Training & Nutrition - Chinese Food

Chinese food is very good for cyclists...in my opinion it has plenty of saturated fat and other things to keep u going...plus its not ALL carbs it also has lots of protein and vegetables.

Just make sure u order wit no msg.

Chinese food is very good for cyclists...in my opinion it has plenty of saturated fat and other things to keep u going...plus its not ALL carbs it also has lots of protein and vegetables.

Just make sure u order wit no msg.

This is just about the most ignorant and borderline racist post I've seen on this forum.

This is just about the most ignorant and borderline racist post I've seen on this forum.

how is it racist? Chinese carryout food is like that...i guess the newspaper articles talking about chinese food being high calorie/high fat were racist too.

There are many regions in China, many different kinds of foods. Chinese people in general eat chinese food without MSG and with little fat. It's only on special occasions when we eat fatty pork and roast duck.

There are many regions in China, many different kinds of foods. Chinese people in general eat chinese food without MSG and with little fat. It's only on special occasions when we eat fatty pork and roast duck.


I've never said traditional chinese food wasnt healthy...I know its very different from carryout.

But I was specifically speaking about carryout chinese food...which is what's most easily available to most americans.

There are many regions in China, many different kinds of foods. Chinese people in general eat chinese food without MSG and with little fat. It's only on special occasions when we eat fatty pork and roast duck.


SO? The OP said nothing about that. Obviously he's still a dork for suggesting that Chinese food is the greatest thing for cyclists, but NOTHING said was racist. There was actually a recent study done about chinese restaurants in the us and I was flabbergasted by the hige amounts of sodium, sat. fat and calories packed in even the vegetable dishes. The way Chinese people eat in China and the way they cook at home are VERY different than the way it is served in restaurants. Gimme a break.

Nobody admits to eating that stuff these days. Nobody admits eating texamericana food either.

You can hardly even find a Chinese restaurant serving that crap these days.

Whatever, don't stereotype Chinese food based on what you haven't seen. Takeout or otherwise.

SO? The OP said nothing about that. Obviously he's still a dork for suggesting that Chinese food is the greatest thing for cyclists, but NOTHING said was racist. There was actually a recent study done about chinese restaurants in the us and I was flabbergasted by the hige amounts of sodium, sat. fat and calories packed in even the vegetable dishes. The way Chinese people eat in China and the way they cook at home are VERY different than the way it is served in restaurants. Gimme a break.

Actually I came to my conclusion from my "energy is energy" theory. If you're on a bike then fat and carbs is what you burn. And in order for your cells to grow you need SATURATED fat....poly(Omega-6) and mono unsaturated fats are not proper for cell walls...and long chain fatty acids actually oxidize quickly and form free radicals. So its best to get most of your energy from saturated fat, complex carbs, and vegetables. Which carryout is loaded with. But yes u were right...it wasnt meant to be racist its based off actual nutritional data taken from carryouts.

Man you need to find a better Chinese food place. Just try not to eat the old standards if you can. The old style Chinese food with the fake noodles is gone. The newer more authentic regional styles are in.

Nobody admits to eating that stuff these days. Nobody admits eating texamericana food either.

You can hardly even find a Chinese restaurant serving that crap these days.

Whatever, don't stereotype Chinese food based on what you haven't seen. Takeout or otherwise.

well tell that to the carryout that gave me my singapore rice noodles and shrimp fried rice.

It tastes soooooo good. And I didnt stereotype it I dont know where u live but in MD we have carryouts not restaurants in my neighborhood we have at least 4 in a two block radius. Now...Japanese restaurants...those are usually sit down and pretty pricey.

Yeah it tastes good. I remember having an upset stomach everytime I ate at this one place. My guess is that the sodium and MSG upset the electrolyte balance in my digestive system and made it difficult for me to absorb liquids and nutrients.

I think the reason why people consider Chinese restaurants to be unhealthy is because they're ordering things like General Tso's chicken (if I remember correctly, it's not even a traditional Chinese dish). I definitely wouldn't say Chinese food is all carbs. If you go to the right restaurants, the meal you'll get will have a small portion of rice and a large portion of the meat/veggies/whatever else is in the dish. If you stick to the chop suey, soups, and stir-fry dishes instead of the fried rice and sesame chicken, Chinese restaurants are a healthy choice. Seriously, I've seen some Chinese buffets with chicken nuggets and french fries. They're just like any other restaurants where you have the option of getting the grilled chicken sandwich or the triple decker bacon cheeseburger with ranch dressing.

As far as the whole MSG thing goes, most restaurants give you the option of not having it in your food. Just ask.

I'm Chinese, and I have to say that most of the food I eat is a lot healthier than what I see in American restaurants around here. And by the way, those newspapers came up with their brilliant conclusions is akin to a guy eating at McDonald's and saying, "Irish food is bad for you!" :rolleyes:

It's all about the choices you make! I can go to our local "China Pan" or "Ryans" buffet and eat good for me, or bad for me. It is all about the choices "I" make!

BTW The big draw in all the Chinese places around here are crab legs?? Figure that one out?

I'm Chinese, and I have to say that most of the food I eat is a lot healthier than what I see in American restaurants around here. And by the way, those newspapers came up with their brilliant conclusions is akin to a guy eating at McDonald's and saying, "Irish food is bad for you!" :rolleyes:


Once more, there is a big difference in Chinese food and American style Chinese Restaurants. This thread is beyond stupid. I am not Chinese, but half my family is. The difference in food served is pretty obvious, with most chinese restaurant food being pretty unhealthy - MSG or no MSG. Not that I still don't eat it a lot!

BTW The big draw in all the Chinese places around here are crab legs?? Figure that one out?

The main draw in Chinese buffets is All-You-Can-Eat seafood. People that absolutely love their seafood will be the majority of customers at Chinese restaurants, too, from what I've seen.

This thread is beyond stupid!

Yeah but it's always funny when someone makes a blanket statement and we sit back and see who bites.;)

Crablegs are cheap. I used to order them by the case... so are those NZ mussells and that slab of salmon. The expensive stuff is the Oysters.

Actually I came to my conclusion from my "energy is energy" theory. If you're on a bike then fat and carbs is what you burn. And in order for your cells to grow you need SATURATED fat....poly(Omega-6) and mono unsaturated fats are not proper for cell walls...and long chain fatty acids actually oxidize quickly and form free radicals. So its best to get most of your energy from saturated fat, complex carbs, and vegetables. Which carryout is loaded with. But yes u were right...it wasnt meant to be racist its based off actual nutritional data taken from carryouts.


Are you sure about that?

Are you sure about that?


No, he's talking out of his arse. Saturated fat is necessary for many things, but it's no more important than the omegas.....

I wouldn't call it racists, just innacurate...he should have said "americanized chinese food" because you can find plenty of places in the US that serve stuff called chinese food that all starts with water cornstarch sugar and deep frying oil...occaisionally throwing in pork, chicken, carrots, broccoli, rice or noodles. My parents have a "chinese buffet" that opened up near their house...I love asian food but this is the worst ****e i've ever seen called chinese.

edit: i've even seen tortillas used as crepes for mooshu pork...WTF!

that said I think a lot of traditional cultural menus should be examined as people try to find out what to eat other than the preprocessed crap the media throws at us.

I personally argue sushi is the perfect night-before-the-ride food. rice for carbs,nori and veggies for vitamins and minerals,fish/eggs for simple proteins and a little bit of mercury to make you as fasta as quicksilver :0

No, he's talking out of his arse. Saturated fat is necessary for many things, but it's no more important than the omegas.....

No...actually a PhD nutritionist from U-MD actually did research and explained that in any situation your body will use saturated fat over plant fat for the lipid wall. Besides long chain fatty acids are unstable, oxidize quickly, and destroy your cells. Why do you think animals have saturated fat in the first place? Because that's what we're supposed to have. I didnt say plants are unhealthy but eating oil made from cottonseeds definitely isnt.

"Since Kritchevsky's early studies, many other trials had shown that serum cholesterol can be lowered by increasing ingestion of polyunsaturates. The physiological explanation for this is that when excess polyunsaturates are built into the cell membranes, resulting in reduced structural integrity or "limpness," cholesterol is sequestered from the blood into the cell membranes to give them "stiffness."(Oiling of America)

"Erucic acid is implicated with cancer and rancidity and glucosinolates are goitrogenic. Canola oil reduces them to very low levels - 0.5 to 1% for erucic acid - which is well below the 2 percent limit set by the United States Food and Drug Administration." (Wikipedia)

Also...there is another link to an australian tv news site that states research that may implicate vegetable oils(excluding olive) in macular degeneration.

Also....vegetable oils(even liquid) ALL contain trans fat(except olive oil which is usually cold-pressed) this is created because of the extreme temperatures and pressure the oil is exposed to during deodorization and does not have to be listed on the label.

http://www.abc.net.au/dimensions/dimensions_health/Transcripts/s927458.htm

Didn't know so many on this forum were so impatient to get offended. Maybe we can get an Italian to talk about how victimized he is everytime someone orders a pizza. I'm warming up some Kung Pao Chicken right now, as I need a full stomach for when I burn a cross in someone's yard. Just sayin'. :rolleyes:

Didn't know so many on this forum were so impatient to get offended. Maybe we can get an Italian to talk about how victimized he is everytime someone orders a pizza. I'm warming up some Kung Pao Chicken right now, as I need a full stomach for when I burn a cross in someone's yard. Just sayin'. :rolleyes:

Lol FINALLY someone comes in here and says something that makes sense. Saying a food is unhealthy is not an attack on someone's culture. If people say soul food is good for cycling because its filled with saturated fat and salt to keep you from dehydrating in a race...it doesnt mean they are racist against black ppl lol.

Besides...as you seem to notice...food is energy...and the more CALORIES I consume the more energy I have. Some of us aren't trying to lose weight those "strictly veggie and lean" diets dont work for everyone...if your skinny and eat a few vegetables and a chicken breast with pepper sprinkled on it you'll run out of energy in no time.

Praytell, what is a cell wall and what is its function, WishYouWasMe?

Didn't know so many on this forum were so impatient to get offended. Maybe we can get an Italian to talk about how victimized he is everytime someone orders a pizza. I'm warming up some Kung Pao Chicken right now, as I need a full stomach for when I burn a cross in someone's yard. Just sayin'. :rolleyes:


You know, california pizza kitchen makes a kung pao chicken PIZZA! racists bastards...

If you're Asian, certain things offend you that wouldn't offend people of other cultures. We're not all the same behind the keyboard. Blanket statements about a certain race and their customs are stereotypes and racist.

If you're Asian, certain things offend you that wouldn't offend people of other cultures. We're not all the same behind the keyboard. Blanket statements about a certain race and their customs are stereotypes and racist.

I'm part Asian, I see only racism that actually exists. I don't bother looking for hatred that isn't there - there is plenty enough visible hatred to go around. When you're carrying that big a chip on your shoulder, you CAUSE more racism than you prevent. Bass ackwards.

Praytell, what is a cell wall and what is its function, WishYouWasMe?

LOL...its the lipid wall in humans which makes up the "cell membrane".

It protects the cell and controls what goes in and out.

If you're Asian, certain things offend you that wouldn't offend people of other cultures. We're not all the same behind the keyboard. Blanket statements about a certain race and their customs are stereotypes and racist.

That's like saying traditional chinese carryouts owned by Chinese are racist because they stereotype Chinese food into everything Americans think it is. And their culturally insensitive because they sell cheeseburgers, fried chicken, and Gyros...their destroying traditional chinese culinary art.

LOL...its the lipid wall in humans which makes up the "cell membrane".

It protects the cell and controls what goes in and out.


So a cell wall and the membrane are the same thing?

I think I just lost about 10,000 brain cells due to reading this thread.
Can you guys at least put a warning in the title, something like (warning, reading threads like this could be hazardous to ones active brain cell count) :eek:

So a cell wall and the membrane are the same thing?


I thought only plants had cell walls.

I thought only plants had cell walls.

There you go ruining my fun, why I oughtta :)

I was wondering when someone would get that.

Oh yeah don't forget about bacteria.

That's like saying traditional chinese carryouts owned by Chinese are racist because they stereotype Chinese food into everything Americans think it is. And their culturally insensitive because they sell cheeseburgers, fried chicken, and Gyros...their destroying traditional chinese culinary art.

Absolutely. The ones who capitalize upon the stereotype make tons of cash. It's ugly, but someone has to make them pay.

Absolutely. The ones who capitalize upon the stereotype make tons of cash. It's ugly, but someone has to make them pay.
So, when you run into other Asians that work at Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Japanese restaurants, you treat them like Uncle Toms because their native cuisine's been changed, either drastically or subtly, to appeal to American tastes, and thus, earn money? I knew that sometimes successful immigrants are hated, but not by their own people. That's pretty wild.

I don't treat anyone like uncle Tom. You can smell inauthenticity in the air as soon as you walk in. It's not so much that it's been altered, it's when they try and pass it off as honest food. Kinda like texmexamericana food, grecomerican, etc. Hey I know where you bought those tortillas OK? Don't have to try and lie.

I don't treat anyone like uncle Tom. You can smell inauthenticity in the air as soon as you walk in. It's not so much that it's been altered, it's when they try and pass it off as honest food. Kinda like texmexamericana food, grecomerican, etc. Hey I know where you bought those tortillas OK? Don't have to try and lie.
That's my main beef with it, too. If you're going to alter it, then people should know about it. Like I said before, saying this stuff about Chinese food is like eating at McDonald's and saying, "Irish food sucks!"

You can smell inauthenticity in the air as soon as you walk in.

Kuan, you sound like a college freshman who just took their first XYZ 101 class and is now intent on educating the world on the gospel you have just become an expert on -- without really understanding the complexities, subtleties, nuances, and depth of the issue. I'm going to agree with Greg on this one: by throwing around accusations of racism so frivolously, you are doing more harm than your intended target.

Currently, my favorite Chinese food place is right next to a veterinarian's office that specializes in acupuncture for dogs, and is cooked by Mexicans. :eek: One of you Humanities-majors analyze that one.

Kuan, you sound like a college freshman who just took their first XYZ 101 class and is now intent on educating the world on the gospel you have just become an expert on -- without really understanding the complexities, subtleties, nuances, and depth of the issue. I'm going to agree with Greg on this one: by throwing around accusations of racism so frivolously, you are doing more harm than your intended target.

You can't tell the difference between a store bought tortilla and a handmade one?

I've been on the wrong side of racism for too long. Whether it's intentional or ignorance, I've decided to stop looking the other way. I know the issues very well thank you, my Mom was dragged behind a motorcycle for being Japanese. She's Chinese. The cops said that "our kind" weren't quite well liked in the area, and that if we didn't want anything to happen that we'd avoid that place. Ever have someone "compliment" you on how well you speak English, or come to you with a math problem you're supposed to be able to solve because you're Chinese?

There aren't subtleties, nuances, or complexities. That's for academic folk to banter around.

The reality is simple. If someone tells you it hurts, then say sorry and stop.

I've been on the wrong side of racism for too long...

I'm sorry to hear that. Racism is pure ignorance, and always produces egregious results. But, in missing my point entirely, you have helped prove it.

You can't tell the difference between a store bought tortilla and a handmade one?

I've been on the wrong side of racism for too long. Whether it's intentional or ignorance, I've decided to stop looking the other way. I know the issues very well thank you, my Mom was dragged behind a motorcycle for being Japanese. She's Chinese. The cops said that "our kind" weren't quite well liked in the area, and that if we didn't want anything to happen that we'd avoid that place. Ever have someone "compliment" you on how well you speak English, or come to you with a math problem you're supposed to be able to solve because you're Chinese?

There aren't subtleties, nuances, or complexities. That's for academic folk to banter around.

The reality is simple. If someone tells you it hurts, then say sorry and stop.

So you've been discriminated against. That sucks. But no need to make everyone pay for the chip on your shoulder. We all have our stories, and I don't want to make light of yours. But your concept of equating chinese restaurants with treatment of your mother just isn't going to fly.

There's no shortage of horror stories like that to go around - just ask some kind old African American folk.

So you've been discriminated against. That sucks. But no need to make everyone pay for the chip on your shoulder. We all have our stories, and I don't want to make light of yours. But your concept of equating chinese restaurants with treatment of your mother just isn't going to fly.

There's no shortage of horror stories like that to go around - just ask some kind old African American folk.

I'm not equating Chinese restaurants with anything. Everyone else is drawing those conclusions. The original post stereotyped all Chinese food.

So a cell wall and the membrane are the same thing?

no I just didnt feel like typing the whole thing. cell walls only occur in plant cells.

I'm not equating Chinese restaurants with anything. Everyone else is drawing those conclusions. The original post stereotyped all Chinese food.

I didnt stereotype all Chinese food...I said "chinese food" and in America...when we say "chinese food" we're talking about the carryouts up the street from everywhere that sell orange chicken for $5 during the lunch special.

Annnd for the poster who said African American folk...we prefer to be called black. Africans identify themselves as that or with whatever country their from. There is no look for Africans..just like Asia its a large continent and ppl come in all colors/hair types. Black is preferrable for Americans of African descent because most of us regardless of skin color have white/native americans in our family history. I'd liken it to the miseducation that hispanic is a race...nobody ever stops to think that most south americans are native american. Its a culture not a race. Race is a stupid concept because it doesnt mean ANYTHING. It just makes everything more confusing.

That's my social lesson for the day. I wasnt offended the person was not a "racist" I cant be angry with them for saying that. Outside the black/african community its a popular classification. Just like outside the Southeast Asian community "chinese food" means Yum Yum's Buffet and places like it.

Ehhh, depends on the part of the country. I am the only white teacher in my school. The administrators and teachers refer to themselves as african american, and the kids all say black. I end up using both without really thinking about it.

The reality is simple. If someone tells you it hurts, then say sorry and stop.
Yes, but in reality, any old goofball off the street could say I was an anti-semite for getting a bagel with cream cheese. I know when I go into any one of many facsimile Irish pubs sprouting up all over the place that it's not going to be the same experience as if I was in Belfast, but that's okay, and somehow the word "racism" never even occurs to me.

I've been treated like crap when I've lived in predominantly black or hispanic neighborhoods, but it's something you deal with, move on, and don't turn it into some schizophrenic meta-narrative of persecution in your mind, especially as it pertains to where to go for lunch..

You can smell inauthenticity in the air as soon as you walk in.
Funny you say that. As a speaker and reader of Chinese who lived in Taiwan for many years and has travelled throughout Chinese Asia, you come off as a very "inauthentic" Chinese person (i.e. raised in a place like Canada or Australia or the U.S.), because not too many "authentic" Chinese people in Taiwan, say, would engage in a hissy fit about racism in reaction to someone making the sort of admittedly ignorant but ultimately benign statement that the original poster made.

Nope, you're not an "authentic" Chinese person at all. Your English is far too good, it's a dead giveaway. You probably chew with your mouth closed like Westerners do, and I'll bet you wouldn't burp freely at the table if you were eating with non-Chinese people, either. You probably have that instinctive personal radar that keeps you from bumping into strangers on crowded sidewalks, too. Pifff...you're not authentic.

Funny you say that. As a speaker and reader of Chinese who lived in Taiwan for many years and has travelled throughout Chinese Asia, you come off as a very "inauthentic" Chinese person (i.e. raised in a place like Canada or Australia or the U.S.), because not too many "authentic" Chinese people in Taiwan, say, would engage in a hissy fit about racism in reaction to someone making the sort of admittedly ignorant but ultimately benign statement that the original poster made.

Nope, you're not an "authentic" Chinese person at all. Your English is far too good, it's a dead giveaway. You probably chew with your mouth closed like Westerners do, and I'll bet you wouldn't burp freely at the table if you were eating with non-Chinese people, either. You probably have that instinctive personal radar that keeps you from bumping into strangers on crowded sidewalks, too. Pifff...you're not authentic.

Yep sure, change the context and make personal attacks now. Lovely. It's so easy to take one word and twist it for your own convenience. Everyone has their own little way to make themselves feel smart. I'm equally adept at dishing it out in Mandarin. You just have to give me a coupla weeks to re-immerse.