When you're ordering takeout Chinese food, you're probably more worried about getting dinner than making sure that you are eating healthfully. However, if you eat a meal that's loaded with salt and calories, then you're likely not going to feel good about yourself after. Here are some steps to order more healthfully at a Chinese food place and make sure that you don't end up feeling bloated in the morning.

1. Get White Rice and Flavor it Yourself

A lot of takeout Chinese food has a large amount of salt in it. The soy sauce packets that restaurants give you are going to have a very high sodium content, too. In order to reduce the amount of salt that you are consuming, order white rice instead of chicken fried rice or any other type of flavored rice. This will allow you to add your own seasonings to the rice, such as low-sodium soy sauce, rather than consume something whose nutrition content you don't know. As a bonus, white rice usually comes with many meals or is cheaper than the flavored rice.

2. Drink Water between Every Bite

Between every bite of food, make sure that you take a sip of water. This will counteract the effect of the salt that's in the sauces and other foods that you have ordered. It will also force you to slow down how quickly you are eating and give your body more time to realize that it is full.

3. Order a Dish With Lots of Vegetables

When you order vegetables at a Chinese takeout restaurant, then there's a good chance that they are going to be covered in some sort of sauce. However, regardless of what they are covered in, these vegetables are going to have a lower calorie content than the meat that is served. To find out which meal has the most vegetables, ask the person on the phone when you order for a suggestion or just play it safe and order a vegetarian dish. If you can, order the sauce on the side so that you can use exactly the amount that you want.

4. Choose Dishes That are Steamed

Look for steamed rather than fried because they will have less salt and fat. If you don't see anything on the menu that is steamed, ask the person taking your order if they can steam something especially for you.

For specific nutritional information about an item of Chinese takeout, look online at the food delivery site.

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