Matcha pudding is super popular! Follow the nutritionist's DIY and don't be afraid of falling into the oil and sugar crisis!

A well-known coffee shop chain launched matcha pudding, which attracted the interest of many brand fans and matcha lovers, and they frantically showed photos of it on social media apps such as FB and IG. In addition to its dazzling green color and unique taste, the three nutrients contained in matcha are good helpers for maintaining health. However, there are concerns that commercially available matcha puddings may contain excessive amounts of sugar and cream. What should we do? Nutritionists recommend trying it yourself!

Matcha's three main nutrients: catechins, caffeine, and L-theanine

What comes to your mind when you mention "matcha"? Most people who have been paying attention to diet and health issues for a long time will definitely think of "catechins". Indeed, catechins are currently the most widely believed substance in tea to have benefits for the human body, but you may not know that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG, epigallocatechin gallate) in catechins is the mainstream observation project in related research.

EGCG is the key to determining the quality of catechins. Ni Manting, a nutritionist at Changhua Christian Hospital, said that EGCG is believed to accelerate fat oxidation, increase the body's energy consumption, significantly reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood, and has a high antioxidant capacity, which can reduce the risk of cancer.

Nutritionist Ni Manting said that in addition to the well-known catechins, matcha also has two other ingredients, caffeine and L-theanine, which are being discussed by scientists (Photo provided by nutritionist Ni Manting)

In addition to the rich catechins, matcha also contains two other ingredients that have attracted much attention from scientists: caffeine and L-theanine. Caffeine is generally believed to increase alertness and refresh the mind, but what is special is that matcha is also high in L-theanine. Studies have found that taking 200 mg of L-theanine can help relax the mind, stabilize emotions and reduce anxiety, which can offset the reactions caused by caffeine. This is why, although both are meant to refresh you, drinking matcha will not cause anxiety or palpitations like drinking coffee!

Catechins are currently the substances in tea that are most widely believed to have benefits for the human body, and the key to determining the quality of catechins lies in EGCG.

Don’t make your body unhappy! Pay attention to "oil" and "sugar" when eating matcha pudding!

Drinking matcha on a regular basis is good for your health, but when matcha becomes part of the ingredients of pudding, that may not be the case! Nutritionist Ni Manting said that in order to cater to the public's taste, commercially available matcha puddings usually add sugar and animal cream to reduce the original bitterness of matcha. If too much is added, it may make the person who eats it unhappy.

According to the World Health Organization's daily dietary recommendations, the ratio of sugar intake to total daily calories should be reduced from 10% to 5%. Excessive intake of refined sugar may cause other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, etc.

As for animal fresh cream, its main ingredient is fat and it is quite high in calories. In nutrition labels, fat can be divided into "saturated fat" and "trans fat". According to the latest U.S. dietary guidelines for 2015-2020, the recommended intake of saturated fat should not exceed 10% of total daily calories, and trans fat is believed to increase bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood and reduce good cholesterol (HDL). Regardless of which type, excessive intake will increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Make it yourself with more peace of mind: Nutritionist's Matcha Pudding Recipe Revealed

In recent years, there have been constant controversies over food safety in China. If you don’t want to become the unlucky person who accidentally steps on a health landmine, nutritionist Ni Manting recommends that you make matcha pudding at home without adding fresh cream and adjusting the amount of sugar as appropriate. This way you can eat it with peace of mind and enjoy the fun of cooking.

Nutritionist Ni Manting recommends making matcha pudding without adding fresh cream and adjusting the amount of sugar as appropriate, which is healthier and less burdensome.

【Nutritionist version of matcha pudding】

• Ingredients: 1 egg, 150cc fresh milk, 10g fine sugar, 0.5 tsp matcha powder.

• practice:

  1. Put fresh milk into a pot and add sugar. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar melts. No need to boil. Add matcha powder and mix well.

  2. Beat the eggs and mix into the matcha milk and sift.

  3. Pour slowly into the container to avoid forming bubbles. If there are bubbles, use a toothpick to pop them.

  4. Then use an electric steamer to steam it. After it is cooked, simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes. Finally, take out and let cool.

【Basic Knowledge／Matcha Powder VS Green Tea Powder】

Green tea powder and matcha powder look similar, and many people think they are the same thing. However, nutritionist Ni Manting said that the production process of matcha powder and green tea powder is different. Generally, green tea powder is sterilized in a wok and ground by machine, and the production temperature is relatively high; matcha powder is sterilized by steam and ground at low temperature, which causes less damage to nutrients, can reduce the loss of nutrients, and maintain a more emerald natural color. In addition, in terms of texture, the powder of matcha is finer than that of ordinary tea, which can be used as a reference when purchasing.