Chinese keto guide
Navigable
Keto friendliness
Adapting Chinese cuisine to keto requires diligent menu navigation and explicit requests for sauce and starch modifications.
Top ingredients
Excellent traditional keto ingredients include various cuts of pork, chicken, beef, duck, seafood, and a wide array of non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, and mushrooms.
Danger zones
Watch out for hidden sugars and cornstarch in most sauces, deep-fried battered items, noodles, rice, dumplings, and starchy vegetables often used as fillers.
Best for
This cuisine is best for experienced keto dieters who are comfortable with explicit modifications and enjoy a variety of high-protein, vegetable-rich meals.
What to drink
Drinks you will see at Chinese restaurants, cafés and stalls, rated the same way as the food.
Order these
- KetoJasmine Tea mòlìhuā chá (茉莉花茶) · 0g net carbs as usually served
- KetoPu-erh Tea pǔ'ěr chá (普洱茶) · 0g net carbs as usually served
- Ask firstChrysanthemum Tea júhuā chá (菊花茶) · 10g net carbs as usually servedAsk for it without sugar ('bù jiā táng', 不加糖).
- Ask firstSoy Milk dòujiāng (豆浆) · 15g net carbs as usually servedAsk for it unsweetened ('wú táng', 无糖). Breakfast shops usually have both.
- Ask firstSavory Soy Milk xián dòujiāng (咸豆浆) · 15g net carbs as usually servedAsk for it without the fried dough ('bù yào yóutiáo', 不要油条).
- Ask firstHong Kong Milk Tea gongsik naaicha (港式奶茶) · 25g net carbs as usually servedAsk for 'zau tong' (走糖, no sugar). The evaporated milk still adds about 6g.
- Ask firstCoffee-Tea Mix yuenyeung (鴛鴦) · 25g net carbs as usually servedAsk for 'zau tong' (走糖, no sugar).
- Ask firstHong Kong Lemon Tea dung ling cha (凍檸茶) · 25g net carbs as usually servedAsk for 'zau tim' (走甜, no sweetness).
Skip these
- SkipSour Plum Drink suānméi tāng (酸梅汤) · 30g net carbs as usually servedSkip this, order jasmine tea instead.
- SkipWinter Melon Tea dōngguā chá (冬瓜茶) · 30g net carbs as usually servedSkip this, order jasmine tea instead.
- SkipGrass Jelly Drink xiāncǎo (仙草) · 30g net carbs as usually servedSkip this, order jasmine tea instead.
- SkipHot Cola with Ginger jiāng zhǔ kělè (姜煮可乐) · 40g net carbs as usually servedSkip this, order pu-erh tea instead.
- SkipBubble Tea zhēnzhū nǎichá (珍珠奶茶) · 55g net carbs as usually servedSkip this, order plain jasmine or oolong tea, 0% sugar, no toppings instead.
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Questions people ask
What can I eat at a Chinese restaurant on keto?
Good orders that are keto as served include Salt-Baked Chicken (2g net carbs), Tea-Smoked Duck (2g net carbs), Crispy Roast Pork Belly (3g net carbs), Salt-Baked Prawns (3g net carbs), Seaweed and Dried Shrimp Soup (3g net carbs) and Steamed Crab (3g net carbs). Of the 408 Chinese dishes in this guide, 119 are keto as served.
Is Chinese food keto-friendly?
Keto Atlas rates Chinese food "Navigable" for keto. Adapting Chinese cuisine to keto requires diligent menu navigation and explicit requests for sauce and starch modifications.
What Chinese dishes should I avoid on keto?
Watch out for hidden sugars and cornstarch in most sauces, deep-fried battered items, noodles, rice, dumplings, and starchy vegetables often used as fillers. Dishes to skip include Steamed Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard (18g), Stir-fried Snow Peas with Shrimp (17g), Stir-fried Beef with Broccoli (16g) and Stir-fried Mussels with Black Bean Sauce (16g).
How do I order Chinese food keto-style?
Many dishes become keto with one small request. For Clear Broth Duck Soup: say "For 清炖鸭汤, please no high-carb vegetables like taro or carrots. And no added sugar in any seasoning." For Fish Maw Soup: say "For 花胶汤, please make it a clear broth, no starch or added sugar. And no goji berries or dates."
What can I drink at a Chinese restaurant on keto?
Keto-friendly as served: Jasmine Tea and Pu-erh Tea. Fine with a small request (usually no sugar or syrup): Chrysanthemum Tea, Soy Milk, Savory Soy Milk and Hong Kong Milk Tea. Skip sugary drinks such as Sour Plum Drink, Winter Melon Tea and Grass Jelly Drink.