Healthy Chinese Food: 14 Dietitian-Approved Options

Chinese cuisine may be among your favorite meal options because it brings back happy memories or is your top comfort food. Although you should enjoy the foods you love, some popular options might not be best for your wellness goals. This guide explains how to choose healthy Chinese food options, whether cooking a meal, sitting at a restaurant, or ordering takeout.

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Is Chinese Food Healthy?

Any cultural cuisine can provide healthy food. Chinese restaurants and Asian supermarkets have many delicious ingredients to consider when you want to eat authentic cultural foods. 

Traditional ingredients like salt, sugar, and oil are healthy in moderation. They all have dietary functions, like how salt makes muscle contraction easier for the body. When you eat too much at once, excess salt can trigger hypertension, but you have the last word over how much salt is in your diet.¹

You can always choose different ingredients and preparation methods to make Chinese food or recipes healthier. Eating a mix of various food types and sticking with moderate serving sizes is the best way to eat a balanced diet with any cultural cuisine.

10 Healthy Chinese Food Options to Order

Use these foods as a guide to healthier, tasty dishes when you’re looking at a Chinese restaurant menu. You’ll get a wider variety of options while working toward your health goals.

Chinese Foods on a Restaurant Menu

You’ll find these options on most Chinese restaurant menus. See which ones are available at your local restaurants and choose the one that fits your preferences. When looking for a dish, aim for a meal that contains vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats. 

1. Steamed Fish or Seafood

Steamed seafood is one of the healthiest options you could choose from a Chinese restaurant menu. Most fish options are high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. This protein often comes with ginger and scallions, which will add flavor to the dish without adding calories or sodium. 

You can also order the fish with other sides, including vegetables, to create a balanced meal that will leave you satisfied. Ask for dipping sauces on the side to ensure you can control your portion sizes.

2. Steamed Buns

Restaurants make various versions of Chinese steamed buns, which can be ordered as an appetizer or side dish. Depending on your chosen dish, these buns could be filled with meat, which will add protein to your meal, or vegetables, which will add fiber.

3. Miso Soup

You’ve likely had miso soup as an appetizer at a Japanese restaurant, but it’s a main menu item at Chinese restaurants. Miso is loaded with probiotics and this soup also includes seaweed, which is full of iron, calcium, and vitamin K. 

4. Rainbow Stir Fry

Vegetarians often order rainbow stir fry at Chinese restaurants because it is often made with lentils or tofu, which add protein to the dish. The beautiful dish also includes fiber-rich vegetables like purple cabbage, edamame, baby corn, and more.

5. Cucumber and Mushroom Salad

Order a cucumber and mushroom salad to experience the savory goodness of wood ear mushrooms chilled in a flavor-packed sauce with lime juice and sugar. Plus this dish contains fiber, which will help you feel satisfied before ordering an entree.

6. Chinese Steamed Scallops and Glass Noodles

Get the best salty and sweet flavors with steamed scallops and glass noodles. The caramelized garlic sauce makes every bite extra delectable while keeping the calorie count low. Adding scallops will also ensure this entree is more filling.

Chinese Foods for Takeout

Eat your favorite takeout at home by choosing these menu options that suit your dietary goals. They’ll give you the nutrients you need while giving you all the satisfaction of comfort foods.

7. Beef and Broccoli

One of the healthiest Chinese takeout options is beef and broccoli because of the balance it strikes between protein and fiber content. Not a fan of beef? Try this dish with chicken instead.

8. Steamed Dumplings

Similar to steamed buns, this dish allows you to indulge in the ultimate comfort food and is a healthier alternative to fried wontons or fried dumplings. Dumplings make a great appetizer and can be filled with protein or vegetables.

9. Kung Pao Chicken

Are you a fan of spice? Then Kung Pao chicken is the perfect dish for you! This dish is a great alternative to sweet and sour chicken, sesame chicken, or General Tso’s chicken, and comes with various vegetables. Kung Pao chicken often includes stir-fried peanuts, which contain bioactive compounds that fight cardiovascular disease.⁵

10. Moo Goo Gai Pan

Entrees that are packed with vegetables are always a great, balanced option. Moo Goo Gai Pan contains stir fried chicken (as opposed to fried) and various vegetables, such as mushrooms. This dish is also low in sugars and fats. 

4 Healthier Chinese Food Recipes to Try at Home

Ready to explore the world of Chinese cuisine at home? Make a few of these recipes to see what you like. Chinese food is healthy as a standard diet when you know how to make what your body needs to thrive.

1. Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Buy a bunch of fresh broccoli and stir-fry beef strips while at the grocery store. You can combine sauce ingredients such as soy sauce, cornstarch, ginger, and garlic before marinating the meat for 10 minutes.

Cut the broccoli florets from the stems and cook them on low heat until soft. Cook the beef strips until they reach a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook them with the florets and chopped carrots until all the vegetables are soft before serving them with your preferred sides. 

Broccoli has a low glycemic index (GI) rating of 15, and beef has no GI rating, so it’s an excellent recipe for anyone looking for a meal that works with their low glycemic diet.⁶

This is the average nutritional profile for 1 1/4 cup of stir fry with 1/2 cup of pasta:⁷

• Calories: 205kcal
• Carbs: 17gr
• Fiber: 4gr
• Sugars: 3gr
• Fat: 6gr
• Vitamin C: 60mg
• Calcium: 93mg
• Iron: 3mg

2. Chicken Lettuce Wraps 

Lettuce pieces are natural wraps with few carbs or calories. They’re the perfect healthy diet vehicle for low-calorie protein like chicken and other ingredients like vegetables, garlic sauce, and water chestnuts.

Chicken is another meat with no GI rating so it will have a minimal impact on your blood sugar. The effect will also depend on your chosen ingredients, as a store-bought garlic sauce or a sweet and sour sauce high in sugar will immediately impact your blood sugar.

Cook ground chicken until there’s no pink left, and toss it with minced bell peppers, vegetables, and water chestnuts. Spoon the mixture into lettuce leaves and top with a homemade sauce that includes soy sauce, sesame oil, chili sauce, and more. Wrap them like egg rolls to eat them easily, or fold them like a taco.

This is the average nutritional profile for a lettuce wrap with a 1/2 cup of chicken and vegetable mix:⁸

• Calories: 168kcal
• Carbs: 8gr
• Fiber: 2.6gr
• Sugars: 2.9gr
• Fat: 6.2gr
• Potassium: 430.1mg

3. Starch Noodles Stir Fry 

Glass noodles are also called starch noodles. They’re a great base for a stir-fry meal, especially when combined with shredded cabbage and your preferred protein. Ensure your protein cooks thoroughly before tossing your chosen ingredients into a wok with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and chili pepper.

This dish is ready in minutes and has a low GI rating. Glass or starch noodles have a GI rating of 35, which makes them a low-GI food.⁹ Meats and vegetables have no rating, so this is a safe meal for low-glycemic diets if you ensure your extra sauces don’t have too much sugar.

This is the average nutritional profile for starch noodles stir fry:¹⁰

• Calories: 236.1kcal
• Carbs: 43gr
• Fiber: 8.4gr
• Sugars: 7.7gr
• Fat: 4.2gr
• Vitamin C: 83.1mg
• Calcium: 114.7mg
• Iron: 1.5mg

4. Ginger-Sesame Steamed Vegetable Salad

Steamed veggies are almost always a good option for low-GI meals. They don’t impact blood sugar unless you top them with a sugar-dense sauce.

Select your favorite Chinese restaurant vegetables like broccoli, carrots, green beans, and spinach. They can be cooked in a steamer until soft and then tossed in a bowl with soy sauce, salt, peanuts, and ginger. It’s a nearly instant meal you can make when craving something sweet and crunchy.

This is the average nutritional profile for ginger-sesame steamed vegetable salad:¹¹

• Calories: 387kcal
• Carbs: 31gr
• Fiber: 10.4gr
• Sugars: 14.4gr
• Fat: 16.6gr
• Vitamin C: 18.6mg
• Calcium: 129.5mg
• Iron: 2.5mg

Learn More About Healthy Nutrition With Signos’ Expert Advice

You can enjoy healthy Chinese food at home and in your favorite restaurants by learning about the basic ingredients in your preferred meals. Select dishes with low-GI ratings because they primarily use vegetables and meats. You’ll stick with your dietary goals to improve your health and well-being.

There are many other tips on Signos’ blog for anyone looking to learn how to create a well-balanced diet. Try taking our quick quiz if you’re unsure where to start. Connecting with the experts at Signos could make your health journey easier by pointing you to effective dietary solutions.