Zongzi is high in calories and difficult to digest. What is the healthiest way to eat it? Nutritionist teaches 5 tips for eating rice dumplings
Zongzi is high in calories and difficult to digest. This is the healthiest way for “four groups” to eat.
The recent Dragon Boat Festival has coincided with the custom of eating rice dumplings in Taiwan to celebrate the occasion. However, a portion of rice dumplings is quite high in calories. Excessive consumption may lead to flatulence, increased blood sugar, and even obesity. Not to mention related diseases such as high blood pressure, indigestion, kidney disease, etc. Eating too many rice dumplings may aggravate the symptoms. Nutritionist Gao Minmin posted on social media that most of the ingredients in rice dumplings are greasy and contain extremely high calories. Therefore, patients with the following four diseases should abide by the following precautions so that they can enjoy the fun of eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival:
Gastrointestinal indigestion. Such patients should control the portion size of rice dumplings and not eat more than one rice dumpling a day. If glutinous rice is used as the staple food, the portion size should be measured appropriately and do not eat too quickly. Oats, brown rice or cauliflower rice can be substituted. After eating, you can pair it with enzyme-rich fruits such as pineapple, kiwi or papaya to help digestion.
Hyperlipidemia. Such patients should avoid high-fat, high-calorie ingredients such as fatty meat, peanut powder, and egg yolks. You can switch to whole-grain rice dumplings to increase your fiber intake, or change the fillings to lean meat, dried tofu, edamame and other healthier foods.
High blood sugar. According to the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare guidelines, the daily intake of added sugars in the diet should not exceed 10% of total calories, and it is better if it can be controlled below 5%. Dietitian Gao Minmin said that based on an adult’s daily intake of 2,000 calories, the daily intake of added sugar should be less than 25-50 grams. One “bean paste rice dumpling” is more than half full. It is recommended that patients with high blood sugar avoid sweet rice dumplings and eat whole grain rice dumplings with vegetables to stabilize blood sugar after meals.
Kidney disease. Such patients should avoid eating rice dumplings with sauce and whole grain rice dumplings with high phosphorus content. It is recommended to replace ordinary rice dumplings with white glutinous rice dumplings, and replace high-sodium seasonings such as vegetable garden, salt, and soy sauce with natural spices such as onions, garlic, and pepper, and enjoy it with blanched vegetables.
How to eat rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival without fear of weight? Nutritionist teaches 5 tips for eating rice dumplings
Even if you don’t have the above-mentioned diseases, people should pay attention to the portion size of rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival. Nutritionist Gao Minmin said that through the following 5 measures, you can avoid excessive intake of calories and refined starch and ensure a healthy diet:
One pill a day. Mainly eat one rice dumpling a day to replace meal starch. After eating rice dumplings, avoid eating carbohydrates such as rice and noodles to control the amount of starch and prevent excess calories.
Pair with vegetables. Enjoy it with vegetables to increase your fiber intake, help you feel fuller and make your diet more balanced.
Eat fruits. Fruits rich in enzymes such as kiwi, pineapple, and papaya can help intestinal digestion and avoid flatulence, gastrointestinal discomfort, and other conditions.
Eat less sweet rice dumplings. Sweet rice dumplings are smaller in size than salty rice dumplings and are easy to eat one after another. It is easy to exceed the daily sugar intake. It is recommended to eat less sweet rice dumplings or eat them with relatives and friends.
Add the sauce separately. Use a small plate to serve the dipping sauce. Do not pour it directly onto the rice dumplings. The sodium content, sugar content and calories may easily exceed the limit. If you want to enhance the flavor, you can use natural spices such as onion, garlic, and pepper instead.
In addition to eating less rice dumplings to avoid overheating, people should also pay attention to relevant epidemic prevention measures during the Dragon Boat Festival holidays, such as maintaining social distance, washing hands frequently, and wearing masks. If there is no urgent need to return home, a video “return home reunion” can be used to prevent “asymptomatic infected persons” from carrying the virus, causing family members living together to be diagnosed and the chain of infection to continue to expand.
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