Weiluxia is healthy, nutritionists join hands with Chinese medicine practitioners! 6 hot pot dipping sauces to celebrate Chinese New Year without any worries

Taiwanese people love to eat hotpot, especially when the Chinese New Year is approaching, hotpot is of course indispensable for family reunions. However, the common hot pot dipping sauces available on the market not only have the problem of hidden calories, but are also the culprit for excessive sodium intake. Eating too much may cause a burden on the human body! In view of this, Tainan Municipal Annan Hospital specially invited Chinese medicine practitioners and nutritionists to work together on the eve of the Chinese New Year to launch 6 healthy dipping sauces made with fresh ingredients, which are provided to the public as a cooking reference.

Taiwanese people love to eat pot! Especially as the Chinese New Year is approaching, hot pot is of course an indispensable part of the family reunion. However, the common hot pot dipping sauces available on the market not only have the problem of hidden calories, but are also the culprit for excessive sodium intake. Eating too much may cause a burden on the human body!

Don’t underestimate hot pot dipping sauce! The hidden high-calorie and high-sodium mine around the stove is this

Nutritionist Dai Wenjun from Tainan Municipal Annan Hospital said that the New Year reunion season is a time when people tend to eat a lot of meat and fish. If people do not choose the dipping sauce for hot pot properly and overuse high-fat, high-salt sauces such as shacha sauce, bean paste and other ingredients, they may consume too many calories and sodium salt without realizing it, which will increase the burden on the body.

Therefore, it is recommended that people use less processed seasonings that are high in sodium and fat, such as shacha sauce, peanut powder, and bean paste, when choosing sauces; try to replace them with fresh fruits and vegetables such as onions, ginger, garlic, coriander, and mashed radish, as well as relatively light ingredients such as white vinegar and soy sauce, to make natural dipping sauces.

Nutritionists and Chinese medicine practitioners from Annan Hospital teach you 6 DIY hot pot dipping sauces that are delicious and healthy

However, it is not uncommon to simply make your own natural dipping sauce. Chinese medicine practitioner Zeng Yinzheng said that when people are making the dipping sauce, they may wish to incorporate Chinese medicine diet therapy concepts; choose suitable health-promoting ingredients according to their own cold or dry constitution. For example, for the nut butter which has been very popular in recent years, you can add a little mint leaves to reduce the greasiness and the heatiness; for the lemon-orange jam, you can add basil leaves to reduce the coldness, which is a good way to match it. 6 recommended dipping sauce recipes are as follows:

[Type 1／Japanese-style applesauce]

Applicable ingredients: lettuce salad, vegetables or hot pot dipping sauce.

Ingredients: 1 apple, 4 tablespoons white vinegar, 2 tablespoons mirin, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, a little white sesame seeds, (a little grated white radish), (a little grated ginger).

practice:

1. Wash the apples, peel them and cut them into small pieces for later use.

2. (If you don’t want radish puree, you can skip this step) Wash, peel and cut the white radish into pieces, blend into puree and set aside.

3. Put white vinegar, mirin and soy sauce into a blender, then add the apple pieces and blend until evenly combined.

4. Sprinkle with white sesame seeds, or add grated ginger or grated white radish according to personal taste.

Benefits: Apples contain flavonoid compounds and vitamin C, which are beneficial for improving immunity. Potassium ions can regulate blood pressure, and the rich water-soluble dietary fiber in apples can prevent constipation. However, people with diarrhea should eat apples in moderation.

Garlic vegetable Caesar sauce, the ingredients include 3 tablespoons of Caesar sauce, a little celery, a little broccoli, a little spinach, a little green onion, (a little coriander), and a little minced garlic. (Photo provided by Annan Hospital)

[No. 2／Garlic Vegetable Caesar Sauce]

Suitable ingredients: main course salad, grilled meat or hot pot dipping sauce.

Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of Caesar sauce, a little celery, a little broccoli, a little spinach, a little green onion, (a little coriander), a little minced garlic.

practice:

1. Wash the vegetables, cut into small pieces or small florets, blanch and set aside. (Add or omit cilantro according to personal taste)

2. Use a juicer to blend the reserved vegetables and chopped garlic into fine pieces.

3. Pour the Caesar sauce into a blender and blend it with the chopped vegetables.

You can freely choose the vegetables you want to pair with your meal, mainly leafy vegetables. Fruits and vegetables may contain more water and are less suitable.

Benefits: Broccoli is a cruciferous plant that contains anti-cancer substances such as glycosyltransferases, and is rich in dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, β-carotene and potassium ions. Spinach is rich in folic acid, vitamin A and iron.

【Type 3／Mixed Nut Butter】

Suitable for: blanched meat, grilled meat or vegetable dipping sauce.

Ingredients: 2 cups of mixed nuts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of fine sugar, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 cup of boiled water, a little minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of mustard sauce (optional). You can add 5 mint leaves to reduce greasiness and the possibility of getting a sore throat.

practice:

1. Put the mixed nuts into a wok and stir-fry over medium-low heat (dry fry), or bake in an oven at low temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes until a little oil appears on the surface and the nuts are slightly colored. Then put them in a heat-resistant plate and let cool.

2. Use a food processor to blend the cooled nuts into powder. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can directly use unseasoned nut powder instead of step 1.)

3. Put the ingredients (liquids first, then nut powder and sugar) into a blender and blend until thick.

Benefits: Rich in unsaturated fatty acids, minerals (magnesium, potassium, calcium, zinc, iron), vitamin E, and folic acid.

Ingredients for passion fruit vinaigrette and lemon-orange jam. (Photo provided by Annan Hospital)

[No. 4／Passion Fruit Vinaigrette]

Applicable ingredients: lettuce salad, vegetable or fruit dipping sauce.

Ingredients: 2 passion fruits, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons fine sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt.

practice:

1. Cut the passion fruit in half, scoop out the passion fruit seeds and set aside.

2. Mix apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar and salt until the granulated sugar and salt are completely dissolved. (You can microwave or heat in water to make the granulated sugar dissolve faster and more evenly)

3. Mix the passion fruit seeds and olive oil evenly, then pour in the apple cider vinegar in step 2 and mix well.

Benefits: Passion fruit is rich in vitamin C and phytochemicals, which are beneficial for improving immunity. It also contains dietary fiber, which can help gastrointestinal motility and make bowel movements smoother, and potassium ions can regulate blood pressure.

[No. 5／Lemon Marmalade]

Applicable ingredients: garlic pork, poached chicken, drunken chicken or hot pot dipping sauce.

Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of salty kumquat paste, 1 tablespoon of lemon vinegar, 1.5 tablespoons of fine sugar, 1 teaspoon of wine, and add 1 perilla leaf to reduce its coldness.

practice:

1. Mix lemon vinegar, granulated sugar and wine until the granulated sugar is completely dissolved. (You can microwave or heat in water to make the granulated sugar dissolve faster and more evenly)

2. Add salty kumquat sauce to ingredients in step 1 and mix well.

Benefits: Kumquat is rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and flavonoid compounds, which are beneficial for improving immunity. In addition, it also promotes digestion, but be aware that excessive consumption may cause stomach discomfort.

The ingredients for milky pumpkin sauce are 2 cups of pumpkin, 1 cup of broth, 1 cup of milk, a little salt, a little white pepper, a little flour, 1 tablespoon of butter, and 2 tablespoons of onion. (Photo provided by Annan Hospital)

[No. 6／Milky Pumpkin Sauce]

Applicable ingredients: Dipping sauce for snacks or fried foods.

Ingredients: 2 cups pumpkin, 1 cup broth, 1 cup milk, a little salt, a little white pepper, a little flour, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons onion.

practice:

1. Wash the pumpkin, peel and seed it, cut it into small pieces, put it into the pot with the broth and boil it, then turn to medium heat, pour in the milk and cook until cooked through, then turn off the heat and set aside.

2. Put the butter into the pot and heat it to dissolve. Add the onion and sauté it until fragrant, then turn to low heat. Add the flour and stir-fry it slightly. Pour it into the pumpkin soup and continue cooking. If the soup is not enough, add a little milk or broth.

3. Cook the pumpkin soup until thick, then add salt and white pepper, stir evenly, pour into a juicer and blend evenly before use.

Benefits: Pumpkin is a whole grain with a low GI value and is rich in beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, E, niacin and folic acid. It is also rich in protein, dietary fiber, and essential minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, etc.

[Expert Tips]: Finally, nutritionist Dai Wenjun also reminded that the above 6 dipping sauces are all made from fresh ingredients and have no added preservatives. Therefore, it is recommended that people prepare and eat the food immediately and consume it on the same day for better safety.

From right to left, they are Chinese medicine practitioner Zeng Yinzheng, nutritionist Dai Wenjun, and nutritionist Wang Liying. (Photo provided by Annan Hospital)

If you want to be healthy around the fire, you should pay attention to more than just the dipping sauce! Nutritionist: These dietary details should not be neglected

In addition to explaining and teaching everyone how to DIY 6 healthy hot pot dipping sauces, nutritionist Wang Liying also mentioned that although whole grain root vegetables such as corn, taro, potato, pumpkin, and yam, which are common in hot pot dishes, are healthy, eating too much can easily lead to high sugar levels, so people are advised to consume them in moderation. When eating fruit, cut the fruit into pieces and put it in a flat bowl. Limit to 2 bowls a day, and replace fruit juice with fresh fruit to avoid excessive sugar intake.

Furthermore, since commercially available New Year's dishes are often based on fish and seafood, including tofu and eggs, which are all protein foods, it is easy to consume too much protein if you are not careful. If you have a history of chronic kidney disease, it is recommended that you strictly control your intake. In addition, patients with high blood potassium should try to avoid consuming raw food and raw vegetables, as well as high-potassium fruits such as bananas and dates.