Is Chop Suey Healthy?
Is Chop Suey Healthy? Quick Answer
| Short answer | It can be, and often is not. It depends almost entirely on how it is cooked |
| What makes it healthy | A large share of vegetables, lean chicken or prawns, light stir frying, and a sauce that is not thickened with much cornflour or sugar |
| What makes it unhealthy | Deep fried noodles on top, heavy cornflour gravy, added sugar, and large restaurant portions |
| Typical problem in Pakistan | Restaurant chop suey is usually served on a bed of fried noodles, which is where most of the calories and fat come from |
| Better version | Ask for it without fried noodles, or serve it over boiled rice or steamed noodles instead |
| Bottom line | The vegetables are not the problem. The frying and the gravy are |
Chop suey is one of the easier restaurant dishes to make work in a weight loss plan, because the base of it is vegetables and lean protein. The changes that matter are skipping the fried noodle bed and asking for less gravy. For help fitting restaurant food into a plan rather than avoiding it, book a consultation with Ayesha Nasir, a Registered Dietitian in Lahore.
The Chinese have come up with plenty of healthy dishes in our time and even though most of them aren’t to our taste, you cannot deny that they don’t provide some serious health benefits.
The dish itself is basically stir fried chicken, served with mixed vegetables and a sauce. However, the question still stands: Is chop suey healthy? Chop suey is another classic Chinese dish that’s started gaining plenty of popularity among Pakistani households.
Well, in this guide we’ll be uncovering the mystery behind chop suey by taking a look at its individual ingredients and determining if they are indeed healthy. So, without any further ado, let’s get straight into it.
Chop Suey Nutritional Value
Before we actually get to uncovering the nutrients and minerals chop suey supplies your body with, we have to talk about the actual nutritional value you get from consuming the dish.
As you might’ve already known, both chicken chop suey and vegetable or regular chop suey are pretty protein heavy dishes. Here’s the total amount of calories you get from consuming 1 cup of chop suey:
Total calories in 1 cup of chop suey: 167 Calories. Here’s the breakdown:
For another Chinese takeaway favourite, compare that figure with the calories in homemade chicken chow mein.
- Fat: 7.8 grams
- Cholesterol: 12% of the Daily Value
- Sodium: 24% of the Daily Value.
- Carbs: 9.1 grams
- Protein: 16 grams
- Potassium: 12% of the Daily Value
Is Chicken Chop Suey Healthy?
Like most other Chinese dishes, chicken chop suey too is quite healthy as it contains an array of different vegetables, all of which contain a number of different minerals and nutrients that provide several health benefits of their own.
Firstly, the total calorie count for chicken chop suey is just 225 Calories which makes it a viable low-calorie option if you’re actively trying to lose weight.
Plus, the dish even without the chicken is rich in protein which makes it perfect for individuals trying to increase their lean muscle mass by adding more protein to their diet.
Lastly, the dish serves up plenty of vitamins and minerals to its consumers in the form of vegetables. These vitamins include Vitamin C, A and D.
In terms of their health benefits, Vitamin C is necessary for the growth and repair of all body tissues. It’s also involved in essential processes like your body’s absorption of iron, the creation of collagen and even the proper functioning of your immune system.
Vitamin A on the other hand, is essential in maintaining your normal vision, maintaining your immune system health and for general growth and development.
Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins you could have as it plays an instrumental role in strengthening your bones, muscles and improving your oral health.
Is Vegetable Chop Suey Healthy?
Vegetable chop suey contains almost the same ingredients as chicken chop suey, the only obvious difference is that the chicken is replaced by something like tofu to ensure there’s no meat in the dish.
In terms of health benefits, vegetable chop suey offers almost the same number of health benefits as chicken chop suey with the only exception being that it doesn’t contain as much protein as the one with chicken in it.
As good as it is to eat your vegetables, in terms of healthiness we’d actually prefer serving the chicken chop suey over the vegetable chop suey as its huge protein content is what sets it apart from other dishes.
The only thing you should look out for is the amount of sugar or salt used in the dish as the Chinese tend to be a little heavy handed when it comes to adding the two seasoners.
Final Thoughts
That’s all we have for people when it comes to our answer to the question:
Is chop suey healthy?
Overall, the dish is incredibly healthy and beneficial for individuals looking to convert their excess weight into lean muscle mass.
As the dish supplies plenty of protein even without any meat while also being under 230 calories, which not only allows you to stay in shape but also increases how fast your muscles recover and grow.
For more information and expert advice on how chop suey can be an essential part of your diet and supply you with the nutrition you need, we’d advise getting in touch with Ayesha Nasir, one of the leading dieticians in Pakistan.
Chop Suey: Common Questions
How many calories are in chicken chop suey?
It varies enormously with the recipe and the portion. The vegetables and chicken are modest in calories, while the fried noodles and thickened sauce are where most of the calories sit. A restaurant plate served on fried noodles can be several times the calories of a home cooked version.
Is chop suey good for weight loss?
A home cooked version with plenty of vegetables, lean protein and a light sauce fits well into a weight loss plan. The restaurant version served over fried noodles usually does not.
Is chop suey healthier than chow mein?
Chop suey is usually the better choice because the noodles are not fried into the dish. You can compare in the guide to calories in homemade chicken chow mein.
How do I make chop suey healthier at home?
Increase the vegetables, use chicken breast or prawns, stir fry in a small amount of oil, use less cornflour in the sauce, skip added sugar, and serve it over boiled rice or steamed noodles rather than fried ones.
Ayesha Nasir builds diet plans around everyday Pakistani food rather than imported templates, and consults online right across the country. See how online nutrition plans work anywhere in Pakistan, or book a consultation.
