12 healthy dinner options you can order from American-Chinese takeout menus (2024)

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Choosing a side of steamed vegetables is always a good idea, no matter what cuisine you're ordering from.

Next time you grab some food to go from your local spot, add some veggies to your order.

"Always get a small side order of veggies, so you're not solely focused on eating carbs and fried protein," Jennifer Maeng told Insider.

Rachael Hartley told Insider she also encourages her clients to order a side of vegetables if they're available.

"If there's something along the lines of stir-fried vegetables or even a salad with a fun dressing, that's a nice way to add a bit of produce to what you're ordering," she said.

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Steamed dumplings are a great alternative to fried ones.

If fried dumplings are your go-to order, consider replacing them with steamed dumplings instead. Steamed dumplings pack the same flavor but can be a much healthier option since less oil is used to cook them.

"Opting for steamed over fried means the dish will be easier to digest and will be lighter in calories," Maeng said. "Sodium can be difficult to avoid, but by choosing steamed over fried, you're cutting out a lot of oil."

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Egg foo young is a nutritious option.

Egg foo young is similar to an omelet, which is then added to a bed of rice. Packed with protein and healthy carbs, egg foo young is often made using vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, peas, bean sprouts, and green onion.

"Egg is considered a lean protein and it is very nutritious, so I would recommend egg-based dishes over red meat," Maeng told Insider. "Egg foo young is a healthier option from American-Chinese restaurants, but the sauce is usually very high in salt. So, get the sauce on the side or ask for light sauce."

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Hot and sour soup is a filling way to start your meal, Maeng says.

This soup, which is packed with vegetables and spices, tends to be on the low-calorie side as well as being a nutritious choice.

"I always look for soups to start with," Maeng said. "They're lower in calories, they're filling, and they can be high in protein and fiber."

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Chicken and broccoli is a simple dish that can be found on many takeout menus.

"When I'm looking for a healthier option, I look for dishes that contain a lot of vegetables and lean protein instead of heavier proteins like red meat," Maeng said.

A chicken and broccoli dish is a great choice as long as it isn't smothered in sauce. If you can, ask for light sauce or for your sauce on the side.

"I always ask for light sauce or sauce on the side, which allows you to have control over how much sauce is going into your food. Oftentimes, sauces can add hundreds of calories and you don't notice it," Maeng said.

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Beef and broccoli is also a good option and can be found on most American-Chinese restaurant menus.

Beef and broccoli is another great stir-fry option. Beef is packed with protein and will keep you full.

Whichever protein you choose, whether it's chicken, beef, pork, seafood, or tofu, aim to get a good amount of variety in your diet.

Hartley told Insider, "If you feel like you've been eating a lot of red meat, then it might be nice to have some chicken or seafood, or even incorporate some meatless or plant-based dishes into your routine. With proteins, it's not so much that one is better than the other, it's thinking about incorporating variety into your diet."

However, Maeng explains it may be best to order lean proteins like chicken, fish, or tofu when possible, and order other types of protein in moderation.

"It's important to not completely cut out what you're craving, or you'll feel deprived. If there's someone who loves beef, I might suggest they order something like beef, broccoli, and brown rice so there are other sources of nutrients and they're not getting all of their calories from beef or other red meats," Maeng said.

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Buddha's delight is a delicious, plant-based option.

Buddha's delight is a plant-based dish filled with steamed vegetables like broccoli, carrots, bean sprouts, and more, topped off with tofu.

"Many Americans are unaware that there are actually many plant-based dishes in Chinese cuisine," Sarah Leung of The Woks of Life, a recipe blog that specializes in Chinese cooking, told Insider. "Chinese-American takeout is one thing, but Chinese cuisine as a whole is super varied and complex."

"Many dishes aren't even necessarily 'veganized' versions of meat dishes. They're plant-based dishes that are delicious and popular in their own right," she said. "In general, Chinese cuisine uses a much wider variety of vegetables than American cuisine. You can find tofu-based dishes on Chinese-American takeout menus, but if you're willing to cook yourself at home, the options are limitless."

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Brown rice is a healthier alternative found at restaurants of all different types of cuisine.

Brown rice with your choice of chicken, beef, or shrimp is a great option when trying to make healthier choices.

"I usually suggest brown rice because of the nutrients and fiber you're getting in that as opposed to white rice," Maeng said.

However, while brown rice may be the healthier option as opposed to white rice, Maeng said not everyone will want to make the switch.

"Many of my Asian clients are not OK with that change from the very beginning. It takes time," she said. "It's something that they grew up eating and is heavily part of the culture. To those people, I say to keep white rice in your diet, but in moderation."

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Kung pao chicken can be a healthier option if you go light on the sauce.

Kung pao chicken can also be a healthier choice, depending on how it's prepared. Loaded with protein and vegetables, this filling dish can be a great alternative to dishes like General Tso's or sweet and sour chicken.

If you're trying to make healthier choices, simply ask for no sauce or that the sauce is placed on the side, so you can control how much is added, or opt for different kinds of sauces, Maeng explained.

"I prefer brown sauce or a black bean sauce. They're definitely higher in sodium, but they tend to be lighter in calories," she said.

Asking for no sauce and using your own sauces from home is another trick to knowing exactly what sauce — and how much — is going into your order.

Sarah Leung of The Woks Of Life said thatusing a few simple ingredients like meat or vegetable stock, garlic, ginger, scallion whites, salt, sugar, white pepper, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and optional MSG can make a delicious and healthier white saucefor stir-fries.

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Moo goo gai pan is another nutritious option.

Speaking to Insider, Leung also recommended moo goo gai pan as a healthier option, as it is filled with vegetables like carrots, snow peas, and mushrooms, as well as lean chicken meat.

Most moo goo gai pan dishes are stir-fried with a sauce made from chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Ask for light sauce or for the sauce to be put on the side so you have more control over how much is added to your dish.

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If you love fried rice, ask for a side of plain brown rice with a scrambled egg mixed in.

Fried rice can be high in fats, salt, and calories due to the amount of oil and sauce used in the dish, according to Livestrong. Instead, a healthier version of the dish can be made by ordering plain brown rice and either a scrambled egg on the side or mixed into it. Maeng said if your local American-Chinese restaurant doesn't offer this, you can just order the brown rice and make a quick scrambled egg at home, avoiding the excess oil used when the ingredients are pan-fried together.

"The restaurant version of fried rice can be very high in oil and salt, so if you make it at home, you can easily control those two. I like to use brown rice instead of white rice and coconut amino or low sodium soy sauce as an alternative to regular soy sauce," Maeng said. "Instead of highly processed peanut oil or canola oil, which are commonly used in Chinese restaurants, you can use coconut or olive oil to make yours."

You can also order a side of vegetables to mix in to replicate the dish.

• Read more:
• I tried to eat healthily while ordering all my meals from food delivery apps for a week — here's what happened
• 11 popular American-Chinese foods that you won't actually find in China
• Every amazing, strange, and delicious food I tried during an epic 6-week trip to China
• Experts explain how to safely order takeout and delivery food amid the coronavirus pandemic