Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
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
Nutrition Information
675 cal., 19 g fat, 42 g pro., 82 g carb., 9 g fiber, 1,723 mg sod.
Is lo mein low in calories? ›
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.
Is Chicken Lo Mein good for you? ›
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?
Which is healthier chow or lo mein? ›
"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. It's also significantly lower in sodium," Horton says.
What is the healthiest Chinese food to eat? ›
We asked nutrition experts for some of their healthiest Chinese food dishes, plus their best menu hacks for sneaking in even more nutrients.
- Moo Goo Gai Pan. ...
- Szechuan Tofu. ...
- Shrimp with Broccoli in Garlic Sauce. ...
- Beef and Broccoli. ...
- Spring Rolls. ...
- Cucumber Salad. ...
- Lo Mein of Chow Fun with Veggies or Protein. ...
- White or Brown Rice.
Pf Chang's Main Menu Signature Lo Mein Chicken (1 serving) contains 110g total carbs, 103g net carbs, 21g fat, 49g protein, and 830 calories.
What is more fattening, fried rice or lo mein? ›
Lo Mein is a healthier option than Fried Rice for a variety of reasons. For starters, it can be a good source of protein, especially when combined with lean proteins like chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu. Protein is necessary for muscle building and repair, as well as for keeping you full for longer periods of time.
How many calories are in General Tso's chicken with lo mein? ›
Wegmans Spicy General Tso Chicken With Lo Mein (1 pack) contains 60g total carbs, 58g net carbs, 17g fat, 23g protein, and 480 calories.
Is fried rice and chicken healthy? ›
Traditional restaurant fried rice with chicken isn't usually a very healthy option. It's made with white rice, which is less nutrient dense than brown rice, and is usually laden with lots of oil. It also is normally really high in sodium and can contain lots of unwanted additives like MSG and other preservatives.
What is the lowest calorie Chinese takeout? ›
Which Chinese food dishes are lowest in calories?
| Food Name | Calories | Serving |
|---|
| steamed pork dumpling | 67.3 | 1 piece |
| wonton soup | 71.4 | 1 cup |
| hot and sour soup | 90.9 | 1 cup |
| egg foo yung | 115.9 | 1 patty |
13 more rowsFeb 21, 2018
The defining feature of any lo mein dish is the sauce, so make sure you take the time to get it right. Using dark soy sauce will give the lo mein color and a bolder taste while adding light soy sauce will give the dish some extra saltiness and flavor without staining the noodles darker.
What is a good substitute for lo mein noodles? ›
There are plenty of noodles that can replace the slippy wheat strands that go into lo mein. Take chop suey noodles, for example, which are made from the same dough comprised of water and wheat flour that's used to make lo mein noodles, just sans the eggs.
What are the skinny Chinese noodles? ›
Cellophane noodles, aka glass noodles
A skinny, semi-transparent variety, cellophane noodles are made from water and a starch, such as mung bean, potato, or tapioca. Look for them in dried bunches, which need only to be soaked in water to rehydrate, rather than boiled.
What is healthier chicken fried rice or chicken chow mein? ›
Or the nutrition side of things? Fried rice has 570 calories (extra calories are from fat) and 900mg sodium. However, chow mien has fewer calories of 400, but a huge amount of sodium 1,060mg! Another thing that you could look at would be the number of vegetables in each dish perhaps. Chow mien has several ve...
How many calories are in a lo mein takeout? ›
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 2 cups of Chicken Lo Mein? ›
There are 556 calories in 2 cups of Chicken Lo Mein.
How many calories are in 3 cups of Chicken Lo Mein? ›
There are 834 calories in 3 cups of Chicken Lo Mein.
