How unhealthy is Chinese food?

PiKe

PiKe

PiKe

Caporegime
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Does anyone feel like Fried Rice and Wontons etc are better than you than a Pizza or Fish and Chips? It doesn't tend to have that greasy unhealthy feel, but I'm probably just kidding myself right?
 
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This unhealthy.

But seriously, it's just the same as any other takeaway. The style of food itself isn't that bad, especially with all that rice, but because it's a takeaway it'll be done in the most unhealthy way possible.
 
Yeah, most takeaways will use cheaper artificial crap that probably tastes almost the same, but may not be as healthy as the real deal.

It's not the chinese food itself - cook it yourself and it can be really healthy - it's just the way they prepare it. As fast as possible with as much profit as possible.
 
From a takeaway absolutly terrible for you I'd imagine full of msg, grease and very low quality ingredients. But still nothing wrong with it every once in a while
 
what gets me is how much grease is in chinese food. its not until some chinese i had went cold did i realise how much grease/oil came out 1 chicken ball, or, how much came out the fried rice.
 
Indian food and Chinese food are inherently healthy food, you never see any fat people in India or likewise in China. But like most takeaways, to get the flavor quickly they do it very unhealthily. It's very rare to find a takeaway that is healthy and tasty.
 
It all depends what you have, it can be really healthy to not.....

I'd stay away from the curry, chips, prawn crackers,

LizardKing said:
Unless its cooked from scratch (which it wont be ;))
It will be just as unhealthy and full of sugar.
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My dad's are, out of the 120 odd things on the menu, only about 5 are pre-done, ie Sweet & Sour Chicken (deep fried again), everything else where there are vegetables in, are cooked to order.

It also means the waiting time is insane on the weekend.
 
Naamiko_O said:
Indian food and Chinese food are inherently healthy food, you never see any fat people in India or likewise in China.
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Erm, that's not true at all. For a start your impression that they are all skinny is wrong. In the cities they are having the same problem with the influx of western style fast food as we do. Also, the reason there aren't as many overweight people living in the rural areas has nothing to do with the type of food, and everything to do with the amount of food they eat. They subsist on much smaller portions than we do.
 
Real Chinese food is mostly the bits we usually don't eat; like the feet, brain, beak, and lots of weird parts of an animal you would not have considered the edible part. Basically its nothing like westernised Chinese takeaway, fortunantly.
 
I think it's mainly just western Chinese food that is unhealthy. I don't think it's any healthier than KFC etc but it sure does fill you up more IMO

Chinese food here in Prague is vastly different to that back home in the UK and when I am in the states. Pretty much no grease here in the Chinese food which is surprising!
 
-Tauren- said:
what gets me is how much grease is in chinese food. its not until some chinese i had went cold did i realise how much grease/oil came out 1 chicken ball, or, how much came out the fried rice.
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You're referring to takeaway and restaurant Chinese food. Which I agree is very bad, and unhealthy as it gets.

But I presume the OP is referring to "Chinese" food as that cooked by Chinese people at home. In which case, it is far more healthy than anything else. They do a lot of soup, steamed stuff and fish.
 
frosty03 said:
You're referring to takeaway and restaurant Chinese food. Which I agree is very bad, and unhealthy as it gets.

But I presume the OP is referring to "Chinese" food as that cooked by Chinese people at home. In which case, it is far more healthy than anything else. They do a lot of soup, steamed stuff and fish.
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Nah. Most stuff is fried. And Chinese don't have ovens, which is a pretty healthy way to cook. So Chinese chinese food tends to be pretty oily. But since they eat more vegetables (albeit usually with meat) it works out healthier on the whole than Western food.
 
Goldy said:
Real Chinese food is mostly the bits we usually don't eat; like the feet, brain, beak, and lots of weird parts of an animal you would not have considered the edible part. Basically its nothing like westernised Chinese takeaway, fortunantly.
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You think you are not eating anyway....
 
-Tauren- said:
what gets me is how much grease is in chinese food. its not until some chinese i had went cold did i realise how much grease/oil came out 1 chicken ball, or, how much came out the fried rice.
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I think you might be going to a poor quality takeaway

Naamiko_O said:
Indian food and Chinese food are inherently healthy food, you never see any fat people in India or likewise in China.
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Kinda true, the general diet is much healthier than the average westerner. But then again they don't eat whats on the menu every day / at all in some cases. Again, im generalising here

But as mentioned above, its mainly down to the owner / chef and what quality ingredients they use, how they cook them and what sort of food your ordering.
Overall id say its the more healthier option compared to say having a kebab, chips & garlic sauce, or a pizza from the local takeaway, but like all takeaway food it depends on the individual shop.

If you find your meal swimming in grease or oil, go somewhere else, theres always at least 1 really quality takeaway in a town and don't be afraid to try dishes other than a Curry or Sweet & Sours :)
 
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