Chinese Food Keto-Friendly: What You Need To Know

Chinese food is often loaded with rice, noodles, fried foods, and sugary sauces, which are not keto-friendly. However, there are still ways to enjoy Chinese cuisine while sticking to your keto diet. The key is to choose wisely and make smart substitutions.

When ordering Chinese food, avoid rice and noodle-based dishes, breaded or fried foods, and thick sauces. Instead, opt for steamed or grilled meats and low-carb vegetables. Soy sauce, garlic sauce, and vinegar are good choices for adding flavour without the carbs.

Some keto-friendly Chinese dishes include beef with broccoli, kung pao chicken or shrimp, egg foo young, hot and sour soup, and steamed or boiled seafood. Remember to customise your order by asking for no sauce or a lighter sauce on the side.

If you're dining at a Chinese buffet, fill up on proteins and vegetables, and be mindful of portion sizes to maintain ketosis.

Chinese food keto-friendly options

Chinese food is often loaded with rice, noodles, and sugary sauces, which are not keto-friendly. However, there are several delicious Chinese dishes that are ideal for keto dieters. Here are some tips and options to help you navigate the menu and stay on track with your keto diet:

Tips for Ordering Keto-Friendly Chinese Food:

• Choose proteins and steamed or grilled meats without breading or starchy sauces.
• Avoid rice, noodles, and other starchy sides.
• Opt for steamed or stir-fried vegetables with butter or oil.
• Be cautious of thick sauces and gravies, which often contain sugar or cornstarch.
• Check menus ahead of time to understand the ingredients and make informed choices.
• Buffets and hot pots are great as they offer more control over your selections.

Keto-Friendly Chinese Food Options:

• Beef and Broccoli: A classic Chinese dish, simply ask for it without the starchy sauce.
• Chicken and Broccoli: A lighter alternative to beef with broccoli, but equally satisfying.
• Egg Foo Young: A Chinese omelette filled with veggies and your choice of protein.
• Moo Shu Pork: Stir-fried sliced pork with eggs and vegetables, typically served with rice, which can be easily replaced with cauliflower rice or extra veggies.
• Kung Pao Shrimp or Chicken: A flavourful mix of shrimp or chicken, bell peppers, chiles, and peanuts. Ask for a light sauce to reduce carbs.
• Hot and Sour Soup: A comforting blend of broth, spices, mushrooms, tofu, and vinegar. Ensure a keto-friendly thickener is used.
• Steamed or Boiled Seafood: Fill your plate with crab legs, crawfish, shrimp, or prawns, along with extra veggies.
• Baked Salmon: Seasoned with traditional Chinese spices and packed with protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
• Stir-Fried Mushrooms: A vegetarian-friendly option, usually made with white mushrooms and a light sauce.
• Peking Duck: Seasoned with spices and cooked to perfection with a crispy skin. Enjoy it with steamed veggies for a low-carb meal.
• Pork Belly: A fatty and low-carb cut of meat that is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Ensure it is not tossed in a sugary sauce.
• Sichuan-Style Dishes: Sichuan cuisine uses less sugar and carbs than other types of Chinese food, so it can be a good option for keto dieters.
• Clear Thin Soups: Such as egg drop or miso soup, are excellent appetizer choices as they are typically low in carbs.

Chinese food to avoid on keto

Chinese food is often loaded with rice, noodles, and sugary sauces, making it challenging to stick to a keto diet. Here are some Chinese dishes that should be avoided when following a keto diet:

Noodle and Rice Dishes

Chinese cuisine often includes rice and noodle-based dishes, which are high in carbohydrates. These include chow mein, lo mein, and fried rice. It is best to avoid these dishes or replace them with low-carb alternatives like zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice.

Breaded and Fried Meats

Many Chinese restaurants bread and fry their meats, adding a significant amount of carbohydrates to the dish. Examples include General Tso's chicken, butterfly shrimp, and sweet and sour chicken. It is recommended to opt for steamed, sautéed, or grilled meats instead.

Thick, Sugary Sauces

Chinese cuisine is known for its variety of sauces, but many of these are high in sugar and starch. Sauces to avoid include sweet and sour sauce, duck sauce, plum sauce, and hoisin sauce. When ordering, it is advisable to request light sauces or have them served on the side to control the amount added to your dish.

Thick Soups

Soups thickened with cornstarch, such as egg drop soup, should be avoided. Instead, opt for clear, thin soups like miso soup or hot and sour soup, ensuring they are not thickened with cornstarch.

Starchy Vegetables

While vegetables are generally a good choice, starchy vegetables like potatoes, green peas, and corn should be consumed in moderation. These vegetables contain more carbohydrates and have been linked to metabolic syndromes.

Breaded Appetizers

Deep-fried appetizers with a breaded coating, such as wontons and egg rolls, are likely to be high in carbohydrates. It is best to avoid these or opt for steamed or grilled alternatives.

When dining out, remember to read the menu carefully, ask questions about the ingredients and cooking methods, and make special requests if needed. With careful planning and some adjustments, it is possible to enjoy Chinese food while adhering to a keto diet.

Keto-friendly Chinese sauces

Chinese food can be keto-friendly, but it's important to be cautious of sauces that contain sugar and starch. Many Chinese sauces are thickened with cornstarch and contain sugars, so it's best to stick to thinner, more transparent sauces. Here are some keto-friendly Chinese sauce options:

Keto Chinese Brown Sauce

This sauce is a keto-friendly version of the classic Chinese brown sauce, also known as the "Chinese mother sauce." It typically includes broth, soy sauce, sugar, wine, and a thickener. To make it keto-friendly, substitute the sugar with a brown sweetener like Lakanto and use xanthan gum as the thickener. Other ingredients include fish sauce and sesame oil. This sauce is excellent for stir-fries with chicken, shrimp, or vegetables.

Keto Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyaki sauce is a popular choice for stir-fries and grilled dishes. To make it keto-friendly, ensure it is sugar-free. You can make your own by combining soy sauce, ginger paste, fresh garlic, and a sweetener like stevia or monk fruit. Thicken it with xanthan gum.

Sugar-Free Sweet and Sticky Sauce

This sauce is perfect for grilled chicken thighs or wings. It provides a sweet and sticky coating without the sugar.

Stir-Fry Sauce

This versatile sauce can be used with various proteins and vegetables. It includes broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, white vinegar, a granulated sweetener, and xanthan gum. You can customise it by adding chilli sauce or hot sauce for spice or extra sweetener for sweetness.

Other Options

Other keto-friendly sauces to consider include Japanese sesame dressing, sweet chilli sauce, and coconut aminos. When dining out, soy sauce is generally a safe choice, and you can also ask for steamed dishes and add your own keto-friendly sauce.

Keto-friendly Chinese restaurants

If you're on a keto diet, you don't have to give up on your favourite Chinese dishes. While you'll have to avoid carb-heavy staples such as noodles, rice, and sugary sauces, there are still plenty of tasty keto-friendly Chinese food options.

When ordering Chinese food, it's important to remember that the carb content of dishes can vary depending on the restaurant. Small takeaway chain shops, for example, may have dishes that contain more sugar than a family-owned restaurant that serves more traditional meals.

With that in mind, here are some keto-friendly options that you can order at almost any Chinese restaurant:

• Steamed meats and green vegetables
• Garlic sauce, soy sauce, and vinegar
• Buffets and hot pots are great options for keto dieters because you can choose what goes on your plate and control your portions.
• Steamed tofu with mixed veggies
• Steamed or boiled seafood
• Stir-fried mushrooms
• Chicken and broccoli
• Baked salmon
• Kung pao shrimp
• Egg drop soup
• Hot and sour soup
• Moo shu pork
• Sautéed broccoli
• Chinese-inspired lettuce cups

When ordering, remember to ask for any sauces on the side and avoid starchy sides like rice or noodles. You can also request that your dish be made without cornstarch or other high-carb ingredients.

Keto-friendly Chinese food at home

Chinese cuisine is often not keto-friendly due to its reliance on rice, wheat-based noodles, deep-fried foods, and starchy sauces. However, with a few simple substitutions, it's easy to make keto-friendly Chinese food at home. Here are some tips and tricks to help you create delicious and keto-compliant Chinese dishes in your own kitchen.

Choosing the right ingredients

When selecting ingredients for your keto Chinese meal, opt for fresh proteins and vegetables that are naturally low in carbs. Here are some keto-friendly options:

• Seafood and shellfish (unbreaded and without sweet sauces)
• Meats such as beef, chicken, and pork (unbreaded and without sweet sauces)
• Low-carb vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, green beans, and mushrooms
• Healthy fats like avocado oil, sesame oil, and butter
• Onions, garlic, and spices to add flavor

Adapting classic Chinese dishes

You can adapt many classic Chinese dishes to make them keto-friendly. Here are some ideas:

• Egg foo young: This Chinese omelette typically includes vegetables like cabbage, bean sprouts, and onions, as well as your choice of protein. Simply omit the starchy gravy that usually accompanies it.
• Beef and broccoli: This stir-fry dish is a great option for keto. Just be sure to use baking soda instead of cornstarch when velveting the beef to avoid adding extra carbs.
• Moo shu pork: This stir-fried dish features sliced pork, scrambled eggs, and vegetables in a light sauce. Make it keto by replacing the rice with riced cauliflower or extra veggies.
• Hot and sour soup: This soup typically includes broth, eggs, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, tofu, vinegar, and spices. Make it keto by thickening it with a keto-friendly ingredient like xanthan gum instead of cornstarch.
• Kung pao shrimp: This spicy stir-fry is made with shrimp, bell peppers, chiles, and peanuts. Ask for a light sauce to curb the carbs.
• Steamed tofu with mixed veggies: Tofu is a great low-carb source of protein and nutrients. Enjoy it steamed or fried with a mix of low-carb veggies.

Tips for keto-friendly cooking

• Avoid using rice, noodles, and other high-carb ingredients as fillers in your dishes.
• Thicken sauces and soups with keto-friendly thickeners like xanthan gum instead of cornstarch.
• Be mindful of hidden carbs in sauces and marinades. Opt for simple sauces made with soy sauce, vinegar, and healthy oils.
• When in doubt, keep it simple. You can't go wrong with plain steamed or stir-fried meats and veggies.
• Use a keto-friendly sweetener like stevia if you need to add sweetness to your dishes.

With these tips in mind, you can create delicious and satisfying keto-friendly Chinese meals at home that fit perfectly within your dietary guidelines.

Frequently asked questions