Chinese takeout has a reputation as diet-wrecking food, and some of it is earned — a single plate of General Tso's chicken can top 1,300 calories before rice. But low calorie Chinese food exists on nearly every menu. Ordering smart can save you 800+ calories in a single meal.

Here's what to order, what to avoid, and how to modify dishes to cut calories without losing flavor.

Best Low-Calorie Chinese Dishes

These rely on steaming, broth, or light stir-frying instead of deep frying and heavy sauces.

Soups

Hot and Sour Soup — roughly 90 calories per cup. The broth base keeps calories low while the spice, vinegar, and tofu make it filling.
Wonton Soup — roughly 70 calories per cup (2-3 wontons). Light broth with small dumplings that takes the edge off before the entree.
Egg Drop Soup — roughly 65 calories per cup. One of the lightest starters at any Chinese restaurant.

Steamed Dishes

Steamed Shrimp with Vegetables — roughly 200 calories per serving. The lightest entree on most Chinese menus. Ask for sauce on the side.
Steamed Fish (whole or fillet) — roughly 200-250 calories per serving depending on the fish. Usually prepared with ginger and scallions. A staple in Cantonese cooking.
Steamed Vegetable Dumplings (6 pieces) — roughly 250 calories. Lighter than pan-fried or deep-fried versions, which can run 350-400 calories for the same count.

Stir-Fries (Lighter Options)

Moo Goo Gai Pan — roughly 280 calories per serving. Chicken with mushrooms and vegetables in a light white sauce. Low-calorie because the sauce isn't sugar-based.
Chicken with Broccoli — roughly 280 calories per serving with sauce on the side. The dish itself is lean; the calorie spikes come from the brown sauce.
Shrimp with Mixed Vegetables — roughly 250 calories per serving. Shrimp is one of the leanest proteins, and the vegetables add volume without significant calories.

What to Skip

These items can turn a single meal into a full day's worth of calories.

Deep-Fried Entrees

General Tso's Chicken — roughly 1,300 calories per order. Battered, fried, and coated in a sugary glaze. This is the single highest-calorie item on most Chinese menus.
Orange Chicken — roughly 1,400-1,500 calories per order. Similar preparation to General Tso's but often with even more sugar in the sauce.
Sweet and Sour Pork — roughly 1,100 calories per order. Deep-fried pork in a sweet glaze with pineapple.
Egg Rolls (per roll) — roughly 200 calories each. Two egg rolls as an appetizer adds 400 calories before the entree even arrives.

High-Calorie Sides

Fried Rice — roughly 500 calories per cup. The combination of oil, egg, and rice packs a surprising calorie punch.
Lo Mein — roughly 800+ calories per order. Oily noodles absorb sauce and fat. One of the most calorie-dense items at any Chinese restaurant.
Crab Rangoon (4 pieces) — roughly 320 calories. Deep-fried cream cheese wontons. Essentially fried cheesecake.

Sauce Strategies

The sauce is where most Chinese dishes gain their excess calories. A few modifications can cut hundreds of calories.

Ask for sauce on the side. This can cut 150-300 calories from any stir-fry. Dip lightly rather than pouring.
Choose garlic sauce over sweet sauces. Garlic sauce is lighter than General Tso's, orange, or sweet and sour sauces — less sugar, less cornstarch.
Skip the glaze. If a dish is described as "crispy" or "glazed," the sauce is baked in. Choose dishes described as "steamed" or "sauteed" instead.
Use hot mustard or chili oil. Both add flavor for negligible calories — far better than extra sweet sauce.

How to Build a Low-Calorie Chinese Meal

A smart Chinese food order follows this structure:

Start with soup — a cup of hot and sour or egg drop (65-90 cal) fills you up before the entree.
Choose a steamed or lightly stir-fried entree — steamed shrimp with vegetables or moo goo gai pan (200-280 cal).
Skip the fried rice — ask for steamed white rice instead (roughly 200 calories per cup vs. 500 for fried) or skip rice entirely.
Skip the deep-fried appetizers — no egg rolls, no crab rangoon, no fried wontons.

Following this formula, a complete Chinese meal can come in at 350-500 calories total. Without it, a typical order of egg rolls, General Tso's chicken, and fried rice can easily exceed 2,000 calories.

If you're applying similar strategies to other cuisines, check out our guide to low calorie Mexican food. For general strategies on eating lighter at any restaurant, see our healthy eating out options guide.

Order Smarter at Any Chinese Restaurant

Next time you're ordering Chinese food, DinePick can flag the lowest-calorie dishes on any menu — join the waitlist to try it first.

Low Calorie Chinese Food: What to Order and What to Skip