Be careful of excessive calories when eating glutinous rice balls on the winter solstice. Here are the smart ways to eat them for 4 major groups!

Be careful of excessive calories when eating glutinous rice balls during the winter solstice! I always eat a few hot glutinous rice balls during the winter solstice every year. Glutinous rice balls are small and cute, but they contain a lot of calories. One stuffed dumpling has 70 calories, 6 small glutinous rice balls have 50 calories, and 100 ml of sugar water has 40 calories. A bowl of glutinous rice balls has about 240 calories, but if you eat too much, you may get obese. Nutritionists remind that four major groups, including patients with diabetes and gastroesophageal reflux disease, should pay special attention when eating glutinous rice balls, so that they can eat glutinous rice balls healthily, lightly and without worries.

Why do we eat glutinous rice balls during the winter solstice?

Every winter solstice, the weather gradually turns cooler and relatives and friends return to their hometowns for reunions. A bowl of glutinous rice balls is always served on the table at night to celebrate reunion and a safe and happy year. However, do you know why we eat dumplings during the Winter Solstice? The winter solstice is the last of the 24 solar terms. The daylight hours are the shortest during the day, and the nights are the longest and coldest. After the winter solstice, the daylight hours begin to slowly get longer, symbolizing the gradual recovery of Yang energy. During the winter solstice, people have the custom of offering glutinous rice balls to their ancestors and gods to celebrate the harvest and welcome the arrival of Yang energy.

During the cold winter solstice, the family will gather together to eat hot rice dumplings, which symbolizes reunion and welcomes the coming new year. Therefore, there is a saying that "the winter solstice is as important as the New Year." It is a folk custom that people return home to worship their ancestors at the end of the year during the winter solstice. Therefore, people will pray for good luck and peace at this end of the year. The name of glutinous rice balls is similar to the Chinese word "reunion" in pronunciation, and their shape is also round, which symbolizes harmony and happiness for the whole family.

How many dumplings can I eat? How to eat healthily?

Eat the right dumplings and have a happy reunion. Nutritionist You Weiming from the Catholic St. Martin's Hospital said that although glutinous rice balls may look small, they actually have an extraordinary amount of calories! Walking into a hypermarket, you will see shelves along the way filled with a wide variety of flavors, from small glutinous rice balls to large Yuanxiao. After seeing these mouth-watering delicacies, how can you choose to eat healthily and safely? First of all, people should understand that the basic ingredients of glutinous rice balls are made of glutinous rice flour and water. For example, 10 of the most common red and white small glutinous rice balls have about 90 calories, and one glutinous rice ball with stuffing has about 70 calories. Commercially available stuffed glutinous rice balls (e.g. sesame glutinous rice balls, peanut glutinous rice balls, etc.) all have added sugar, oil, etc. to increase their palatability (sweet and smooth), so it is easy for people to ignore the portion size and eat several at a time, resulting in excessive calories.

A bowl of glutinous rice balls contains about 240 calories, but if you eat too much, you may become obese.

Nutritionists teach you how to eat glutinous rice balls properly

1. Calculate portion sizes and eat in moderation

Nutritionist You Weiming pointed out that glutinous rice balls belong to the category of whole grains (commonly known as staple foods). Generally speaking, a bowl of glutinous rice balls is the most suitable portion. If you eat more than a bowl, you should be careful about overeating! In addition, you should also pay attention to sweet dumplings with fillings, because the fillings are made of sugar and fat, which are more likely to exceed the limit than small or salty dumplings. People can make good use of the nutrition information on the packaging and choose flavors with lower calories, saturated fat and refined sugar.

2. A wide variety of ingredients

The core concept of the daily dietary guidelines promoted by the National Health and Family Planning Administration is based on the idea of ​​"a balanced diet of six major categories", so its importance can be seen. So, in your daily diet, you can add vegetables, beans and other plant-based ingredients at the right time, which can not only ensure nutritional balance but also add a lot of creative elements to the dumplings. For example, seasonal vegetables or tofu can be added to salty glutinous rice balls, and ginger juice or white fungus can be added to sweet glutinous rice balls to enhance the flavor.

3. Enjoy the scenery and exercise during the holidays

While enjoying delicious food, don’t forget to spend time with your family and make plans with relatives and friends to go out and exercise. This can not only add to the fun but also help metabolism and avoid the revelation of belly fat after the New Year!

Who should be careful when eating Tangyuan?

1. The elderly population

Glutinous rice should contain more branched starch. Compared with ordinary white rice, it will become sticky after cooking, difficult to digest, and cause bloating if eaten too much. Therefore, it is recommended that the elderly with poor teeth should cut the rice into small pieces and chew it thoroughly before eating to avoid choking or symptoms such as bloating.

2. Patients with blood sugar control

Glutinous rice is a food with a high glycemic index. Blood sugar tends to rise quickly after digestion. Eating too much is more likely to cause high blood sugar. Therefore, patients who need to control blood sugar should eat it in moderation. It is recommended to eat half a bowl of unfilled small glutinous rice balls, 2 to 3 sweet glutinous rice balls with fillings, and pair them with seasonal vegetables (chrysanthemum, lettuce, broccoli, red and white radish, etc.).

3. Patients with controlled renal function

The salty glutinous rice balls and soup with fillings have high sodium and phosphorus content. It is recommended to eat 2 to 3 salty glutinous rice balls and drink half a bowl of soup to reduce excessive intake of sodium and phosphorus.

4. Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease

Glutinous rice is difficult to digest, and sweets can easily cause gastroesophageal reflux. Therefore, people with weak digestive function or poor stomach are advised to eat it in moderation.