Study: Chinese restaurant food nutritional no-no

[snopes]

The typical Chinese restaurant menu is a sea of nutritional no-nos, a consumer group has found.

http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/art...food21-ON.html

[Corwin]

For real? Little hunks of fried meat dunked in syrup are bad for you? Well I never...

[Syllavus]

My thoughts exactly Corwin, is there anyone who truly thinks that typical takeout chinese food is good for you?

[Richard W]

"I don't want to put all the blame on Chinese food," said Bonnie Liebman, nutrition director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which did a report released Tuesday.

I do. It's all the fault of Chinese food! My increasing waistline, the Iraq war, racism, earthquakes, everything!

[Chloe]

Wouldn't one expect Chinese people to be extraordinarily stout or in poor health, then? Or is it only US versions of Chinese food?

[Spam & Cookies-mmm]

Originally Posted by Corwin

For real? Little hunks of fried meat dunked in syrup are bad for you? Well I never...

Huh? But it's chicken! Chicken can't be bad for you!

[BlushingBride]

I'd say it's the US versions. The town I lived in in Japan has a large Chinese population, and so lots of Chinese restaraunts. OK, they were really Chinese-Japanese hybrids, but the food was completely dissimilar from American Chinese food. Lots more seafood, soups, steamed and grilled dishes. Less sauces, much less frying, and, perhaps most importantly, significantly smaller portions. Good stuff.

Originally Posted by Chloe

Wouldn't one expect Chinese people to be extraordinarily stout or in poor health, then? Or is it only US versions of Chinese food?

Some years ago I read a Chinese cookbook by a Chinese cook who said that (among other things) most traditional Chinese food uses meat more as a flavoring than a main ingredient. He reminisced about how, in his childhood, you felt lucky if you found a chicken's foot in your bowl of broth, because it was actual meat.

In fact, my impression is that American adaptations of a lot of traditional cuisines increase the amounts of fat, cheese, etc., while decreasing the amount of vegetables and grains.

[snopes]

Originally Posted by Syllavus

My thoughts exactly Corwin, is there anyone who truly thinks that typical takeout chinese food is good for you?

How can it not be good for you? It's got vegetables, and they serve you fruit for dessert!

- snopes

[BringTheNoise]

This study has not decreased my intention to try every item on the local Chinese take-away's menu, for the record. Curried coconut pork, here I come!

[annabohly]

I had just returned back from lunch when I saw this on MSN. I has just what they described for lunch. General Tso's chicken, fried rice and eggroll.

Or is it only US versions of Chinese food?

That's exactly it. As a Chinese who has lived in both Singapore and the US, I feel that the US version is another form of "fast food".

if you found a chicken's foot in your bowl of broth, because it was actual meat

Actually, there's more to this than you think. The chicken foot is considered a delicacy.

[Blatherskite]

Originally Posted by Chloe

Wouldn't one expect Chinese people to be extraordinarily stout or in poor health, then? Or is it only US versions of Chinese food?

The UK version isn't without it's greasy fried charm.

I had a proper 'duh' moment a while ago when I came out of a Chinese takeaway wondering how the slim people behind the counter weren't incredibly obese. It only occured to me on the way home that they probably didn't eat the grot they sell to foreigners like me .

[Pseudo_Croat]

And the CSPI strikes again. I don't trust 'em any more than I can throw 'em.

Besides, you gotta get your fat, salt and calories from somewhere. If you don't get enough salt, your heart fails. If you don't get enough calories, you start to lose weight and I don't know what else. I'm not so sure what happens if you don't get enough fat in your diet. Anyone care to enlighren me on that?

- Pseudo "food fighters" Croat

[Nick Theodorakis]

I was advised by a fellow speaker, many years my senior, to practice my Spanish. And here’s why: We all know that Heart Disease is the #1 cause of death in the U.S. But think hard about this: In Japan, they've got a diet that is low in fat and they have less heart disease than the US. While in France, the diet is very high in fat, and they also have less heart disease than in the US. In India, almost nobody drinks red wine and the heart disease rate is lower than in the US. But in Spain, everybody drinks too much red wine and sure enough they have less heart disease than the US. Algeria has the lowest sexual activity rate, and they’ve got less heart disease than in the US. But Brazil has the highest sexual activity rate and sure enough…the heart disease ratio is lower than in the US. His sage wisdom to me? Drink, eat and make merry all you want. It's speaking English that kills you

Source of quote.

Nick

[Mateus]

Well, when these lucky numbers on my fortune cookie slip win me millions, I can just have it liposuctioned out

I'm chinese, and there is good chinese food, that's good for your health too. Like my mom makes home-cooked meals and she doesn't put alot of salt, msg or whatever but it still tastes really good. So there is good chinese food. Also chinese take out is like fast food so... think about it.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by Pseudo_Croat

I'm not so sure what happens if you don't get enough fat in your diet. Anyone care to enlighren me on that?

You get constipated and your skin gets dry.

Re: portion sizes, I have never in my life eaten an entire Chinese-restaurant portion at one sitting. That's one of the beauties of Chinese takeout. There's nothing better for breakfast than cold kung-pao tofu. Mmmmm.

[Gayle]

We have a local chain that advertises "Japanese Food Fast". Many healthier choices, brown rice, killer hot and sour soup, beautiful vegetables. Num, num.
http://www.eatzen.com/menu.php

I wish someone would do a Chinese version. I am a little more partial to the flavors.

[Pseudo_Croat]

Originally Posted by Lainie

You get constipated and your skin gets dry.

Cite, please?

Re: portion sizes, I have never in my life eaten an entire Chinese-restaurant portion at one sitting. That's one of the beauties of Chinese takeout. There's nothing better for breakfast than cold kung-pao tofu. Mmmmm.

Me neither. Of course, I can seldom eat any restaurant portion (Chinese or not) in one sitting, so you're not alone. Mmmm, leftovers....

- Pseudo "tastes better the very next day" Croat