Eat glutinous rice balls on the winter solstice. The calories in 4 glutinous rice balls equals a bowl of rice! Five groups of people with diabetes and gastroesophageal reflux disease should pay attention to

"Come~ let's eat glutinous rice balls!" 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 dinner table at night to celebrate reunion and a safe and healthy year. However, nutritionists remind you that although glutinous rice balls may look small, they actually contain a lot of calories! About 4 stuffed glutinous rice balls contain the same calories as a bowl of rice, and five major groups are reminded to be careful when eating glutinous rice balls.

Do you know why we eat glutinous rice balls 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, celebrating the harvest and welcoming 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."

Nutritionist Cai Yuqi from the Catholic St. Martin's Hospital said that it is a folk custom for people to return home to worship their ancestors at the end of the year during the winter solstice, so people will seek good luck and pray for 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 can symbolize harmony and happiness for the whole family.

Nutritionists remind you that although glutinous rice balls may look small, they actually contain a lot of calories! About 4 stuffed dumplings are equivalent to the calories of a bowl of rice.

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

Eat the right dumplings and have a happy reunion. Tangyuan may look small, but it actually has a lot 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 contain about 90 calories. For a person who usually eats a bowl of rice, that translates to about 30 to 35 red and white dumplings and about 4 dumplings with stuffing. Nutritionist Tsai Yu-chi of the Catholic St. Martin's Hospital pointed out that the dumplings with stuffing (e.g. sesame dumplings, peanut dumplings, etc.) sold on the market all have added sugar and fat to increase palatability. Therefore, people and patients tend to ignore the amount and exceed the limit. Let the nutritionist teach you how to choose the right dumplings:

Nutritionist Cai Yuqi from the Catholic St. Martin's Hospital pointed out that the stuffed glutinous rice balls available in the market (such as sesame glutinous rice balls, peanut glutinous rice balls, etc.) all have added sugar, oil, etc. to increase palatability, so the public and patients tend to ignore the amount and exceed the limit.

1. Calculate portion sizes and eat in moderation:

Tangyuan belongs to the category of whole grains (commonly known as staple foods). Generally speaking, one bowl of rice is the most suitable portion. If you eat more than one 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. 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 friends and go out for exercise. This can not only add to the fun but also help metabolism, avoiding the revelation of belly fat after the New Year!

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.).

4 major groups should pay attention when eating glutinous rice balls

Nutritionist You Weiming from Catholic St. Martin's Hospital reminds that some groups should pay special attention when eating glutinous rice balls:

1. Silver-haired elderly people:

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. People who are prone to gastroesophageal reflux:

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.

Finally, nutritionist You Weiming reminded that if you have any dietary questions about eating glutinous rice balls, you should consult a local nutritionist for professional advice.