Type2 Diabetes.v. chinese food

[Dippy3103]

I havn't been able to eat chinese food for a long time, long before i was diagnosed. I have an intolerence of MSG- apparently a lot of poeple do and don't know it.

 

[suffolkboi61]

My old pharmacist who just so happened to have been a lovely chinese lady informed me after I had my heart attack and she was talking to me about my tablets and if I knew how each worked and for what. that the food ordered from the take away is different to what they cook for themselves as it is more unhealthy.

 

[Ardbeg]

I suspect if you were able to have a peek inside a typical chinese takeaway kitchen you would never order another takeaway in your life.

My previous office was right next door to one and it certainly put myself and my staff off them for life. The place was infested with rats, we were frequently plagued with blue bottles, raw chickens were stored in plastic tubs with no lids in the back yard in the open air where many pidgeons and starlings were often flying about, etc, etc. :shock:

 

[Sticks]

The one I go to normally is on Stowell Street in Newcastle, where you can see them cook the food.

Is there anything on a menu that is ok or is it never ever touch any Chinese food in aby way shape or form?

Which is the impression I seem to be getting

 

[lovinglife]

Hi Sticks,

Go out tonight and have fun! We are all allowed treats now and then - as long as we remember that that is what we are doing - having a treat but being sensible.

I eat Chinese about once a month - I would advise against anything swett and sour, lemon chicken. sweet chilli, things in batter etc.

When I go I have 1/4 duck to start but ask for lettuce leaves instead of pancakes - try it I far prefer it! - but don't have the sauce. Then I have special chow mien, I TRY to eat between the noodles eg) pick out the best bits but do eat some noodles - the theory being I will be fuller before I get to the noodles so maybe won't give in :lol:

A couple of glasses of red to keep the liver busy and even one or two prawn crackers - this is a tried and tested meal for me and I never go above 6 when I have had it. If I do have something different that "needs" rice - I don't order any of my own I have 2 Chinese spoons full of my hubbys steamed rice and that is ok for me too - HOWEVER that is me - you will only know what you can have by testing yourself.

As I said go out and enjoy yourself - I would be going myself for chinese tonight as the restaurant we go to we have become good friends and we have been invited to celebrate with them - but have other plans as its Valentines day

I suspect if you were able to have a peek inside a typical chinese takeaway kitchen you would never order another takeaway in your life.

Ardbeg I am sure you meant no offence by this but it sort of made me feel a bit uncomfortable - this could be applied to any eatery anywhere not just chinese - maybe the one next to you WAS awful (certainly sounds like it!) - but to group them all together is a bit off :|

 

[candyfloss]

The one I go to normally is on Stowell Street in Newcastle, where you can see them cook the food.

Is there anything on a menu that is ok or is it never ever touch any Chinese food in aby way shape or form?

Which is the impression I seem to be getting

Sticks,
sorry, you are not going to like this.
Personally I wouldnt go anywhere near a takeaway serving 'Chinese' food unless I personally had inspected the kitchen area. Many use legal additives like MSG plus the sauces which themselves contain all manner of sugars like high fructose corn syrup, one of the worst 'poisons' man has ever invented. Restaurant, stalls and other eateries in the Far East, where I am right now, are used to these additives and they have been copied abroad.

And the cooking oil used? I have no idea what will be used but it will be the cheapest commercially available, come in big drums speficially for the catering industry and likely be used several times by the chef before being discarded.These are the things (plus any animal fat of course) that add taste, texture and longevity to food and add to the risk, directly or indirectly, of diabetes and all other manner of health issues.

I dont think supermarket ready meals made in a giant factory somewhere weeks ago are that much better either.
Now you might think I am advocating never to touch 'Chinese' food. Far from it. There is a Chinese eat all you can buffet I frequent that has a lovely choice of all the usual favorites. If I'm picky, stick to the dishes with little of the sauce as possible, plenty of greens and other veg and virtually no rice or noodles, oh ok maybe a small sprinkling of fried rice, it is a very satisfying meal as a once in a while treat that doesnt send BG to the stratosphere. Wash down with plenty of green tea and definately no colas/fruit juices.

The other and obviously best alternative is to cook Chinese for yourself at home. Forget the Delia's, Nigella's recipes who will use all manner of ingredients that you can never find or cost a fortune for miniscule quantities. Quickly fry some plane ol' cut up chicken breasts/garlic in a wok/pan. Remove and pop in some shredded cabbage, onion, carrot, celery, garlic etc. Add a little soy sauce and Chinese wine or red wine, fry, tossing all the time for a few minutes but still crisp. Add the cooked chicken, season with a little salt n pepper, toss. Heat off. Lastly, sprinkle a little sesame oil for the oriental touch + some cashew nuts for real luxury. Stir and enjoy. When I have that I never miss the rice and I'm not hungry again for ages. Doesnt cost much, quick preparation, healthier and cheaper than a restaurant.

Finally you could find yourself a Chinese partner, as I have done. However, she always asks me to do the cooking. Funny that. :?

 

[suzi]

On Friday night we went to the 'posh' chinese, you know the one where a meal for 4 costs the same as a weeks groceries! Andrew, my fantastic 11 yr old was diagnosed T1 4ys on 2/2, and Fri night was the first available night we could take him out to say well done for coping with another year.
He thoroughly enjoyed his sizzling chicken with blackbean sauce and green peppers with fried rice, didn't complain about his injection b4 and after diner, plus the extra correctional dose at bedtime, cause he sneaked some of my fudge cake ( he's also Coeliac), but once a year ain't gonna do him that much harm
It must be hard being T2, as there's no room to correct unless your on insulin,
Happy Chinese New,
Suzi x

 

[cugila]

As a T2 I don't find any problems with Chinese Food. I just stick to the foods which don't have much of a sauce, Chicken Chow Mein for instance, doesn't seem to have any real effect on Bg levels. There is also the buffet type foods which are dry and again don't have any effect. I prefer to make my own at home, then strictly control the ingredients and the portion sizes, hence they too have no effect.

If I have had a takeaway then I restrict the portion size, it lasts at least two night or I share. I can eat ANY meal using this method. I get all the flavours and and the enjoyment from the food. Nothing is really banned if you use a low GI low GL diet.

Restauraunt meals are an area where you have to take particular care, ensuring you don't overeat as the portions seem to get larger and larger. Many a time I take a 'doggy bag' home, not a problem nowaday's. It is usually a special occasion and Diabetes takes a back seat for the duration, no point in getting paranoid. Life is for enjoying. The odd Bg excursion isn't going to kill you, it is eating this sort of meal regularly which is not really recommended. I suppose if you wanted to you could eat this way all the time, but those Sweet and Sour meals are sooooooo tempting. I have to restrain myself ! :lol:

Just eat sensibly and there is no problem.

 

[phoenix]

When I was in the UK, I bought a cookbook from one of those cheap bookshops that seem to have sprung up everywhere
'Best-ever book of wok & stir fry.'I've seen it in several different outlets since, it cost me £5 ( actually it was 2 for 10 and I got a mediterranean cookbook in the same series)

Includes some good 'Chinese' recipes and not just throw it all in the wok quick types (ie slower cooked dishes like a soy braised chicken ) and the great thing is that there are nutrtitional counts on every recipe.

 

[Ardbeg]

I suspect if you were able to have a peek inside a typical chinese takeaway kitchen you would never order another takeaway in your life.

Ardbeg I am sure you meant no offence by this but it sort of made me feel a bit uncomfortable - this could be applied to any eatery anywhere not just chinese - maybe the one next to you WAS awful (certainly sounds like it!) - but to group them all together is a bit off :|

It is wrong to generalise I agree and I'm sure you are right that poor kitchen and hygene standards are not reserved for Chinese establishments alone.

I remember a few years ago in Hartlepool, the local authority started a scoring process for ALL food outlets in the town, burger bars, take aways and restuarants. Enviromental health officers visited them all and a great many of them had only one or two stars, you could count those with 5 stars on the fingers of one hand and many also had no stars at all and were subsequently forced to close until they cleaned up there act........LITERALLY. :shock:

A few years down the line, things have generally improved.

 

[gbswales]

My partner is Thai and something I have learned is a tendancy to sweeten things by adding sugar to alsmost all dishes - I could not for months understand why all the tasty and seemingly healthy ingredients played havoc with my levels - have now moved the sweetner jar beside the cooker where the sugar jar used to be.

On chinese food (and indian food) I find I am less able to enjoy it as my favorite dishes have always been the ones with loads of sauce and fruit in them. Yes I know that it is possible to introduce delicate flavours into fresh foods but this takes cullinary skill and means eating at establishments outside of my budget

My favorite food has always been italian but now that I am low carbing there are few Italian dishes that I can eat (except on one of my rare - "to hell with levels" blowouts) - even the selection of italian meats and salad is boring without simultaneously mopping up olive oil and balsamic with delightful italian breads

The food that delights the taste buds, comforts you and makes you feel full and satisfied is in my experience rarely that which I ought to be eating.

I do enjoy life but eating out is no longer on my list of pleasures

 

[Ardbeg]

I do enjoy life but eating out is no longer on my list of pleasures

My wife and I used to eat out at least once a week; usually a Friday or Saturday night.

We seldom eat out now, partly because of my condition, partly because of the "hassle" of chosing stuff off the menu but also partly in truth because we are skint due to the recession.

On the few occassions we have eaten out this year, I have played safe as gone for either a seafood, chicken or steak dish, accompanied by either salad or veg.........but no potatoes or chips