A Diabetic’s Guide To Chinese Food

If you’re a lover of Chinese food, you may think that you need to just avoid it if you are also suffering from diabetes.

While classically, Chinese people may be very thin, traditionally, in western culture, people who eat in Chinese restaurants tend to be not so thin.

Of course, there are big discrepancies between what people eat in China and what’s served in Western culture Chinese food, but this doesn’t necessarily mean you need to avoid ordering Chinese entirely.

You do however need to gain some ordering smarts. When you learn to read a Chinese menu properly, you can choose dishes that will fit your plan without totally derailing your dietary efforts.

Here’s what to know.

Always Ask For Brown Rice

The first thing to know is to always ask if brown rice is available. Often times it’s not, in which case you will have to make do with white rice, but the odd Chinese restaurant will have brown rice and if so, make use of it! It’ll help you add extra fiber to your plan and help slow down the release of sugar in the bloodstream.

Try Moo Shu Chicken

While you will want to ditch the pancake and side sauce that typically comes with this meal, the good news is that this dish alone is loaded with chicken meat and is also going to come with a wide array of thinly sliced vegetables.

Because the sauce is traditionally served on the side, you can control how much you put on, leaving you with direct control over how much sugar you take in.

Moo Shu Chicken is a great way to get your fiber intake up and shouldn’t put too big of a dent in your blood glucose levels.

Chicken And Broccoli

Chicken and broccoli is another classic dish that you’ll often find in Chinese restaurants and one that you will want to check out if you are watching your total sugar intake. The sauce is typically incorporated into the dish, but if it’s brown or garlic one and the food doesn’t look completely drenched in the sauce, it’s not going to be the worst of choices for your diet plan.

Again, you’ll get a great source of lean protein coupled with fiber from the vegetables, so you choose to serve it with or without rice depending on how many carbs your body can handle.

When dining Chinese, since you will inadvertently be getting in carbs from almost all of the sauces found in the dishes, it can be easier to just forgo rice entirely and use your carb allotment for that meal for the sauce instead.

Egg Foo Young

Another dish that is quite low in carbs (although it can be quite high in fat, so do eat in moderation) is Egg Foo Young. It is made from beating eggs together and then cooking them in conjunction with a variety of sliced vegetables and added meat if desired. If you want to keep the dish as healthy as possible, definitely go for added chicken breast over beef or pork.

Because the primary ingredients here are eggs plus whatever meat you choose, it’s a protein-packed option so a great choice if you’re someone who struggles to get their protein intake up.

Ask To Avoid Corn Starch

Finally, one last tip. When you are ordering any dish that is going to be prepared for you, ask the chef to leave out the corn starch. Unfortunately, Corn starch is used in a number of Chinese dishes and while it does thicken the sauce and make it coat the vegetables better, it’s going to add a number of unwanted carbs to the meal as well.

If you can, ask for them to avoid it and save yourself that extra nutrition. If you are eating buffet-style, this won’t be possible, however, so then just do note that it is included in your dishes.

So there you have the main facts to know and remember about ordering Chinese when you have diabetes. It’s certainly not impossible by any means to still stick to a healthy diet, but you do need to know the menu and order wisely.

As always, whenever dining out, be mindful of your portion control as that will make a big difference to the end result.