Sweet and Sour Chicken at a Chinese Restaurant Buffet

Too Much of a Good Thing

The Ubiquitous Chinese Buffet

There are many Chinese restaurant buffets across the United States. Some are small places with just a few selections and some have an enormous selection with six or more buffet tables. This review will cover a typical meal at a generic, large Chinese buffet rather than a chain restaurant.

For this meal I chose sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, three cream cheese wontons, and two egg rolls.

Nutrition Information

Start off with about two serving-spoons of sweet and sour chicken. This would consist of small pieces of deep fried chicken with red sweet and sour sauce poured generously over the chicken. I would estimate this to be around 500 calories. The chicken offers a bit of protein and iron, but any nutritional benefit is far outweighed by the greasy, high calorie cooking method. The sauce adds calories and sugar and little else.

The rest of the meal includes fried rice, wontons, and egg rolls. One cup of fried rice would be equal to about 300 calories with lots of sodium. On the side are three deep fried cream cheese wontons with sauce, which add approximately 250 more calories, and other than a bit of calcium, no nutritional value. The two deep fried egg rolls add approximately 200 more calories.

Total Calorie Count

This rather large meal is common at Chinese Buffets. It can be tempting to eat too much with all that food right in front of you. This example meal would contain around 1250 calories, and that doesn't include any beverage or dessert. There isn't much nutritional value to this meal either.

Alternatives

The great thing about these Chinese buffet is the huge selection of food. While the deep fried foods and high calorie sauces can be tempting, you can serve yourself a healthier meal by sticking with the stir fried entrees that include lots of vegetables. Start the meal with a cup of soup, then keep your portions under control. One plate is plenty, so don't return for seconds and thirds. Drink plenty of water and enjoy some fresh fruit for dessert. With this type of Chinese buffet meal you will save lots of calories and add some vitamins and minerals.