Eating a modified version of traditional Chinese food containing half the amount of sodium may significantly lower blood pressure for Chinese adults in just a few weeks, new research shows.
"But like all restaurant food, Chinese food is loaded with calories and salt. That's bad for your waistline and your blood pressure." To maintain a healthy diet, Leibman said, consumers should have no more than 2,000 calories and 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.
Healthier choices include steamed brown rice, sautéed or steamed vegetables, spring rolls, or soups like egg drop soup or hot and sour soup. Veggie-based items like edamame, lettuce wraps, braised bamboo shoots, or cucumber salad are a few other great options you can try.
Instead, choose a veggie-filled appetizer, like spring rolls, lettuce wraps, or steamed dumplings, to keep sodium down. Stick to steamed instead of fried choices to keep sodium levels down. Breaded and batter-fried items, in particular, are often higher in sodium.
Chinese takeaway meals
97% of dishes contained 2g (1/3 of a teaspoon) or more of salt per dish. 58% contained more than 3g (1/2 teaspoon) of salt per dish. Combining side dishes on top would provide over 6g (over 1 teaspoon – the maximum daily allowance for adults) salt per day.
Conclusions: The sodium levels in Chinese restaurant dishes are extremely high and variable. In addition to cooking salt, other salted condiments/seasonings also contribute a large proportion of sodium.
In addition to being quick and easy, stir-frying is also healthy. It results in tender-crisp vegetables that retain more nutrients than if they were boiled. And since stir-frying requires only a small amount of oil, the fat content is low.
Best: Kung Pao Chicken
Peanuts also give the dish a nutrient boost. They have heart-healthy fiber, unsaturated fat, and antioxidants. But, like many Chinese dishes, this one's high in sodium, so watch how much you have the rest of the day.
Of course white rice is much healthier. White rice is cooked with no oil, no other spices, just water.
Chinese food is a favorite cuisine among many people around the world, including myself. However, most Chinese dishes have high amounts of fat, sugar, carbohydrates, and sodium, which are terrible for your heart and general health. Look closer at the menu to find some healthier options, or indulge on special occasions!
Chinese takeout can be a lifesaver on busy weeknights, but choose carefully to sidestep cholesterol and sodium. Hot-and-sour soup, steamed dumplings, and entrees that are steamed or lightly stir-fried are better choices than fatty egg-drop soup, egg rolls, or deep-fried specialties.
Acupuncture. Acupuncture is considered an ancient practice of TCM that began thousands of years ago. It has been reported to have potential effectiveness for treating cardiovascular diseases including hypertension, with few reported adverse effects [67, 68].
Omelets, peanut butter, and chicken stir-fry may be our new weapons against high blood pressure.
Results: MSG intake was associated with a significant increase in SBP and DBP. A strong sex interaction was observed in relation to SBP change. Women with high MSG intake were more likely to have increased SBP and DBP. Total glutamate intake was also positively associated with an increase in SBP.
McChicken. The classic McChicken sandwich has been a permanent menu item since 1988 and remains one of the best and least expensive McDonalds healthy items. What is this? This sandwich has only a few ingredients, which keeps the cost and calories down.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer often added to restaurant foods, canned vegetables, soups, deli meats and other foods.
Anything that's battered or marked as crispy on the menu means it's deep-fried, so it should be avoided. The NHS advises to watch out for starters such as prawn crackers and spring rolls, because these are generally deep-fried. Sweet and sour pork will be high in fat too.
Kelp noodles are best for a stir fry, or dishes that call for thin noodles, Vu says. If you're looking to keep calories as low as you can, use them in place of rice or ramen noodles.
Weight gain: The good: This food is very low in Sodium. It is also a good source of Manganese.
Limit salt
Avoid adding soy sauce at the table (1,000 mg of sodium per tablespoon), use only a little dipping sauce, and ask that dishes be prepared without MSG (monosodium glutamate). Skipping the soup course will also cut plenty of sodium from your meal.
Chinese food is known for its variety of noodles, meats and vegetables. However, it also contains a high content of sodium due to added salt, flavor enhancers, spice mixes, marinades and sauces.