Chinese Food: A Healthy Diet

Chinese food is generally acknowledged as a most delicious food. However, one of issues many people concerned is Chinese food is healthy or not? There is no denying fact that very a few Chinese restaurants or take away shops might supply meals with excessive fat or unhealthy seasoning, but generally, Chinese food is a healthy food. Throughout Chinese history people have searched for a way to achieve immortality and to keep in good health. Food and drink play a very important part in the way of health. This made Chinese food becomes a healthy food.

A healthy diet should be variable and on balance. Chinese diet is basically semi-vegetarian. Most Chinese dishes are mixed with meat and vegetable. On average, vegetable to meat ratio is three-to-one. Even in meat dishes, vegetables paly a important part to add texture, flavor. A typical Chinese meal should contain at least a vegetable dish. Essential ingredients in authentic Chinese recipes also include garlic, spring onions, fresh ginger, bean curd, soy sauce, bean sprouts, fresh coriander. Eating garlic regularly is thought to help keep cholesterol levels low, and contribute towards maintaining a healthy heart and circulation. Spring onions contain vitamin C, folic acid and some beta-carotene. Fresh ginger provides a wonderful flavor and also helps counteract strong odour from other ingredients. It's thought to be helpful in stimulating the circulation and can also soothe an upset stomach. Fresh coriander is used as a garnish and seasoning and has a very distinctive musky, citrus-like flavour. This herb provides vitamin C and some essential minerals.

One of marvellous ingredients in Chinese food is bead curd (tofu). It is made from yellow soybeans, which are soaked, ground, mixed with water and then cooked before being solidified. Bean curd is high in protein and low in fat. A high consumption of Soya-based products is also linked with a lower risk of breast cancer. Soy sauce is made from a mixture of soybeans, flour and water. It is naturally fermented and aged for months. Black beans are small black soybeans that are preserved by fermentation in salt and spices. Bean sprouts are a good source of vitamin C. Chinese food also use a lot of fresh seafood, rice or noodles. So Chinese food could provide all kinds of nutrition.

One of characteristics of Chinese food is its variation. There are thousands of different dishes. Chinese people do not eat same meals during a week, even in a month. Another Chinese eating custome is, in a meal, each dish is shared by all eaters. Every eater can eat different food. So eating Chinese food could get enough vitamins and minerals and can keep on nutrious balance.

Moreover, Chinese food contain a important part--medicinal food. Chinese people found some food have therapeutic effects. they also add some herbs in food to make the food have therapeutic effect. One chinese proverb says " food is good for health better than medicine". Eating these medicinal foods could prevent and cure some illnesses, and could be helpful for weight-lost, look-improvement.

As for cooking methods, common used methods are stir-fried, steamed and braised, which are much healthier than deep-fried or battered dishes. Quick stir-frying and steaming are helpful to preserves vitamins in foods. For home stir-frying peanut oil is common used, as it is relatively bland and doesn't easily degrade or smoke unhealthily at very high temperatures.

Of course, if you eat too much Chinese food in one meal, it could harmful to your health. If you want to cook Chinese food by youself, you need to learn to cook in the true Chinese way. If you eat in a Chinese restaurant or buy food in a take-away, you also should follow the principle of "balance". then you can eat favourite Chinese food and still stay healthy in best shapes.

Related Links:

Also in This Topic