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The best healthy chicken lo mein recipe (237 calories)! It’s easy, quick, and so good you won’t need to order Chinese takeout!
There are three things that I start to crave if I go too long without eating them: cheeseburgers, pizza, and Chinese food. I’m wishing upon finishing that last sentence that at least one of those foods had been interesting.
The cheeseburger craving always gets knocked out with a shack stack at Shake Shack. (Don’t ever tell me Five Guys is better; it’s not and never will be). The pizza craving is almost too easy—come up on any street corner in New York City and you’re sure to find a good slice. Sad that I know this? Maybe. True? Yes.But the Chinese food craving…this one is more of a challenge to satisfy. It has to be eaten with Daniel and it has to be at a buffet.
When I met Daniel twelve years ago, I quickly learned that his favorite food in the entire world was Chinese. And he quickly learned not to order it with me, because I’d eat all the lo mein and all the crab rangoon. My tastes are very, very refined.
Today, we’re kind-of sort-of obsessed with Chinese buffets. Like, in-a-strip-mall, rethink-those-button-pantsbuffets. Where else can you get bottomless lo mein, crab rangoon, a mysterious yet delightful“banana” pudding, andcrack open your fortune at the end? Nowhere.
But there’s no fooling ourselves at buffets. Even the vegetables are saucy and oily and sticky-sweet. So we own it: it’s a gut-buster. But every once in a while–like once every month or two–that’s so, so better than fine. Any more often than that, and we know we’re turning a good thing bad.
Tokeep me feeling satisfied between jaunts to our favorite Chinese spots, I make a healthier—but seriouslydelicious—version at home. The sauce is salty-sweet withjust a touch of smokiness from toasted sesame oil and, shhh, a little barbecue sauce. To keep things light and low in calories, I loaded it with veggies and swapped traditional noodles for Shirataki noodles, which have so few calories you would be shocked (20 calories for a whole package!). If you’re not interested in trying these tofu noodles, or you’ve had them and they just weren’t for you, try spiralizing a summer squash or zucchini for just as few calories.
Friends, I hope you try this. I’m telling you, it will notdisappoint :)
Print Recipe
The best healthy chicken lo mein recipe (237 calories)! It's easy, quick, and so good you won't need to order takeout!
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: easy chicken stir fry, healthy chinese chicken recipe, healthy lo mein recipe
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 237kcal
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons barbecue sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch optional, but it does aid in thickening the sauce
- 2 8- ounce packages House Foods Shirataki spaghetti noodles or 2 large zucchini, spiralized
- 3 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound chicken breast cut into thin strips
- 3 stalks celery very thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 1 medium red bell pepper very thinly sliced
- 5 scallions sliced on the diagonal
Instructions
Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, barbecue sauce, sesame oil, clove of garlic, brown sugar, and corn starch. Set aside.
Rinse and drain the Shirataki noodles well. Press them dry with a paper towel to get as much moisture out as possible. This will help to ensure the sauce sticks to them and doesn’t slip off.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate and wipe out the pan with paper towels.
Return the pan to medium-high heat (turning it down if it begins to smoke) and add the remaining teaspoon of oil. Add the celery, bell pepper, and scallions, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Return the cooked chicken to the pan. Add the Shirataki noodles and the soy sauce mixture, tossing to coat all ingredients well, and let the pan cook until the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 237kcal | Protein: 27g | Fat: 9g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g
FAQs
This Chicken Lo Mein comes together quickly and makes a great weeknight meal. Plus, a 1 ½ cup serving is just 311 calories or 7 WW Points! To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here! Looking for more tasty Asian-inspired recipes you can make at home?
Is lo mein good for a diet? ›
Worst: Lo Mein
This mound of noodles has about half the carbohydrates you need all day. The noodles are made from white flour, which raises your blood sugar faster than fiber-rich whole grains. Plus, they're cooked with oil and soy sauce, so you get extra fat and sodium. Can't pass it up?
How many calories are in 2 cups of Chicken Lo Mein? ›
There are 556 calories in 2 cups of Chicken Lo Mein.
How many calories are in lo mein? ›
The favorite choice for the term "Lo Mein" is 1 cup of Lo Mein which has about 310 calories.
How many calories in a plate of Chicken Lo Mein? ›
675 cal., 19 g fat, 42 g pro., 82 g carb., 9 g fiber, 1,723 mg sod.
How many calories are usually in Chicken Lo Mein? ›
Lo mein, with chicken contains 260 calories per 200 g serving. This serving contains 6.3 g of fat, 18 g of protein and 32 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 4.2 g sugar and 2 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate. Lo mein, with chicken contains 1.4 g of saturated fat and 44 mg of cholesterol per serving.
Is Chicken Lo Mein good for weight loss? ›
While it's tasty and super filling, a cup of chicken lo mein can easily cost you a 1,000 calories of refined carbs, unhealthy oils, and blood sugar-raising sauces. Glassman says chicken chop suey is a much safer bet because it includes plenty of stir-fried veggies that'll keep you satiated.
What is the healthiest Chinese food to eat? ›
14 Healthiest Chinese Food Dishes, According to Registered...
- Steamed buns or dumplings. ...
- Rainbow stir fry. ...
- Beef and broccoli with garlic sauce. ...
- Cucumber and mushroom salad. ...
- Cucumber daikon salad. ...
- Herbal soup with vegetables. ...
- Egg drop soup. ...
- Chinese steamed scallops and glass noodles.
Low Calorie Chinese Takeaway Options
| SOUP | MAIN DISHES |
|---|
| Crab Rangoon 130 calories per 1 crab RANGOON | Hunan Pork 200 calories per 6oz serving |
| Prawn Crackers 214 calories per average portion | Black Pepper Duck 180 calories per 6oz serving |
| Sesame Prawn Toast 52 calories per toast | Mongolian Beef 210 calories per 6oz serving |
5 more rowsMay 11, 2023
Lo mein noodles get tossed in the sauce with the other ingredients at the end, chow mein noodles are stir-fried with everything instead. Is Chinese Chicken Lo Mein healthy? Yes, especially if it's homemade! It has healthy, lean protein, fresh vegetables, and carbs for energy.
Nutrition Facts
There are 897 calories in a 1 order (741.000g) serving size of Restaurant, Chinese, vegetable lo mein, without meat. The calorie breakdown is 17% fat, 67% carbs, and 16% protein.
Is lo mein high calorie? ›
Typical side dishes like fried rice, lo mein noodles, crab rangoon, and egg rolls are high in calories — and fat. Healthier choices include steamed brown rice, sautéed or steamed vegetables, spring rolls, or soups like egg drop soup or hot and sour soup.
What is healthier fried rice or Lo Mein? ›
So what's the healthier order, fried rice or lo mein? Short answer: lo mein. Yes, both dishes usually come slathered in sauce, but the rice offers the unfortunate double-whammy of being fried in oil first.
Is Lo Mein healthier than chow mein? ›
From a nutritional standpoint, lo mein is better than chow mein, hands down. "Lo mein would be considered more nutritious because the noodles are not fried and there is less oil used in the cooking," Jaelin says. "Lo mein has less than half the calories and fat found in chow mein.
How many calories are in 3 cups of Chicken Lo Mein? ›
There are 834 calories in 3 cups of Chicken Lo Mein.
How many calories are in Chinese restaurant lo mein? ›
Nutrition Facts
There are 897 calories in a 1 order (741.000g) serving size of Restaurant, Chinese, vegetable lo mein, without meat. The calorie breakdown is 17% fat, 67% carbs, and 16% protein.
How many calories are in a China Wok Chicken Lo Mein? ›
China Wok Chicken Lo Mein (1 cup) contains 33g total carbs, 30g net carbs, 9g fat, 16g protein, and 278 calories.
How many calories in a large order of lo mein? ›
The vegetable version is lower in calories than the house version, which can have as many as 1,100 calories per order. However, even vegetarian lo mein can have almost 900 calories per order.
