Posts tagged takeout

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.