hi everyone. its nice to read all of your posts & see that everyone works together to get questions answered. i've been on the site for about a month, but i don't post very much. my name is christine & i've been l/cing since aug. 4th.
i've been doing great. lately i've been wanting chinese take out. does anyone know if chicken in garlic sauce is ok to eat? its basically chinese veggies & chicken in a garlic sauce. i know that the chicken & veggies are ok, but i wonder how they make the garlic sauce. if anyone has any knowlegde of this it would be helpful. of course, i won't be eating the rice they give you with it. i am on OWL.

christine

166/156.5/120

The sauce USUALLY has corn starch in it to thicken it, they also use alot of msg, which will cause you to retain water, best to ask for the meat and veggies hold the sauce hold the msg.

Jackie

I usually avoid Chinese food. There are things in the sauces (cornstarch & sugar) that I do not eat. I would only go Chinese if I did not have another choice (steak house etc)...
Sorry, that is not what you want to hear, but after you are away from it for a while it gets easier.

[This message was edited by Mona on 09-09-03 at 01:50 PM.]

Yeah, take-out chinese was my vice before 5/30/2003.

I make a decent stirfry at home, and a better egg drop. Soon I'll whip up some hot & sour soup and really be flying. If the health food store ever restocks the tortillas again, I may even try a Moo Shu!

Mikeyrat

Started Atkins 5/30/2003
337/283.5/237 - 6'2" 43 YO
Wife: 224/194/165 - 5'11"

I love chinese food. But the take-out food always messes me up, so I've had to reluctantly give it up. The sauces look innocuous but they aren't.

You can make your own chinese Stir-fry at home. Bean sprouts and bamboo slivers are both very low carb. Water chestnuts are a little higher in carbs. Just don't use the chinese seasoning packets they sell at the store -- they add about 30 grams to the meal.

darn, and that is my most favorite food ever!

~Steph

There is nothing stopping you from making your own at home! Thats what I do and the cooking tecniques aren't difficult to learn. I use 'not starch' thickener to replace the cornstarch, splenda for the sugar, make my own teriyaki sauce (soy sauce and splenda, garlic, etc.) Egg Rolls? I miss them but am surviving fine without them as I don't know a sub for the egg roll wrapper -- Yet!

Susan

LC and feeling better every day!

Atkins since 7/18/03
210/185/140

Hi,

Do you like Thai food at all? Thai is alot easier to make low-carb than chinese- seems to be more of an emphasis on fresh ingredients and simple recipes. The spicy beef salad is one option, or chili mint beef/shrimp/veggies is another of my favorites. On both of those, you have to ask them to hold the sugar and what I do is just mix in a little splenda when I get home. Another great meal is the Tom Yum Shrimp Soup.

Also, if you have a PF Changs and want a little pricier take out, they will cook alot of their stuff without cornstarch and sugar- I had sauteed garlic spinach and kung pao scallops that were fantastic AND Low Carb.

There are low carb solutions to chinese food.
Many restaurants will make it without sugar and corn starch. They also have a weight watcher special, which entails, the same. I Love Chinese food, so I also make sure there is no MSG, it give me a headache.

Even better yet make your own.

Here's a suggestion for egg rolls.
Instead of the dough wrappers use cabbage leaves. You'll need to boil them till they start to turn translucent first, then wrap your fillings in them. it's a great way to use lef over meats too. Don't overlap too much of the leaves, try to keep it to 1 layer. Then deep fry the rolls till a bit crispy. Sometimes I fry them a bit, then let them bake in the oven to crisp. I like using some of the korean hot peppered oils to fry them.



Always eat your veggies first!

[This message was edited by Brightlady on 09-12-03 at 02:43 PM.]

You CAN have Chinese!! (I'm with you Charity!) As long as you trust your neighborhood Chinese restaurant...the first time I tried this I called and told them..."I am on a special diet and I cannot have any sugar or thickeners...can you make my sauce for _____dish that way??" They obliged with no problem. I had them put the sauce (looked more like a broth) on the side just in case!! When I got it home I added a sprinkle of guar gum and a packet of Splenda, microwaved it for a short time, and it was perfect...and perfectly low-carb!! Obviously stay away from any breaded meats, but anything that is meats and veggies in a sauce can be low-carbed.

Physician Assistant
Full-time mother of 3 boys
Started 2/13/02
50 lbs gone forever!
The joy of the Lord is my strength (and boy do I need it)!!