When you are on a ketogenic diet Chinese food seems tricky with hidden sugar, starchy sauces, and high carb dishes. It’s more difficult to stop yourself from having those aromatic saucy meals with pasta and rice which are a big No in Ketogenic diet. While on ketosis your body demands more intake of proteins and saturated fats. When it comes to Chinese food sugary thick sauces and high carb meals come onto the mind and it seems impossible to stay long on a Ketogenic diet. Yet we can make our choice in Chinese food by following keto friendly meals. There are a variety of Chinese dishes you can opt while staying on a Ketosis process. We should be more careful about what we are having for our hunger cravings.
Table of Contents
1- What is Keto Friendly Chinese Food?
“Keto is more than a diet it’s a Lifestyle.”
All Chinese food lovers don’t stress there is always a way out there for those keto dieters. You must be wondering….How those full of carbs, scrumptious saucy platters with sticky rice and noodles can be part of your ketogenic diet? Well… Chinese food offers a lot more than these. You have to be careful while choosing a Keto Friendly Chinese food.
The modern touch given to Chinese food makes it tough for keto dieters as there may be rice and sauces included. However, the traditional Chinese food contains low carbs and no starch. You can choose less sugary and saucy meals, steamed food can be the best option with a little touch of soy sauce or Worcester sauce. Infact, there is a range of things we can do with traditional Chinese cuisine which will still make it delicious for keto dieters. Chinese food is quite interesting for ketosis if you make some strict planning for low carbs while preparing at home or eating out.
What Chinese food to eat on ketogenic diet?
“Look and feel like your hottest self ever! Go Keto.”
Choosing a low carb, high fat Chinese cuisine seems a bit difficult. Actually it is not, you only know what to avoid while choosing your recipe. Chinese food is a big tricky as it has some sneaky ingredients which are not preferable for keto diet. Still for all those Chinese food maniacs here are a few meals along with tips which are preferable for eating while at home or out in a restaurant.
1: Stir Fry Food
A stir fry food with beef, chicken or prawns is a good keto-friendly meal. While preparing your meal to add a good amount of olive or sesame oil which is a healthy saturated fat to remain into ketosis process. Don’t add starch or sauces like orange sauce, oyster sauce, etc. as they have added sugar in it. You can use soy sauce and hot sauce instead for seasoning your dry chili beef with. If you are heading to a restaurant look carefully at the menu and can explain the server to avoid the starchy sauces or use less quantity. 1/2 teaspoon is most preferable.
2: Clear Soups
Chinese cuisine offers a unique and delicious range of soups. For an appetizer you can order soups instead of fried wings, shrimps or chicken pops. You can go for egg drop soup or hot and sour soup it contains thickener but depend on its consistency. If you are preparing at home be careful not to add cornstarch for thickening. Make Clear soups using mushrooms, green leafy vegetables, and shrimps or chicken it is best for keto diet.
3: Steamed Food
Steamed fish like tuna, salmon or prawns are good choice with addition of some low carb veggies like spinach, bell peppers any dark green leafy vegetables. Steamed food is tasteless but you can spice it up with some soy sauce or a little amount (1/2 teaspoon ) of other sauces to add a flavor to it. Use Sesame oil for consuming fat your meal will turn into a tremendous keto friendly meal.
Specific Ketogenic Chinese Food
There are certain dishes you can make at home or order in a Chinese restaurant which are high on fats and low on carbs. They are quite good to put your body into ketosis process.
1: Egg Foo Young
Egg foo young can be your first choice while ordering a meal in a restaurant. It contains lean chicken, cabbage, sprouts, eggs, mushroom, onions etc. which comes with a starchy sauce. But you can ask server to add a little amount or no amount of sauce in it. It’s a superb dish for keto fans.
2: Mu Shoo Chicken
Mu shu contains mostly of 4 grams of carbs which is highly effective in keto diet. It contains mushrooms, peas, bell peppers, beef, eggs, celery etc. It comes with pancakes but you can avoid ordering pancakes or rice with it. It is a perfect choice while in a Chinese restaurant.
3: Beef/Chicken Broccoli
Chicken or beef broccoli without sauces is another choice for keto lovers. It contains high protein and low carbs specifically broccoli which is abundant in fiber too. It’s a righteous meal for all keto dieters.
4: Chop Sue
Not adding rice or noodles with it chop sue is an enjoying meal with meat and vegetables and a good choice to while cooking some Chinese.
5: Chicken Wings
Chicken wings are the best thing to consume for keto dieters. You can fry them without being breaded and bake them as well top with olive oil. if in a restaurant ask the server if they provide you without glaze and extra sauces.
6: Lettuce Wraps
Avoid the spring rolls or egg rolls. you can choose to have lettuce wrapped rolls. They are ketogenic without sugar and hoisin or plum sauce.
7: Green Leafy Vegetables
Spinach, watercress or peas stir fried with garlic is one of the best low carb dish in Chinese cuisine. It only contains oil and garlic in its ingredients.
8:Kung Pao Chicken
Another chicken or beef dish with vegetables and peanuts. you can add vegetables with the lowest carbs so the meals remain totally on the keto friendly side.
2- What Chinese food to avoid on ketogenic diet?
While you cook at home or want to dine out make sure to avoid these things to make your meal keto friendly. Here are the main things you are going to skip from your Chinese food to lose those extra pounds without losing your flavors.
Sauces and corn starch
There are certain thickened sauces which should be avoided in your Chinese meal. Hoisin, oyster, Plum sauce etc. which are readily available must be totally ignored if you need to stay in ketosis. Most of Chinese cuisine is based on starchy sauces. Don’t order or prepare those saucy meals. You can use 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce in single platter it will give a good taste to your meal. Cornstarch is mostly use to thicken soups and sauces which must be avoided too.
Rice and Noodles
Rice and noodles have high carb qualities which is a big no in ketogenic diet.
Wontons And dumplings
Wontons are wrapped in flour base and then deep fried which is must to be avoided. If you really want to enjoy wraps roll them in cabbage, steam and drizzle with good amount of olive or sesame oil.
Egg Rolls and Spring rolls
Again they are flour based that is not allowed in keto diet.
3- Things to Follow while Eating Chinese in Restaurant
Whenever you enter a Chinese restaurant the aroma of flavors and sauces will surely hypnotize you. Try to avoid those temptations of sauces and sneaky high carb meals with rice and noodles if you want to lose some weight. A few tips you must follow while ordering your meal.
- Search your menu with a little patience and see if there are meals with high protein fats and lower at carbs.
- Don’t look for starchy thick sauces and ask your server about the thickness and consistency of sauces in the meal.
- If there are steamed pork, fish or chicken option go for it. Steamed or air fried are free of oil so you can always ask the server for some olive oil or bring your own in a small container to pour onto it.
- To add flavor to your steamed meal you can ask for soy sauce or hot sauce.
- You can ask the server to add extra fried eggs to top any of the egg dishes.
- Try to order dishes with more meat and fewer carb vegetables and no sugary sauce.
- Also avoid that breaded or batter-coated meat as cornstarch is used in it which is again not keto friendly.
- Many restaurants offer diet menu in their meals you can check and order a good customizable meal. You can freely choose from those dishes as they are avoided with all unhealthy stuff.
Conclusion
Chinese food is preferable on a ketogenic diet if low carbs and starchy meals are skipped. When you check for your protein intakes and taking high fats. We have discussed a few meals and tips which are quite useful while preparing your Chinese food at home or having a dine out day. It’s a challenge for you to set aside your temptations and eat a healthy meal with low carbs and high protein.
