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Chinese food aficionados, take heart. It’s true that many of the popular Oriental dishes are high in carbs: sumptuous fried rice served with thick sauces, noodles prepared in a savory soup, sticky buns, and tasty starchy thickened stews.

(Has your mouth watered yet?).

For those trying to stay on the South Beach or Atkins diet, your favorite Chinese restaurant suddenly becomes a temptation trap. Even outside of the standard rice and noodles, many of the dishes are high in sugar and starch. This does not mean that you will never set foot in a Chinese restaurant again. You just have to be prepared… and informed.

Before going to a Chinese restaurant, make a conscious decision about how strict your carb count will be. If you’re in the early phase of the South Beach diet, or the induction phase of the Atkins diet, even cornstarch in the sauce is a big no-no. However, both diets have a less restrictive phase that allows you to eat a little carbohydrate.

So you know how many carbohydrates you can take; Now how do you stay within those limits? Chinese food actually has its own regional variations, so depending on the style of the cook, even a particular dish can have different sugar and carbohydrate levels from restaurant to restaurant.

However, as a general rule, you’ll want to avoid fried rice or steamed rice, noodles, wontons, egg rolls and breaded meats, and sweet sauces. These include sweet and sour, and plum or orange based sauces used for duck. Hoisin and oyster sauces, often used in vegetable dishes, also contain large amounts of sugar.

You should also know that Chinese food uses cornstarch to thicken sauces. About one to two tablespoons of cornstarch are used in each dish, and this contains about seven to 14 grams of carbohydrates. Another staple of Chinese food, water chestnuts contain 3 grams of carbohydrates. Hot sauces will also contain sugar to balance the flavor.

Now you know what to avoid, but what can you ask for? Look for thin, clear EUR soups, steamed meats, and tofu. If you want to order something with sauce, ask for the ones that are a bit watery (such as Moo Goo Gai, Chicken Curry, Shrimp Schezuan, or Black Bean Sauces). If you can’t skip a favorite, you can also ask your server to omit the cornstarch entirely, as it doesn’t affect the flavor and is only used for consistency, or serve it in a separate bowl. Another trick is to remove the wrappers and eat only the meat. That’s where all the flavor is, anyway.

It is also a good idea to have a small snack before going to the Chinese restaurant. Don’t go there hungry – you’ll get drunk and lose most of your sense of self-control as you peruse the delicious menu selections. You’re there to taste, not fill up. Another suggestion is to take small amounts. By limiting your portions, even if you eat a little carbohydrate, it’s not enough to fully control your dieting attempts. (Of course, this is assuming you’re already in the phase of the diet that allows you to moderate your carbohydrate intake.)

Enjoy your meal!