Can people with diabetes eat hot pot? Avoid the sugar trap! Nutritionists recommend low GI soy milk pots and teach you 5 smart ways to eat pots

The temperature is low in winter and the most popular way to keep warm is to eat hot pot. However, there is a rumor that "diabetics cannot eat hot pot", which causes some diabetics to stay away from hot pot. Is this true? Nutritionists say that people with diabetes usually need to control their diet, but that does not mean they cannot eat hotpot. As long as you master 5 tips, including avoiding sugar traps in soup bases and ingredients, and making your own low-GI soy milk pot, you can eat healthily and without burden, and spend the winter warmly!

As the epidemic situation eases, the frequency of gatherings increases, and with the recent strong arrival of winter, hot pot has become the first choice for gatherings. However, for diabetic patients, the desire to enjoy delicious hotpot is something they are looking forward to but are also afraid of the harm! Diabetic patients must pay attention to blood sugar management in their daily diet. If they do not pay attention to dietary restrictions, their health may be put to the test.

1 in 4 people are at high risk of developing diabetes, young people should be careful about prediabetes

Cancer Care Foundation nutritionist Ko Hsiao-Tung said that according to data from the National Health Administration, diabetes claimed the lives of 10,311 Taiwanese in 2020, with an average of 1.2 deaths per hour. The diabetes prevalence rate among Taiwanese aged 18 and above is 11.1%, meaning that one in 10 people suffers from the disease. The prevalence rate of prediabetes is as high as 25%, meaning that one in four people is at high risk of developing diabetes. Not only that, there is also a gradual increase in the number of young people showing pre-diabetes symptoms due to westernized diets, which shows that "sugar control" has become a top priority.

[5 smart ways for diabetics to eat hotpot]

If diabetics want to enjoy hot pot in winter while keeping their blood sugar levels stable, what are some good ways? Nutritionist Ke Xiaotong provides 5 tips for eating hotpot wisely, so that diabetics can eat hotpot happily and spend the winter warmly:

If diabetics want to enjoy hot pot in winter while keeping their blood sugar levels stable, what are some good ways? Nutritionist Ke Xiaotong provides 5 smart tips for eating hotpot, so that diabetics can enjoy eating hotpot and spend the winter warmly.

Tip 1: Clear soup base

Most hot pot soup bases are high in oil and sodium. It is recommended to choose a clear soup base made with kelp or vegetables instead. Nutritionist Ke Xiaotong specifically reminds that for the seemingly healthy pumpkin milk hot pot and tomato hot pot, you need to pay attention to the thickness of the soup base. A thick hot pot may have added starch to thicken it or sauce to adjust it. It is recommended to ask clearly when ordering to avoid falling into the sugar trap.

Tip 2: Choose the ingredients

Taro, pumpkin, vermicelli, etc. are common sugars in hot pot. If you eat them, you need to reduce the amount of rice you eat and use them as substitutes. Although bean curd, fried bean buns, and dumplings have good flavor, they are high in calories and sodium. It is recommended to choose vegetables, seafood, low-fat meat or traditional tofu instead. Vegetables are rich in anti-cancer phytochemicals and dietary fiber. Eating vegetables first when eating can help delay the rise in blood sugar after a meal.

Tip 3: Less Sauce:

Common sauces for hot pot include shacha sauce, chili sauce and bean paste, which are high in fat and sodium. One tablespoon (15 grams) of shacha sauce actually contains more than 100 calories. It is recommended to use light soy sauce with natural ingredients such as grated radish, garlic, onion or coriander to enhance the flavor, which can reduce calories by more than 80%!

Tip 4: Change your snack

Hot pot restaurants often offer a wide variety of desserts, ice cream and sugary drinks. However, these foods are high-GI foods and contain a lot of refined sugar and calories, which lead to large fluctuations in blood sugar and cause blood sugar to remain high after meals. It is recommended to replace desserts with fruits, and sugar-free tea instead of alcohol and sugary drinks to reduce the burden on the body.

Taro, pumpkin, vermicelli, etc. are common sugars in hot pot. If you eat them, you need to reduce the amount of rice in that meal and use them as substitutes.

Tip 5: Add activities

It is easy to consume too many calories or excessive sugars due to the atmosphere during a dinner party. It is recommended that diabetics should not sit for a long time after a meal and reduce the number of follow-up dinners. They can choose to walk home to increase their activity, consume excess calories, and help lower post-meal blood sugar and assist in blood sugar management.

In addition, it is chilly in winter, and sometimes going out is a test. At this time, you might as well make hot pot by yourself and reunite with family and friends at home, which is also a great enjoyment. Nutritionist Ke Xiaotong recommends that diabetics make hot pot at home. You can choose to use sugar-free soy milk as the soup base, colorful vegetables as the main ingredients, and use turmeric and pepper as seasoning. Overall, it is low in calories, sodium, and GI. Studies have shown that turmeric has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and dementia prevention effects. The soy lecithin in soy milk and the bioperine in pepper help to absorb the yellow. It can also be paired with whole-grain rice, seafood, low-fat meat or traditional tofu to increase richness and satiety.

Low GI Turmeric Soy Milk Pot. (Photo provided by Ke Xiaotong, nutritionist of Cancer Care Foundation

【Low GI turmeric soy milk pot】

Ingredients:

800 ml of water, 200 ml of unsweetened soy milk, and 200 grams of any of the following colorful vegetables: cabbage/Chinese cabbage, red/white radish, onion, enoki mushroom, celery, corn shoots, tomato, kelp knot, and bok choy.

Seasoning: turmeric, pepper and a little salt.

practice:

1. Wash the vegetables and set aside.

2. After the water boils, put the vegetables in one by one, putting those that need to be cooked for a longer time first, and add seasoning before removing from the heat.

3. After turning off the heat, add 200cc of unsweetened soy milk and it’s done.