Best Chinese takeout for low carb

The dishes to order, the sauces to avoid, and how to ask for keto-friendly modifications at any Chinese restaurant.

Written by

Carb Lens Editorial

Nutrition writers & product team

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Alicia Nguyen, RD, CDCES

Registered Dietitian · Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist · 12+ years clinical experience

Published July 4, 2026 4 min readEditorial policy

Chinese takeout is famous for huge carb spikes — but done right, it's actually one of the easiest cuisines to eat low-carb.

Best choices

### Almost zero carbs - Steamed chicken/beef/shrimp with mixed vegetables (no sauce on the side) - Egg drop soup (3g per cup) - Hot and sour soup (5g per cup, but check thickener) - Moo shu without pancakes (12g)

### Lower-carb (with smart ordering) - Beef and broccoli, sauce on side (~10g) - Mongolian beef, sauce on side (~15g) - Pepper steak (~10g) - Shrimp with garlic sauce, no cornstarch (~12g) - Stir-fried vegetables with chicken (~15g)

Avoid

Dish	Net carbs
Sweet & sour pork	80g+
General Tso's chicken	65g+
Orange chicken	70g+
Sesame chicken	60g+
Fried rice	55g per cup
Lo mein	60g per cup
Chow mein (crispy)	50g per cup
Egg roll	25g each
Crab Rangoon	12g each

How to order smart

"Steamed, not fried"
"Sauce on the side"
"No cornstarch, no sugar" (some places will accommodate)
"Extra vegetables, no rice"
"Hot tea, unsweetened"

Sauce intelligence

**Soy sauce**: free (but high sodium)
**Garlic sauce**: 5–10g per serving
**Brown sauce**: 5–8g
**Hoisin**: 15g+ per tablespoon
**Sweet & sour**: 25g+ per serving
**Duck sauce, plum sauce**: pure sugar

Best meal ideas

Steamed chicken + broccoli + side of garlic sauce
Mongolian beef without rice, extra veggies
Hot and sour soup + steamed shrimp with vegetables
Egg foo young (omelette-style, low carb)

About the author

Carb Lens Editorial — Nutrition writers & product team. The Carb Lens editorial team writes practical, source-checked guides on carbs, blood sugar, and everyday nutrition. Every article is drafted by our writers and cross-referenced against USDA FoodData Central and peer-reviewed clinical guidelines.

How we source and review this article

Nutrition figures come from the USDA FoodData Central database. Blood-sugar and glycemic-load framing follows guidance from the American Diabetes Association and World Health Organization healthy-diet recommendations. Every article is medically reviewed by Dr. Alicia Nguyen, RD, CDCES before publishing and re-checked on a rolling basis. See our full editorial & medical review policy.

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you're managing diabetes or another condition, always defer to your care team.