Classic Chinese dishes that are pretty healthy on the DL

Photograph: Flickr/J. Annie Wang

We adore Chinese food in all its incarnations, but some of our favourite dishes aren't exactly healthy. So what's a dan dan fan with a basic grasp on nutrition to do? Why, eat the delectables in this list, of course!

Before you're up in arms shouting 'oil!' and 'MSG!', calm yourself and remember that we're discussing these foods in light of a broader context of health than the eat-clean-train-dirty aesthetic that's so in vogue at the moment. 

Instead of denying yourself the incredible textures, flavours and diversity of Chinese cuisine, why not try to incorporate these low-key but high nutrient staples into your diet? We're sure they're at least part of the reason why life expectancy in Beijing is a good few years higher than in the UK and USA, despite the air pollution.

Spinach and peanuts 菠菜花生

Photograph: Flickr/Emily

Don't dismiss this home-cooking staple as just a vehicle for grease and garlic; spinach is one of the great nutritional heavy lifters in the vegetable realm, with high levels of iron, essential minerals and stacks of vitamins contained in its unassuming green tangles. In addition, peanuts are a wonderful source of protein and healthy fatty acids including omega-6, which helps facilitate cell repair and preserve heart function. And all that garlic? It's essential for keeping away vampires, and can help to keep your blood pressure low and maintain cholesterol levels.

Boiled dumplings 水饺

Photograph: Flickr/J. Annie Wang

Dumplings are soothing little pockets of happiness, and chowing down on the boiled variant as opposed to the fried ones slices their calorie count dramatically. If you can bear to avoid meat-based fillings and instead opt for vegetable- and tofu-based varieties (mushroom and pickles, tomato and egg and cold tofu, carrot and coriander are all pretty common options) you'll be rewarded with far fewer calories per parcel. Because of this, they're ideal to eat at large group dinners on occasions where you want to watch what you're consuming without alienating your greedy friends.

Shredded tofu salad 涼拌干丝

Photograph: lemonpi.net

Although it might not be the most appealingly named of foodstuffs, this cold tofu creation combines dried strips of bean curd, coriander and a vinegar-rich dressing to create a deceptively simple dish that once tried, is impossible to stop eating. The long, stringy shape of the tofu makes it an ideal substitute for heavier noodle dishes, with lean protein replacing refined carbohydrates and no subsequent food coma hitting mid-afternoon. We recommend adding a dash of chilli oil, as it provides a lively foil for the robustness of the simple sauce of this liang cai.

Roast fish 烤鱼

It seems a little patronising to point out that fish – in all its myriad varieties – is good for you, but the fact remains that the goodness found in both oily and white fish can help guard against dementia, cardiovascular problems and age-related vision degradation. Ditch the overpriced fish oil tablets and tuck into a steaming portion of kaoyu, which at its best comes straight out of the water and into your healthy eating regimen. Check out our handy beginner's guide for more information.

Congee 粥

Photograph: Flickr/Mateusz Majenski

This rice gruel might not have much glamour, but it's almost offensively cheap, available all over the city and made delicious by the addition of umami-rich toppings and add-ons. Congee slips as neatly into the dinner slot as it does into the role of appealing breakfast option: it's filling and, if you manage to avoid versions made with added pork fat, is both vegetarian and remarkably low-calorie. We recommend adding fermented or pickled vegetables to your bowl of wonder porridge to add both health benefits and some variance in texture. 

Liangpi 凉皮

Photograph: Yang Xiaozhe

Hailing from the noodle-strewn province of Shaanxi, this light noodle dish is served cold. The rice noodles used to make liangpi ensure it's a whole lot less calorific than most of its floury peers, and a flavoursome sauce ensures that it's every bit as satisfying. This dish also incorporates cubes of spongy gluten to add an appealing contrast to the slurp of the noodles, julienned cucumber, coriander, an almost indecent amount of sesame paste (depending on the shop) and – unless otherwise instructed – a generous slug of chilli oil. It's a summer staple, and one we can't see ourselves living happily and healthily without.

Beggar's Chicken 叫化雞

Photograph: Flickr/chee.hong

In a city where ovens are a rarity, it can be tricky to find Chinese-style meat that hasn't been fried. When you're trying to keep your body as a temple, a load of gloppy oil all over the floors and soft furnishings can be cause for concern. 

Enter Beggar's Chicken, an ideal treat-day dish that combines a cooking process nigh-impossible to replicate at home with impossibly tender meat and a nutritional profile that isn't going to send you screaming to KFC in defeat. This Jiangsu delicacy might look more like a particularly ugly rock than a taste sensation before its clay case is cracked open and the sumptuous innards revealed, but underestimate this slow-cooked and vibrantly named wonder at your peril. 

Malatang 麻辣烫

Photograph: Flickr/Benny Wijaya

Deliciously spicy and a cheap and filling staple, malatang might incorporate quite a bit of oil but it's an easy way to fill up on veggies for less than the flag drop of a taxi ride. Just make sure to avoid any of the questionable processed meat that drunk you might be tempted to add, and you're guaranteed a relatively nutritious meal. As an alternative (and with a whole lot less oil involved), we recommend Dongbei-style hotpot, which uses a water-based stock as opposed to the fiery-but-fattening chilli oil bases so beloved in Chongqing.

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