Calories in Vegetable Chowmein

The recipe makes a single plate. It uses 50 g of noodles, 50 g each of carrot and capsicum, 30 g each of cabbage and French beans, 25 g of spring onion, 20 g of sprouted moong and 4 teaspoons of oil. So the vegetables together weigh several times what the noodles do, which is the opposite of most street chowmein, where noodles dominate and the vegetables are a garnish. If the plate in front of you is a heap of noodles with a few shreds of cabbage, it has more starch, probably more oil, and more calories than 389 kcal.

Carbohydrate supplies 47% of the energy, fat 44% and protein 9%. The noodles provide most of the carbohydrate and the 4 teaspoons of oil, at about 44 kcal each, provide nearly all the fat. The vegetables add little energy but most of the 5.6 g of fibre, and the sprouted moong gives the protein a small lift. Even in this vegetable-heavy recipe, noodles and oil between them account for the great majority of the calories, and those are the two things a cook is most likely to increase.

A plate of vegetable chowmein is about 18% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 23% of a woman's. That makes it a meal in its own right, and it should replace lunch or dinner, not follow it. Its weak point is protein: 9.2 g for 389 kcal. Adding egg, paneer, tofu or more sprouts fixes that better than a bigger plate does. Half a plate, about 194 kcal, is a more sensible size for an evening snack. Two plates would be 778 kcal.

Salt is the main caveat. Chowmein gets most of its flavour from soy and chilli sauce, both very salty, and stall versions with extra sauce are saltier still. The noodles are usually made from refined flour, so despite the vegetables this is a starchy, oily dish. People with high blood pressure, kidney disease or diabetes who are on a plan from a doctor or dietitian should follow its limits on salt and portions, and may find a home-cooked version easier to fit in.