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Fried-free Chinese fit choice

Lisa Ryckman, Rocky Mountain News

Published October 30, 2007 at midnight

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Is there any way to stick to a diet and still indulge in my favorite Chinese cuisine?

Not to worry - it can be done.

People used to think that Chinese food was inherently healthier, but the truth is that many dishes are loaded with fat, salt and calories. But it's still possible to dodge the diet bullets and indulge in the food you love.

Public health advocate Charles Stuart Platkin offers some helpful tips for navigating a Chinese restaurant menu in his latest book, The Diet Detective's Calorie Bargain Bible:

• Avoid the fried dishes like General Tso's chicken, sesame chicken and sweet-and-sour chicken.

• Most Chinese food is made to order, so ask that your dish be made with little or no oil or steamed.

• Request brown rice instead of white if available, and get it steamed rather than fried.

• Scoop the veggies and chicken or fish out of the dish, leaving most of the sauce - and fat - behind. Or ask for the sauce on the side.

• Order extra vegetables steamed with herbs and garlic, then mix them with the main course.

• Fill up on soup first. A cup of egg-drop soup has just 70 calories.

• Avoid dishes with nuts or anything orange- or lemon-flavored, which usually contain deep-fried meat slathered in sauce.

• Go for steamed veggie or seafood dumplings, at just 65 calories each; two cups of steamed chicken and broccoli with no sauce, 280 calories; or two cups of steamed tofu and veggies, 293 calories.

• Avoid sweet-and-sour pork, 1,100 calories per two-cup serving; fried rice, 1,483 calories for the same amount; and vegetable lo mein, 1,340 calories in two cups.

Here's a lowfat stir-fry ready in less than 30 minutes.

Chinese Ginger Veggies

Serves 4

1 tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

1 tablespoon water

3/4 cup julienned carrots

1 1/2 cups snow peas, ends trimmed 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, slivered

1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons chicken broth

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 cups hot cooked brown rice

• Make 2 cups of rice as instructed on package and keep hot.

• Heat wok over medium heat and add the oil; increase to medium-high heat.

• Add the broccoli and water; stir-fry for 1 minute or until broccoli is bright green.

• Add carrots, snow peas, mushrooms, water chestnuts, garlic and ginger; stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender crisp.

• In small bowl, combine the soy sauce, broth and cornstarch; mix well to dissolve.

• Add to wok and stir-fry for about 1 minute or so.

• Serve over rice.

Nutritional information per serving: 201 cal., 4 g fat (1 g sat), 0 mg chol., 35 g carb., 7 g pro., 5 g fiber, 827 mg sodium.