Every Chinese dish in the series, with what it costs a serving now and what it cost before. The traditional figure is the real dish costed from its own ingredient list, not a straw man, so the saving is a measurement rather than a claim.
The short answers
- Biggest saving: Crispy Aromatic Duck, down 72% from 1861 to 517 kcal a serving.
- Lightest dish: Chinese Broccoli with Garlic at 85 kcal.
- Most protein: Beef Brisket Noodle Soup at 55g a serving.
- Could not be lightened: 4 dishes, named with the reason in Authentic-ish Chinese.
Every Chinese dish, heaviest saving first
| Dish | Traditional | This version | Saving | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crispy Aromatic Duck | 1861 kcal | 517 kcal | 72% | 47g |
| Sesame Prawn Balls | 579 kcal | 171 kcal | 70% | 22g |
| Braised Duck with Star Anise | 885 kcal | 280 kcal | 68% | 33g |
| Fish Fragrant Aubergine | 663 kcal | 219 kcal | 67% | 16g |
| Orange Chicken | 768 kcal | 298 kcal | 61% | 36g |
| Almond Tofu | 466 kcal | 185 kcal | 60% | 10g |
| Sweet and Sour Pork | 802 kcal | 339 kcal | 58% | 35g |
| Egg Foo Young | 509 kcal | 212 kcal | 58% | 27g |
| Chow Mein | 761 kcal | 341 kcal | 55% | 22g |
| Gong Bao Prawns | 583 kcal | 263 kcal | 55% | 34g |
| Sichuan Boiled Fish | 728 kcal | 338 kcal | 54% | 35g |
| Lemon Chicken | 612 kcal | 294 kcal | 52% | 36g |
| Cantonese Steamed Chicken | 684 kcal | 329 kcal | 52% | 43g |
| Dry-Fried Chilli Chicken | 815 kcal | 389 kcal | 52% | 48g |
| Salt and Pepper Squid | 421 kcal | 208 kcal | 51% | 31g |
| Chinese Broccoli with Garlic | 175 kcal | 85 kcal | 51% | 5g |
| Prawn Toast | 334 kcal | 170 kcal | 49% | 20g |
| Mango Pudding | 263 kcal | 135 kcal | 49% | 10g |
| Spring Rolls | 429 kcal | 221 kcal | 48% | 16g |
| Dan Dan Noodles | 906 kcal | 475 kcal | 48% | 35g |
| Cashew Chicken | 722 kcal | 379 kcal | 48% | 39g |
| Mongolian Beef | 622 kcal | 330 kcal | 47% | 35g |
| Red-Braised Chicken | 576 kcal | 313 kcal | 46% | 41g |
| Steamed Egg Custard | 250 kcal | 137 kcal | 45% | 18g |
| Twice Cooked Pork | 560 kcal | 314 kcal | 44% | 36g |
| Hainanese Chicken Rice | 991 kcal | 555 kcal | 44% | 55g |
| Egg Tarts | 261 kcal | 147 kcal | 44% | 5g |
| Jiaozi | 440 kcal | 249 kcal | 43% | 22g |
| Chilli Beef | 611 kcal | 346 kcal | 43% | 35g |
| Pork and Chive Dumplings | 451 kcal | 256 kcal | 43% | 21g |
| Ma Po Aubergine | 435 kcal | 261 kcal | 40% | 26g |
| Char Siu | 530 kcal | 322 kcal | 39% | 34g |
| Wonton Noodle Soup | 770 kcal | 470 kcal | 39% | 42g |
| Hong Shao Rou | 620 kcal | 382 kcal | 38% | 41g |
| Wor Tip | 526 kcal | 325 kcal | 38% | 24g |
| Steamed Minced Pork with Egg | 418 kcal | 265 kcal | 37% | 34g |
| Egg Fried Rice | 563 kcal | 359 kcal | 36% | 14g |
| Steamed Pork Buns | 370 kcal | 242 kcal | 35% | 17g |
| Steamed Scallops with Garlic | 384 kcal | 251 kcal | 35% | 18g |
| Steamed Sea Bass | 305 kcal | 200 kcal | 34% | 28g |
| Singapore Noodles | 747 kcal | 492 kcal | 34% | 42g |
| Yangzhou Fried Rice | 568 kcal | 375 kcal | 34% | 32g |
| Beef Ho Fun | 736 kcal | 495 kcal | 33% | 35g |
| Cold Sesame Noodles | 700 kcal | 466 kcal | 33% | 36g |
| Kung Pao Chicken | 520 kcal | 352 kcal | 32% | 39g |
| Hot and Sour Soup | 314 kcal | 213 kcal | 32% | 22g |
| Congee | 419 kcal | 284 kcal | 32% | 24g |
| Beef and Black Bean | 547 kcal | 375 kcal | 31% | 39g |
| Braised Tofu | 445 kcal | 314 kcal | 29% | 29g |
| Beef Brisket Noodle Soup | 832 kcal | 590 kcal | 29% | 55g |
| Mapo Tofu | 436 kcal | 314 kcal | 28% | 30g |
| Stir-Fried Beansprouts | 191 kcal | 142 kcal | 26% | 13g |
| Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans | 269 kcal | 206 kcal | 23% | 16g |
| Wonton Soup | 449 kcal | 363 kcal | 19% | 28g |
| Sichuan Cucumber Salad | 235 kcal | 197 kcal | 16% | 15g |
| Sweetcorn Soup | 263 kcal | 281 kcal | -7% | 25g |
Where the numbers come from
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases, and the appendix of Authentic-ish Chinese prints the exact database row used for each ingredient. Nothing here is estimated. How every number is computed sets out the method.
The swap kit is free and covers the changes that work on food which is not in any of the books.