Are there many problems with eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival? Nutritionists teach patients with high blood lipids, kidney disease, and gout what to eat

As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, people will inevitably prepare rice dumplings to celebrate the occasion. In addition to traditional meat dumplings such as southern dumplings, northern dumplings, rice dumplings, alkaline dumplings, etc., there are also many innovative flavors to meet consumers' pursuit of new and changing demands. First of all, you need to understand clearly what is wrapped in the rice dumpling in your hand? As long as you master a few principles, you can recognize the true appearance of zongzi and enjoy eating it.

Pay attention to the nutrition label of rice dumplings sold in the market

There are many types of rice dumplings available on the market, and their calorie content varies greatly.

● Take "Northern Zongzi" for example. The glutinous rice is fried in oil, then wrapped in zong leaves together with the fillings and steamed. It is more like fried rice and has a higher calorie content.

● "Southern Zongzi" is made by wrapping raw glutinous rice and fillings in zong leaves and then boiling them in water. Does the calorie content of the "Southern Zongzi" have lower values ​​than the Northern Zongzi due to the boiling method? Not necessarily. You still have to consider the ingredients inside. There are also southern rice dumplings that are fried in oil and then boiled in water. Regardless of whether they are steamed or boiled, it is recommended not to add additional oil or sauce.

● "Kuei Zong" is smaller in size and is made from ground glutinous rice into a sticky dough that is then wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed after adding preserved radish rice. It has lower calories than northern and southern zongzi. The traditional "alkali zong" is smaller in size and relatively lower in calories, but its calories may increase due to being dipped in sugar or filled with red beans or red bean paste. The "ice zong" on the market has a skin made of glutinous rice, agar or kudzu starch, and its calories vary depending on the fillings. It is recommended to refer to the "Nutrition Information" on the package to choose a low-calorie zongzi.

Zongzi Calorie Comparison

The larger the portion of rice dumplings, the higher the relative calories. It is recommended to choose "medium" or "small" portions of rice dumplings. And treat zongzi as a main meal, not a snack. One zongzi is equivalent to a bowl of rice plus 1-2 portions of meat and 1-2 portions of fat, which is about the calories of an adult's meal. Therefore, it is recommended to eat one zongzi per meal. Make an appropriate amount and freeze it. Do not eat it every day to avoid indigestion.

Increase the combination of fruits and vegetables to balance nutrition and aid digestion

Zongzi is mainly made of glutinous rice. It is recommended to pair it with sufficient vegetables or vegetable soup to increase fiber intake. Fiber not only helps digestion, but also increases satiety, avoiding the feeling of fullness caused by eating only rice dumplings and resulting in overeating. It is also recommended to eat fruit after the meal to aid digestion.

Make your own rice dumplings with smart ingredients

How should you choose ingredients for homemade rice dumplings to achieve "low oil, low salt, low sugar, and high fiber"? First of all, it is recommended to replace glutinous rice with whole grains that are higher in fiber, such as: whole grain rice, brown rice, oats, coix seed, yam, purple rice, red beans, sweet potatoes, snow lotus seeds, etc., to increase the fiber content. Replace fatty pork and salted egg yolks with lean meat, chicken, black beans, soybeans, diced tofu and other soy products to reduce fat and calorie intake. You can use ingredients such as mushrooms, jicama, konjac, burdock, etc. to increase the proportion of vegetables and fruits. Cashews, walnuts and other nuts and seeds can be added because they are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, which can make the rice dumplings healthier and more nutritious; the ingredients can be "braised" instead of "fried" to reduce the intake of fat and calories.

How should diabetic patients adjust to stabilize their blood sugar?

★ Consume according to the amount recommended by nutritionists, about one pill per meal

Taking the size of a typical Taiwanese salty rice dumpling as an example, one rice dumpling contains about 60-90 grams of carbohydrates (equivalent to 1-1.5 bowls of rice). Compared with white rice, glutinous rice is heavier than white rice when the same volume is concerned. This means that when glutinous rice and white rice have the same starch content, the amount of glutinous rice that can be consumed is slightly less than that of white rice. Therefore, patients are advised to find rice dumplings of a similar size to the amount they eat for their usual meals. Although fillings such as whole grain rice, chestnuts, yam, lotus seeds and coix seeds are healthier, they are still starchy and the consumption amount must be controlled.

★ Eat vegetables, clear soup, etc. first to increase satiety

Be sure to have enough vegetables, broth, fruits, etc. with each meal to avoid overeating due to insufficient satiety when eating rice dumplings alone. You can prepare dishes such as cold cucumber salad, blanched vegetables, bamboo shoot soup or radish soup, which will definitely make people feel extra refreshed in this hot summer.

How should people with high blood lipids or those who want to lose weight choose?

★ The principle is to consume in moderation, with vegetables, and avoid excessive intake of saturated fat and cholesterol

The pork belly, egg yolk, etc. in rice dumplings can easily increase blood fat. Fatty meat should also be avoided, and lean meat or soy products should be chosen as much as possible. When eating alkaline rice dumplings, you can dip them in sugar substitutes instead of sugar, honey, etc. to avoid excess sugar and calories. Salty-flavored rice dumplings usually have salty fillings, so patients with hypertension and kidney disease should avoid additional seasonings such as sweet and spicy sauce, soy sauce, etc.

★ Kidney patients should avoid eating multi-grain rice dumplings

It is generally believed that whole-grain rice dumplings are healthier than glutinous rice dumplings. Whole-grain rice contains a lot of cereals and beans, among which the "phosphorus" content is relatively high. However, for patients with chronic kidney disease, since their phosphorus excretion function is impaired and studies have shown that early control of dietary phosphorus intake can delay the continued deterioration of kidney function, it is recommended that they eat ordinary glutinous rice dumplings. Foods high in phosphorus include: peanuts, mung beans, chestnuts, coix seeds, lotus seeds, egg yolks, sesame seeds, chestnuts, etc. In addition, it is recommended that patients with chronic renal failure who are not undergoing dialysis need to control their protein intake to slow down the continued deterioration of the kidneys. Foods high in protein include pork, scallops, squid, egg yolks, tofu skin, dried tofu, etc. The protein contained in whole-grain rice is also higher than that in ordinary glutinous rice. On average, a salty rice dumpling contains about half a liang (portion) to 1 liang (portion) of beans, fish, meat, and eggs, which must be included in the portion calculation.

★ Gout patients should reduce excessive intake of meat and fat

The latest research shows that gout attacks and hyperuricemia caused by a high-fat, high-calorie diet and obesity have a greater impact than those caused by beans. Therefore, when eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival, you must avoid excessive meat and fat intake, overeating, or even drinking to avoid gout attacks. Avoid foods containing high uric acid, such as shrimp (rice), mushrooms, squid, oysters, and pork belly, to avoid increased uric acid.

It is recommended that patients with chronic diseases remain calm and control their diet during festivals and gatherings, and eat only a little to maintain a balanced nutrition. You can also enjoy the atmosphere of the New Year and have a healthy and carefree Dragon Boat Festival!