Is Chinese Mongolian Beef Healthy? A Nutritionist’s Take

Mongolian beef is a popular Chinese takeout dish featuring tender slices of beef coated in a sweet soy sauce. With its crispy sear and sticky glaze, it’s easy to devour an order of Mongolian beef with gusto. But is this beloved dish actually good for you?

As a nutritionist and Chinese food lover, I decided to take a closer look at Mongolian beef’s ingredients and preparation to determine how healthy it really is. Keep reading for a complete nutrition profile of Mongolian beef, along with tips for lightening it up!

Traditional Mongolian Beef Nutrition

At Chinese restaurants, Mongolian beef is made by:

• Marinating beef in soy sauce, wine and cornstarch
• Quick-frying the beef in hot oil to sear it
• Coating the beef in a sauce of brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and scallions

Here’s how a typical order of Mongolian beef stacks up nutrition-wise

• Calories: Around 500 calories per 8 oz serving
• Fat: 20g, mostly from frying oil. Saturated fat around 7g.
• Carbs: 40g. Mainly added sugar from sauce.
• Protein: 25g
• Sodium: Over 1000mg, largely from soy sauce

So traditional Mongolian beef is high in calories, refined carbs and sodium with a good amount of saturated fat too. The protein is a plus!

While tasty in moderation, having Mongolian beef too often could lead to weight gain and increased blood pressure.

Healthier Mongolian Beef Options

Luckily it’s easy to tweak Mongolian beef to make it more nutritious! Here are some healthy substitutions

• Use lean beef like flank steak and trim visible fat

• Skip deep-frying. Instead, stir-fry on high heat with minimal oil.

• Cut back on sauce sweetness. Swap sugar for honey or fruit juice.

• Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Add more garlic, ginger and vinegar for flavor.

• Increase veggies. Add peppers, carrots, broccoli and cabbage.

• Enjoy with cauliflower rice or a side salad instead of white rice.

• Avoid unhealthy addons like fried noodles, egg rolls and wontons.

With these easy nutritional makeovers, you can enjoy Mongolian beef as part of a balanced diet.

Lightened Up Mongolian Beef Recipe

To demonstrate, here is my own recipe for a healthier Mongolian beef:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb flank steak, sliced thin
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• Stir-fry veggies like bell pepper and broccoli
• Cauliflower rice

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine steak with soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch, ginger and garlic. Let marinate 15 minutes.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Stir-fry marinated steak 1-2 minutes until browned. Remove from skillet.

3. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in skillet. Stir-fry veggies 3-5 minutes until tender crisp.

4. Whisk honey into skillet and return steak. Toss to coat. Serve with cauliflower rice.

My lighter Mongolian beef has only 360 calories, 12g fat, 520mg sodium and 22g carbs per serving. The beef and veggies provide filling protein and fiber. It satisfies the Mongolian beef craving in a healthier way!

The Takeaway on Mongolian Beef Nutrition

Authentic Mongolian beef can be high in refined carbs, saturated fat and sodium. But with smart substitutions of ingredients and cooking methods, it’s easy to enjoy this Chinese favorite as part of a nutritious diet. Focus on lean beef, reduced sugar and sodium, added vegetables, and alternative grains. With a few tweaks, Mongolian beef can be a healthy and delicious addition to your meal plan!