For those adhering to a ketogenic diet, Chinese takeout can present a challenge. Hidden carbohydrates lurk in sauces, seasonings, grains, and noodles, making it essential to navigate the menu with caution. However, Chinese food can be keto-friendly with careful selection and customization. This guide provides essential tips and keto-compliant options for enjoying Chinese cuisine while staying on track.
Can Chinese Food Be Keto-Friendly?
Traditional Chinese-American dishes are often high in carbohydrates. However, modifications can significantly reduce net carbs. Requesting substitutions like cauliflower rice, broccoli, or mushrooms instead of white rice can transform a carb-heavy meal into a keto-friendly one.
Simple Tips on How to Order Keto Chinese Food
Before visiting a Chinese restaurant, review the menu to identify suitable options and potential modifications.
1. Choose Dishes Centered Around Meat
While stir-fried noodles are a common association with Chinese food, many meat-centric dishes are naturally low in carbs and high in fats and protein, making them suitable for keto dieters.
- Beef stir-fried with broccoli
- Pork belly
- Roast duck
- Roast chicken
- Mongolian beef
- Stir-fried shrimp
- BBQ pork
- Fried or boiled eggs
Be aware that some dishes may contain added sugars and syrups that increase net carbs. Request sauces on the side, remove them yourself, or opt for meats without sauces.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
2. Opt for Steamed Dishes
Steamed foods are a good alternative, provided the restaurant uses healthy cooking oils like butter, ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil. Many restaurants, particularly Asian establishments, use oils high in omega-6 fatty acids, such as canola, sunflower, soybean, safflower, corn, and peanut oil, which can promote inflammation and increase heart disease risk. Steamed dishes are also less likely to include breading made from wheat flour.
3. Swap Starchy Carbohydrates for Non-Starchy Options
Replace rice, corn, taro, noodles, or steamed buns (bao) with non-starchy vegetables. Consider these low-carb options:
- Bok choy: 1g net carbs in a 100-gram serving
- Green beans: 3g net carbs in a 100-gram serving
- Cauliflower: 3g net carbs in a 100-gram serving
- Broccoli: 5.6g net carbs in a 100-gram serving
- Mushrooms: 2.28g net carbs in a 100-gram serving
- Cabbage: 4.5g net carbs in a 100-gram serving
- Snow peas: 5g net carbs in a 100-gram serving
These vegetables offer a satisfying crunch, boost satiety due to their fiber content, and are low in carbs.
4. Choose Keto-Friendly Drinks
Avoid bubble teas, sweetened iced tea, and fruit juices. Plain or sparkling water is ideal for hydration without interfering with ketosis. Green or black tea, typically offered in Chinese restaurants, contains zero carbs. Some restaurants provide diet soda, but be aware that artificial sweeteners may increase appetite and sugar cravings. A recent review linked artificial sweetener consumption to unfavorable cardiovascular conditions and mortality, potentially due to gut microbiota disruption and increased oxidative stress in heart tissue.
5. Practice Portion Control
Be mindful of portion sizes when eating out, especially in group settings. Portion control helps reduce overall carb intake, which is beneficial when unsure of ingredients or suspecting hidden carbs. It also helps lower calorie consumption.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Keto Chinese Food Recipes
While restaurant and takeout meals offer convenience, cooking at home provides more control over ingredients, ensuring ketosis maintenance and cost savings.
- Keto Tofu: 224 calories, 1.9g net carbs, 17g fat, 14.1g protein
- Orange Chicken: 368 calories, 13g net carbs, 11g fat, 51g protein
- Keto Egg Drop Soup: 112 calories, less than 1g net carbs, 4.7g fat, 16g protein
- Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli: 162 calories, 2.3g net carbs, 10.8g fat, 13.8g protein
- Crispy Keto Pork Belly: 146 calories, 0g net carbs, 11.5g fat, 10.8g protein
- Rosemary and Garlic Mushrooms: 135 calories, 4g net carbs, 12g fat, 4g protein
Keto-Friendly Chinese Food Options
When scouting for keto Chinese food takeout menu options, focus on high-protein, low-carb choices.
- Beef with Broccoli: Tender beef slices combined with crisp broccoli. Request light sauce or sauce on the side, as brown sauce tends to have less sugar than thicker counterparts. Be aware that some restaurants marinate the beef in a cornstarch slurry, adding carbs.
- Egg Foo Young: A flavorful stir-fry with eggs, vegetables, and your choice of meat. Replace starchy sides like rice or noodles with zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice.
- Kung Pao Shrimp: A mix of shrimp, bell peppers, chilies, and peanuts.
- Moo Shu Pork: Stir-fried pork and vegetables (usually cabbage and mushrooms) served with a light sauce. Ask for it without the pancake to fit keto guidelines, or replace rice with riced cauliflower or extra veggies. If counting carbs strictly, request sauce on the side.
- Egg Drop Soup: A simple, delicious, and low-carb soup made with eggs, broth, and a thickener. Ask if the restaurant uses a keto-friendly thickener like xanthan gum, as some use cornstarch.
- Hot and Sour Soup: A blend of broth, spices, mushrooms, and tofu with a tangy taste from vinegar.
- Mongolian Beef: Thinly sliced flank steak with mixed vegetables, scallions, and a brown sauce. Ask for the sauce on the side to ensure it is soy-based and not a sweet alternative like hoisin.
- Pork Belly: A high-fat and low-carb option that gets crispy on the outside and tender on the inside when roasted. Be cautious of sugary glazes.
- Omelette: A comforting, omelette-like dish packed with vegetables and protein.
- Tofu and Vegetables: Tofu, a low-carb protein source, combined with various vegetables.
- Scallion Beef: Thinly sliced beef sautéed with scallions and a light sauce.
- Lettuce Cups: Fill crisp lettuce leaves with sautéed chicken, beef, or pork and vegetables.
- Mushroom Stir-Fry: Mushrooms stir-fried in a light sauce, ideal for a vegetarian keto option.
- Chicken and Broccoli: Protein-rich chicken with fiber-rich broccoli, sautéed in a keto-friendly sauce.
- Baked Salmon: Seasoned with traditional Chinese spices and rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Ensure the restaurant doesn’t glaze the fish with a sugary sauce.
- Crustacean Station: Chinese buffets often offer crab legs, crawfish, shrimp, and prawns. When steamed, these options are free from carbs and rich in protein.
Items to Avoid
- Breaded meats: General Tso’s chicken or sweet and sour pork are coated in carb-heavy batter.
- Sugary sauces: General Tso’s, hoisin, duck, oyster, plum, and sweet and sour sauces are high in sugar.
- Rice: Many Chinese meals come with a side of steamed white rice.
- Noodles: Chow mein dishes are mostly made with noodles.
- Starchy vegetables: Corn and peas.
Keto-Friendly Sauce Alternatives and Cooking Tips
- Coconut aminos: A gluten-free, soy-free alternative to soy sauce with a slight sweetness.
- Liquid aminos: Soy-based but lower in carbs and usually gluten-free.
- Xanthan gum: Use as a low-carb thickener, sprinkling lightly into sauces while whisking.
- MSG: Skip commercial blends and bouillon cubes with fillers and hidden sugars.
- Soy sauce: Opt for a small amount.
Cooking Tips
- Prep ingredients: Cut vegetables and proteins small and evenly for quick cooking.
- Sesame oil: Use to finish a dish, not to fry it.
Making Keto-Friendly Chinese Food at Home
It’s easy to make homemade keto Chinese food that captures authentic flavor without the skyrocketing carbs.
- Keto Fried Rice: Swaps traditional rice for cauliflower.
- Kung Pao Chicken: Delivers a combination of spicy and sweet flavors.
- Beef with Broccoli: A low-carb version of the traditional dish.
- Orange Chicken: Crispy and tangy with a naturally crispy and gluten-free coating.
- Mongolian Beef: Use a low-carb thickener instead of cornstarch.
- Sweet and Sour Chicken: Crispy chicken tossed in a tangy and sweet sauce without the sugar.
- Bok Choy Stir-Fry: Highlights bok choy, known for its crisp texture and slightly peppery flavor.
- Spicy Peanut Sprouts: Sprouts tossed with chilies and peanuts.
- Chinese Broccoli and Mushroom: A simple, nutritious side dish.
- Egg Foo Young: A keto version of the Chinese omelet served with a keto-friendly gravy.
- Pepper Steak: Sautéed steak with bell peppers and seasoned with a savory, low-carb sauce.
Navigating Other Takeout Options
Keto Sushi
- Miso soup: A flavorful soup with clear broth, soybean paste, seaweed, and tofu.
- Sashimi: Sushi-grade fish without the rice and sugary sauces.
- Negimaki: Thinly sliced beef wrapped around a green vegetable like asparagus or scallions.
- Edamame: A snack to share in moderation due to its carb content.
Keto Pizza
- Crustless pizza: A fully loaded pizza in a bowl.
- Bring your own crust: Some pizzerias may allow you to bring a keto-friendly crust.
- Other Italian options: Antipasto salad, seafood soup (zuppa di pesce), caprese salad, braised meats, and grilled seasonal vegetables.
Keto Fast Food
- Ditch the bun: Eat the burger patty without the bun or opt for lettuce wraps.
- Go full-fat: Use fatty condiments and salad dressings with less added sugar.
- Forget the fries: Choose a side salad with a full-fat dressing.
Strategies to Make or Order Keto-Friendly Chinese Food
Build Your Own
Many Chinese buffets offer a build-your-own stir-fry bar, hibachi grill, or Mongolian barbecue. Load up on vegetables, eggs, and meat, and opt for oil, soy sauce, and hot sauce to season your food, rather than carb-heavy sauces.
Remove Rice and Noodles
When ordering or cooking Chinese food, remove rice and noodles and replace them with zucchini noodles, riced cauliflower, shredded cabbage, or extra steamed vegetables.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Avoid Thick, Sugary Sauces
As a general rule, the sweeter, thicker, and less translucent a sauce is, the higher its carb count.
Avoid Breaded and Water-Velveted Meats
Breaded and fried meats and meats marinated in cornstarch should be avoided.