Chinese takeout is one of the most calorie-dense restaurant categories — not because the individual dishes are necessarily unhealthy, but because portion sizes are large and dishes are often eaten in combination. A typical two-dish order with rice can easily reach 1,200-1,500 calories.
Popular Chinese Takeout Dishes: Calorie Counts
- General Tso's Chicken (1 cup): ~430 calories
- Kung Pao Chicken (1 cup): ~390 calories
- Beef with Broccoli (1 cup): ~340 calories
- Fried Rice (1 cup): ~340 calories
- Lo Mein (1 cup): ~310 calories
- Spring Roll (1 roll): ~130 calories
- Egg Roll (1 roll): ~200 calories
- Steamed White Rice (1 cup): ~200 calories
A Typical Takeout Order: ~1,100 Calories
General Tso's Chicken (430 cal) + Fried Rice (340 cal) + 1 Egg Roll (200 cal) + Steamed Rice (200 cal) = approximately 1,170 calories. For a 155-pound person that requires:
- Walking at 3 mph: approximately 3 hours 9 minutes
- Running at 6 mph: approximately 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cycling at moderate intensity: approximately 2 hours 8 minutes
Lower Calorie Chinese Takeout Swaps
The easiest calorie reductions in Chinese takeout come from: choosing steamed over fried rice (saves ~140 cal per cup), choosing steamed dumplings over egg rolls (saves ~110 cal per piece), and choosing stir-fried over deep-fried dishes — Kung Pao instead of General Tso's saves approximately 40 calories per cup.
The Sodium Issue
Chinese takeout is particularly high in sodium — a single serving of most dishes contains 800-1,200mg of sodium, often exceeding 50% of the daily recommended value. Our Food Tracker tracks sodium alongside calories so you can monitor both.
Use our Calories Burned Calculator to plan your workout accordingly. See our complete burn-off guide for more.
References
- American Heart Association — How much sodium should I eat per day? — Cardiovascular guidance on sodium
- Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al.) — Authoritative MET values for calorie burn estimates across exercises
- Mayo Clinic — Exercise intensity: How to measure it — Clinical guidance on exercise intensity
- CDC — Physical Activity Basics for Adults — Federal physical activity guidelines
- CalorieDetails Calories Burned Calculator — Personalised calorie burn estimates for 70+ exercises