A Weight Watchers Guide To Eating At A Chinese Buffet

13 Shares

Do you struggle to choose what to eat at your favorite local Chinese buffet? Unfortunately, it can be challenging to determine the exact point values of the dishes. We may not always know every ingredient used by the restaurants, but you can follow some helpful guidelines to make healthier choices.

And if you are craving for weight watchers friendly chinese food at home, be sure to check out my ww orange chicken recipe.

Orange Chicken served with lemon and bowl of beans

What are the Healthiest Foods to Get at a Chinese Restaurant?

To start with, let’s avoid fried food as it usually has the highest calorie and point count. For instance, although they may be tempting, it’s better to avoid dishes like crab Rangoon, fried noodles and veggies, fried meat, or any other similar choices.

If you have the option, consider selecting food items that don’t come with sauce or choosing a dish where you can pair a small amount of sauce on the side. This way, you will have better control over how much sauce you consume.

Sweet and sour sauce, as the name implies, often contains high-calorie and point ingredients like sugar or honey. Therefore, it is better to avoid it if possible.

Now that we’ve covered some basic tips, we can get into some of the foods that are better options for WW members:

When you have doubts, you can always ask how something is cooked. For instance, steamed dumplings are considerably lower in points than fried!

Here are some other helpful tips:

Take advantage of the salad bar if there is one.
Use a smaller plate if you know you will be going back for seconds.
Be mindful of portion sizes to avoid over-indulging.
Load up on the veggies.
Listen to your body when it tells you you’re full.
Drink plenty of water.

If you prefer fast food or fast-casual restaurants that serve Chinese food instead of Chinese buffet-style restaurants, we have got you covered.

We have gathered some of the points amounts for popular chains like Panda Express, HuHot Mongolian Grill, Manchu Wok, and PF Chang’s. Check them out here:

HuHot Mongolian Grill:

Broccoli: 0 Points
Beef: 3 Points
Seafood Medley: 0 Points
Cod: 0 Points
Pork: 2 points
Zucchini Noodles: 0 points

Panda Express:

Broccoli Beef: 4 Points
Mushroom Chicken: 5 Points
Super Greens: 1 Point
Fortune Cookie: 1 Point
Firecracker Shrimp: 2 Points

PF Chang’s:

Wonton Soup (cup): 3 Points
Ginger Chicken with Broccoli: 8 Points
Brown Rice: 5 Points
Egg Drop Soup (cup): 1 Point
Steamed Edamame: 0 Points

Manchu Wok:

Beef and Broccoli: 6 Points
Mixed Vegetables: 3 Points
Black Pepper Chicken: 5 Points

Ultimately, there are plenty of ways to eat healthy when you enjoy Chinese cuisine! In fact, this type of cuisine has lighter options than others since a lot of food is steamed or boiled. As long as you steer clear of the fried food or high-sugar foods, you’ll be good to go.