Chinese food!

[Katy1234]

OK, absolute emergency going on!!! :help

Well, my family friends are coming over tonight and are bringing a chinese take out with them. I have been doing the induction plan now for 4 weeks so I guess I am on extended induction.

So far today I have had 2 slices of bacon and an egg (because I got up really late) so this will chinese will be my final food of the day. I have already drunk most of my water and worked out for 2 hours at the gym. Do you know what I can order from the chinese that is atkins friendly?

Now they have mentioned it i really feel like chinese is the food i want tonight, which is proably another bad thing because I LOVE IT!!!!!

All help greatly appreciated!!

Thanks,

Katy xxxxxxxxx

[CathyR]

I think the only thing that is safe is Bar-B-Que pork.

[ddevicente]

Egg foo young is good too, without the sauce...
And so are some kinds of crispy duck. (not breaded)
Egg drop soup, but I dont know if that is cleared for induction.

[SlimmingObjectivist]

ummm.........general tso's chicken with broccoli. :yes

[not2late]

Steamed meat and steamed vegetables without the sauces are the only things even marginally "safe" for Atkins, unless you know unconditionally that the restaurant doesn't marinate their meats. The vast majority of marinades contain sugar or they contain base sauces (hoisin, oyster, etc.) that contain sugar.

Peeling the doughy coverings from meat dumplings, eating the filling out of egg rolls---these fillings all contain cornstarch.

Many of the stir-fried meat and veg combos contain sauces that are loaded with sugar and are thickened with corn starch, potato starch or arrowroot powder.

Many of the stir-fried meat are coated with a combo or egg white and cornstarch, cornstarch, or some kind of batter.

Duck? The ducks skins are typically coated in a soy-honey glaze---that's what makes it crispy and dark brown.

There are a number of "good" Chinese cookbooks in libraries--check a few out because they'll give you great insight on how those dishes are put together.

[Moochiecat]

If they're bringing the food to your house then you're all set...just make your own Atkins legal meal so you have your own food, and even have a good snack before they arrive so you aren't starving.

I've had my cravings for chinese food over the last year, but I know that 99% of what I'm craving is 100% illegal. I make my own stirfries at home where I marinate some meat in soy, chopped ginger and garlic. Very flavourful! :yes

[island reina]

you can eat most of the meals that aren't sweet, but make sure you ask them not to put corn starch in it. Chicken with vegetables is always the best, but remember to request NO CORN STARCH

[Elizellen]

I agree with moochiecat - make yourself something legal!
We often have a stirfry with legal veggies, some thinly sliced meat, egg and spices.

[tickletussler]

Oh dear... I would have to say Chinese food is a :nono unless you can cook it yourself.

Not only becaues of MSG (monosodium glutamate) and other such flavour enhancers, but it is very difficult to order without the cornstarch, have it steamed/stirfried, no sugar etc etc, plus most soy sauce has carbs as well

*BBQ pork - sugar, soy is used
*Egg foo young - to fry it that way, it is cooked in non-specified veg oil which is usually high in trans fat
*Crispy/roast duck - usually sugar and soy is used in the marinade on the skin
*Egg drop soup - cornstarch often added to thicken it slightly
*Most stirfries have cornstarch - it's a technique called "velveting" here. Meat is often marinated in sesame oil, bit of garlic, egg yolk and/or egg white AND cornstarch. They often use small enough amounts so that you can't see it on the cooked product, but it all adds up to your "hidden carb" count
*Hoisin/Oyster/BBQ/Soy/Peking sauces ALL contain SUGAR, as Megs(not2late) says, and she is correct
*Pulling off the doughy covering off meat/veg dumpling doesn't really work either. I was taught and I have seen in cookbooks that the fillings for these dumplings often have some cornstarch added to them, to help them stick better, even the steamed ones. There is also some sugar & soy added to them

Sorry to put a damper on things, but Megs and all the other mods are correct. Cornstarch and soy are key ingredients in chinese restaurant foods, and if you ask them to take it out, they would still put flavour enhancers in them (like MSG) which give you a raging thirst (and headaches for some)

[SlimmingObjectivist]

if you guys like chinese food as much as i do..well, i havent had any in a good 6 months.

buy the frozen vegtable mixes/or fresh.. from the store, use hot pepper oil, soy sauce, sugar subs, ginger, garlic...etc.....cube your chicken and saute' it etc....

you can mock just about anything if you really sit dow and plan...dedication'

get a wok from wallys.........tip: when sauteing vegs, you still want them to be crisp, have color...if you over cook them..they aren't as good.

ha