How many glutinous rice balls should you eat during the winter solstice to avoid excessive intake? Nutritionist: 10 small and 2 large calories are not too high

Today is the Winter Solstice. In addition to the traditional red and white dumplings, there are also sesame dumplings, peanut dumplings... There are a wide variety of flavors. Are you ready to eat which kind of dumplings? Are you worried about exceeding the calorie limit when eating glutinous rice balls? Nutritionists remind us to eat glutinous rice balls in moderation. It is best to eat 10 small ones or 2 large ones. At the same time, adjust the portion of the main meal of the day, so that the reunion and holiday celebration are healthy and burden-free.

Ten traditional red and white glutinous rice balls contain about 70 calories, equivalent to a quarter of white rice. It is recommended to eat no more than 20 at a time. (Photo courtesy of Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital)

10 small red and white dumplings have about 70 calories, equivalent to a quarter of white rice

Every year when the winter solstice comes, everyone wants to ask a question: "How many glutinous rice balls can I eat without being too much?" They are worried that eating too much will cause weight gain and become obese. Yang Zhongwei, director of the nutrition department at Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, explained that 10 traditional small red and white dumplings have about 70 calories, which is equivalent to a quarter of white rice, and it is recommended to eat no more than 20 dumplings at a time. Large dumplings with fillings such as the common peanut, sesame, or the chocolate dumplings favored by young people have high sugar and fat fillings, and eating only 5 of them will equal the calories of a bowl of white rice. As for stuffed glutinous rice balls, it is recommended to eat 2 pieces at a time, and use clear soup instead of sweet soup to avoid consuming too much refined sugar.

Patients with poor blood sugar control and chronic kidney disease should be careful when eating glutinous rice balls

Nutritionist Yang Zhongwei emphasized that glutinous rice is mainly made of glutinous rice, which is difficult for the stomach and intestines to digest. The content of amylopectin is higher than that of rice, which will affect the rise in blood sugar after meals. Patients with gastrointestinal intolerance, poor emptying, poor blood sugar control and chronic kidney disease should pay special attention to it. It is recommended that such people just taste a little to suit the occasion.

Yang Zhongwei, director of the nutrition department at Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, reminds people to eat glutinous rice balls in moderation. It is best to eat 10 small ones or 2 large ones. At the same time, adjust the portion of the main meal of the day so that the family can celebrate the festival in a healthy and burden-free manner. (Photo courtesy of Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital)

Reduce starch intake before and after eating glutinous rice balls

If you eat glutinous rice balls as a snack, how should you adjust your diet on that day? Nutritionist Yang Zhongwei pointed out that for the meal before and after eating glutinous rice balls, you only need to eat about half a bowl of rice. This is mainly to reduce the intake of starch, increase the intake of vegetables to improve satiety, and then promote gastrointestinal motility and aid digestion. You should also pay attention to the number of glutinous rice balls you eat to avoid overeating.

As for vegetarians, they can try to use small glutinous rice balls as the staple food. For salty glutinous rice balls, use vegetarian broth as the soup base and add a lot of vegetables, such as Chinese cabbage, Chinese cabbage, chrysanthemum and other seasonal vegetables. If you consider the principle of nutritional balance of a meal, you can add ingredients such as shredded tofu or eggs to be able to take in enough protein to obtain more nutrients.