A recent study conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, titled Wok Carefully, found that many of the items on menus at Chinese restaurants in the United States contain enough sodium for an entire day or more. Researchers also found that although a number of menu items were high in fat, most of the fat came from heart-safe, trans-fat-free vegetable oils.
An order of four BBQ spareribs, with 600 calories, 14 grams of saturated fat, and 900 mg of sodium was the unhealthiest appetizer in Chinese restaurants, according to the researchers. Lemon chicken has 1,400 calories and 13 grams of saturated fat, and orange beef has 1,500 calories, 11 grams of saturated fat, and 3,100 mg of sodium. Shrimp dishes fare a little better, with Szechuan shrimp and shrimp with garlic sauce each having about 700 calories, and shrimp with lobster sauce with 400. But no matter the caloric content, all of the dishes contain far more than the recommended daily allowance of sodium.
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CSPI director of nutrition Bonnie Liebman recommends that people "Stick with the veggie-rich and stir-fried shrimp or chicken dishes, steer clear of the entrées that are basically deep-fried meat or chicken in sauce, and don’t waste your calories on greasy noodles and fried rice."
Other recommendations including skipping soup, which has enormous amounts of sodium, and asking for sauces to be served on the side, and for vegetables and meat to be lightly sautéed rather than deep fried.
