with sauces mixed together, you can opt for sauces on the side with the main dish. 

Most Chinese diets emphasize finding balance during each meal to maintain energy flow and avoid weight gain. When planning your meals for the day, it is best to take into consideration your daily nutritional requirements for sustainable weight loss.

Regulate portion sizes

You have to regulate your portion sizes to prevent weight gain. The best strategy is to utilize small bowls for consuming Chinese foods. This technique helps you to include small portions of Chinese food in your diet. For effective weight loss, plan your portions with the optimal level of nutrients, which helps to achieve balance in your meals.

One healthier option is one cup of rice and one cup of your entree dish prepared with veggies. Consider eating with chopsticks, which may prevent overeating and modulate food consumption. 

Choose low-calorie beverages

Including low-calorie beverages like green tea in your diet can help you achieve your weight loss goals. As green tea is packed with antioxidants, it can act as a detox and cleanse the body of toxins, thereby improving your immune health. Replacing low-calorie beverages with high-calorie drinks can aid in reducing liquid calorie intake and promote weight loss.

Healthy Chinese Food Options for Weight Loss

There are a variety of healthy options in the Chinese diet that you can consume to lose weight. It is best to cook these foods rather than purchase processed varieties. We have provided below five best healthy Chinese food options for weight loss.

• Steamed vegetable dumplings: As this food is prepared by steaming, it can be a healthy alternative to fried meat dumplings. Veggies like mushrooms and scallions used in this recipe are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals and low in calories. 
• Shrimp with brown rice and veggies: Brown rice can provide satiating effects because of its fiber content. Shrimp contains lean protein, which helps to improve your metabolism. The veggies in this recipe are packed with antioxidants, fiber, and water, thus enhancing your wellness.
• Moo Shu Vegetables: Vegetables like cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots are used in making this recipe. You can substitute lettuce for wraps in this food to enhance its nutritional profile. Since this recipe is packed with nutrients, it can promote weight loss.
• Broth-based soup: Broth-based soups are low in calories and high in fiber and protein. When you drink this soup before a meal, you are likely to consume a smaller portion of your meal because of its satiating effect.
• Brown rice with a scrambled egg: This recipe can be a healthy alternative to fried rice, which is high in fat. As brown rice has a low-glycemic index, it can help reduce insulin spikes, which are linked to increased hunger levels and weight gain. The fiber content in this recipe provides the sensation of fullness, thereby controlling cravings and supporting weight loss.

There is a wide range of healthy food options in Chinese cuisine that can help you lose weight. You can choose the one that suits your preference and weight loss goals.

A Sample Chinese Diet Plan for Weight Loss

When planning your diet using Chinese foods, it is best to opt for low-calorie varieties based on your daily calorie needs for better results. We have given a sample Chinese diet plan that can support your weight loss efforts.

• Breakfast: Two steamed dumplings, ½ cup brown rice, 1 cup hot and sour soup
• Lunch: 1 cup shrimp with broccoli 
• Dinner: 1 cup oatmeal with broccoli, an egg

You can add variety to your meal with some healthy additions. It will be helpful if you consume meals at moderate levels to support your weight loss plan.

Is Chinese Food Fattening?

There is a wide array of food options in Chinese cuisine that people consume on a regular basis. But a majority of popular Chinese foods are high in sodium, fat, and calories. When people consume such foods in excess quantities, they are at an increased risk of obesity.

Chinese meals that lack nutrients like protein and fiber while being heavy in calories, fat, and sodium can be fattening. This is why it is essential to include healthy, low-calorie Chinese foods in your diet for weight loss. 

High levels of sodium in some of these foods can lead to water weight in the body. Having water weight can cause fluctuations in your body weight to as much as one or two pounds per day. It is best to avoid high-sodium foods, which can stall your weight loss efforts.

Final Thoughts

Chinese foods are preferred by people around the world for their exciting flavors. But some of these foods are loaded with fat and calories, making them unsuitable for weight loss. You can choose healthy Chinese foods that are prepared using veggies to achieve your weight loss target. 

The way you cook Chinese food also has an impact on its nutritional profile. Avoiding deep-fried or battered meats can be beneficial for weight loss. Traditional Chinese diets have an equilibrium in their meals. When you eat Chinese cuisine in moderation with nutritious toppings, you are more likely to lose weight steadily.

You can plan your meals based on the helpful tips discussed in this article for better weight-loss results. Chinese food can help you lose weight if you prepare it using low-calorie vegetables, rice, and noodles.

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