Extremely High Sodium Levels In Chinese Restaurant Dishes

It’s quick, it’s tasty and according to an American consumer group it’s terrible for your blood pressure.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest studied the sodium content of some of the most popular dishes at Chinese food restaurants and says the amount of salt in some well exceeds the amount needed for an entire day.

The organization highlighted a few dishes including the popular General Tso’s chicken, which on its own contains approximately 40 percent more sodium (3,200 milligrams) and more than half the calories (1,300) you’d need for the day. It also contains 11 grams of saturated fat.

That doesn’t include the side of steamed rice or an eggroll appetizer.

The average person needs about 2,000 calories per day and about one teaspoon of salt, or 2,300 milligrams.

But the organization’s nutritional director Bonnie Liebman said it’s not fair to point the finger solely at Chinese food restaurants, noting that many American eateries need to cut back on the amount of calories, fat and salt in their offerings.

Liebman said other types of food, including Italian and Mexican, can be worse for your health because they contain higher levels of saturated fat, which boost your risk of heart disease.

The same group studied Chinese food 15 years ago and found little or no change since then.

“We were glad not to find anything different,” Liebman said. “Some restaurant food has gotten a lot worse. Companies seem to pile on — instead of just cheesecake, you get coconut chocolate chip cheesecake with a layer of chocolate cake, and lasagna with meatballs.”

While high sodium levels contribute to hypertension, many Chinese food restaurants have healthy alternatives to their deep fried and battered offerings, including vegetable and rice dishes – but that depends on how you order your veggies.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest found that a plate of stir-fried greens contained 900 calories and 2,200 milligrams of sodium.  Eggplant in a garlic sauce had 1,000 calories and 2,000 milligrams of salt.

“We were shocked. We assumed the vegetables were all low in calories,” Liebman said.

Local restaurateur Dali Sun said  he works hard to ensure the meals his establishment serves are healthy.

“We just do our best to make sure our food is really healthy and also is kind of real Chinese,” the owner of The Dumpling House said.

There are a few ways to ensure you’re getting the healthiest option available when you visit a Chinese food restaurant:

• Look for dishes that feature vegetables instead of meat or noodles. Ask for extra broccoli, snow peas or other veggies.
• Steer clear of deep-fried meat, seafood or tofu. Order it stir-fried or braised.
• Hold the sauce, and eat with a fork or chopsticks to leave more sauce behind.
• Avoid salt, which means avoiding duck sauce, hot mustard, hoisin sauce and soy sauce.
• Share your meal or take half home for later.
• Ask for brown rice instead of white rice.

To read the study and to see the sodium content of some of your other favourite dishes, click here (pdf. file).