Soup: "People who don't want to eat too much should start with a soup," says Liang. "They're light and can fill you up a little."
Pao cai tang, a soup made from shredded Chinese cabbage and tofu, is a favorite among the Chinese and is both filling and nutritious. "This time of the year [when the seasons are changing], winter melon soup (dong gua tang) is a good choice, as is any soup made from leafy green vegetables," suggests Liang.
Cold Choices: When it gets too warm for soup, try starting your meal with a cool assortment of light appetizers like pai huang gua, made from freshly crushed cucumber pieces, brown vinegar, rice wine, salt and MSG. The healthiest option is to reduce or omit the salt and MSG (see box, page 60); the flavors from vinegar and rice wine will be tasty on their own.
Some of the more exotic starters are also great healthy options. Try jellyfish (hai zhe), which is low in calories and cholesterol, or chicken feet (feng zhua) or duck feet (ya zhang), which are not only low in oil but also a natural source of collagen, making them a cheap beauty treatment for women.
Main Courses
Poultry: Gong bao chicken is the stereotypical foreign favorite, but perhaps it should be swapped out. The dish's main ingredient of chicken - though delicious - is doused in rich oil, making it an unhealthy option, says Liang. "The chicken is breaded and then fried," she says. "It's then mixed in with the other ingredients and then stir fried again. Unfortunately, there is no way that the richness of this dish be replaced with a simple equivalent."
But while there may be only one gong bao chicken, there are other, significantly healthier options. Any chicken dish that incorporates breast pieces and fresh vegetables are winners, as long as you are vocal about how it's prepared. "If you want less oil or salt, let the waiter know," says Liang. "It's quite acceptable to ask for a dish to be prepared the way you want it. I do it all the time." For a lighter main course, try stir-fried chicken with celery and lotus (xiqin baihe chao ji pian) or chicken with bamboo shoots (xiansun chao ji pian).
Pork: It's not surprising that most meat dishes in China feature pork: After all, the country is the world's largest pork producer. While it's generally not as fatty as beef or other meats, the cut of the meat and the way it's prepared can make it just as unhealthy. Many restaurants prepare dishes with the fatty pork parts to provide a richer flavor. Simply avoiding the visible fat in the dish can make all the difference when counting calories.
Those who love the staple fish flavored braised pork (yu xiang rou si) shouldn't fret: This dish can be made healthier with a few simple requests to the chef. "This dish is not that bad," Liang says. "It's the flour coating that the pork is rolled into that is not so good. It's used to make the sauce thicker, but you can ask for half the oil to be used and only a little flour. You will still get the taste, except it won't be as overwhelmingly rich and oily."