A Chinese meal features many dishes and rice is the basis of the meal. Traditionally, fried rice is not normally served with meals, but is a snack in itself. Dishes are usually cooked in a pan called a 'wok', over a very fierce heat. A minimum oil is used. This is called stir-frying.

This style of cooking:

• Conserves vitamins and minerals
• Enhances flavour, colour and texture of foods

Typically, a Chinese diet is mainly vegetarian, incorporating large quantities of rice, noodles, and vegetables. this is very much in line with today's nutritional guidelines. It is good to consider this when choosing what to eat in the Chinese restaurant:

Do select:

Soups

Chicken and sweetcorn

Sweetcorn and crab meat

Seafood, hot and sour

Bean curd

Chop suey - mixed vegetable/chicken/prawn

Plain boiled rice

Plain noodles

Seasonal vegetables

Steamed dishes

Stir fired mushrooms

Take care:

Spring rolls

Prawn crackers

sesame prawn toasts

Deep fried crab claws

Special fried rice

Sweet and sour dishes

Special fried noodles

Duck

Hints:

• Fill your bowl with boiled rice and select a piece of meat, fish or a vegetable and eat together - eat more rice. Avoid eating lots of the sauces
• Desserts are not part of the Chinese meals - they may finished with fresh fruit
• Drink Jasmine tea
• Drink plain water

(Chinese meals are often high in salt with will make you thirsty)

Dan Bennett