Sweet and Sour Beef
Hawaiian-style Sweet and Sour Beef is a popular local dish featuring tender beef chunks coated in a vibrant, tangy-sweet sauce, often with bell peppers, onions, and pineapple. It reflects Hawaii's multicultural culinary fusion, blending Chinese cooking techniques with tropical ingredients. The dish is commonly served over steamed rice as a hearty, flavorful meal.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dish is moderately high in protein from the beef, but also contains significant carbohydrates and sugars from the sauce and pineapple. A typical serving provides a good source of iron and vitamin C, with a rough calorie range of 400-600 per serving depending on portion size and sauce thickness.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 350 kcal |
| Protein | 22 g |
| Carbs | 30 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 18 g |
| Sodium | 850 mg |
| Potassium | 400 mg |
| Iron | 3.5 mg |
| Vitamin C | 25 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.4 mg |
| Niacin (B3) | 6 mg |
| Zinc | 4 mg |
| Phosphorus | 220 mg |
| Selenium | 25 mcg |
Per 1 cup (240 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Culturally, it showcases Hawaii's unique 'plate lunch' tradition, where diverse culinary influences merge into comforting, accessible meals. Nutritionally, the pineapple not only adds sweetness but also contains bromelain, an enzyme that can aid in digesting the beef protein.
