So, a bunch of folks always seem to be asking me, “Hey, is dim sum actually good for you?” or “How do you even tackle a dim sum meal without feeling like you swallowed a brick?” Honestly, I used to scratch my head about that too. All those little plates, they look so tiny and harmless, don’t they?
My Own Little Quest
Because of this, I decided I was gonna figure this whole dim sum nutrition thing out for myself. Not in some super scientific way, mind you. Just as a regular Joe who really, really likes to eat dim sum. My first move was pretty simple: I just started to actually pay attention to what I was ordering. You know, really look at it beyond the “ooh, that looks yummy” stage.
I started noticing the obvious stuff first. The steamed things, like your har gow (those shrimp dumplings) or siu mai (the pork and shrimp ones), they seemed like a safer bet. I mean, they’re steamed, not swimming in oil, so that felt like a win. Then you’ve got the baked or pan-fried options. Your char siu bao (BBQ pork buns) – some are steamed, which are fluffy, and some are baked, which have that nice golden crust. The baked ones, I figured, probably have a bit more going on, fat-wise, to get that crust. And then, of course, there’s the deep-fried lineup. The spring rolls, wu gok (those crispy taro puffs)… man, they taste incredible, but you just know they’re packing a bit of a caloric punch, or at least a grease punch.
Looking Inside the Little Parcels
Then I started thinking more about what’s actually inside these things. Fillings, right?
- Shrimp is pretty lean, generally a good shout.
- Veggies, if you can find dumplings with lots of ’em, also good.
- But then you get into the pork. Some of it is lovely and lean, but sometimes, let’s be real, it’s the good fatty kind that makes it taste so good.
- And the sauces! Don’t even get me started. Soy sauce, chili oil, hoisin, sweet and sour stuff. They all add up, especially with sodium. And a lot of the pre-made fillings are already seasoned pretty well.
Here’s the kicker, the thing I really wrapped my head around: it’s not just about what specific items you pick, but how darn much of it you eat. Those little steamer baskets are sneaky! You grab one, then another, maybe a plate of something else, and bam! Before you even realize it, you’ve actually eaten a mountain of food. It’s so easy to do.
The Day I Learned My Lesson (The Hard Way)
I gotta tell you about this one time. This was a few years back, before I really started thinking about any of this. I went out for dim sum with a couple of my buddies. We were absolutely starving, and you know how it is, everything on the cart looked like the best thing ever created. So we just kept pointing and ordering. “Yeah, give us two of those!” “Oh, and three of those!” Basket after basket piled up. I ate so much, especially the fried stuff – I couldn’t resist the crispy spring rolls and those flaky egg tarts. And so many of those rich, porky dumplings.
Later that afternoon, and into the evening, oh boy. I felt terrible. Seriously, I was bloated, my stomach was gurgling and doing backflips. I just felt heavy and… well, pretty gross, to be honest. It was like my whole system was protesting. That was a real wake-up call for me. I remember thinking, “Okay, I absolutely love dim sum, I’m not giving it up, but I cannot keep doing this to my body.” It wasn’t like I suddenly became a health nut, but it made me want to be smarter about it.
That experience is what really got me started on this path of trying to understand it better. Not to ruin the fun, but just to be a bit more mindful so I could actually enjoy it without the aftermath, you know? It wasn’t about some complicated diet or counting every single calorie like a crazy person. It was just common sense, really, once I stopped to think about it.
What I Do Now (Most of the Time)
So now, when I hit up a dim sum spot, I try to approach it with a bit more of a game plan. I still eat what I like, but I try to balance things out a bit.
- I make sure to get a good amount of steamed items. They’re usually lighter.
- I always, always try to order some plain greens, like steamed gai lan (Chinese broccoli) with a tiny bit of oyster sauce, or even just plain. Gets some fiber in there.
- If I’m craving something fried, I’ll get it. But maybe I’ll just have one piece, or share it with the table, instead of polishing off the whole plate myself.
- And I’m way more careful with the dipping sauces. A little dab for flavor is fine, but I’m not drowning my dumplings in soy sauce or chili oil anymore.
So, back to that original question: is dim sum nutritious? Well, it can be. It’s not some magic health food, that’s for sure, but it’s not automatically junk food either, despite what some people might say. It really all boils down to the choices you make – what you pick from the cart or the menu – and just how much of it you let pile up on your table. You just gotta be a little savvy about it. That’s my take on it anyway, from my own trial and error. Mostly error, at first!