The sweet chestnuts are so delicious! Stop eating after the 5th one and you won’t get fat

Walking on the streets in winter, you can smell sweet aromas in the air from time to time, and hear the rustling sound of grinding stones. Following your sense of smell and hearing, you will find that it is the mouth-watering "sugar-roasted chestnuts". You will immediately pay for it and eat it! However, nutritionists remind us that although chestnuts are delicious and nutritious, they are not low in calories. If eaten as a snack, it is recommended not to eat more than 5 pieces to avoid gaining weight.

The king of a thousand fruits! Chestnuts are great for nourishing the kidneys and maintaining beauty

Chestnuts, also known as Chinese chestnuts, big chestnuts or hairy chestnuts, are believed by traditional Chinese medicine to have the effects of invigorating qi and spleen, nourishing the kidneys and strengthening tendons, and protecting the stomach and intestines. They can improve back pain and poor digestion and absorption, and are therefore known as the "king of a thousand fruits." In addition, chestnuts also have the effect of maintaining beauty. According to legend, Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty lived to be in her eighties or nineties, and her skin was still delicate and lustrous, all thanks to chestnuts.

Chestnuts are rich in nutrients and contain 5 times more vitamin C than apples

In addition, from the perspective of Western nutrition, chestnuts are also a nutritious tonic. Hong Ruopu, a nutritionist at the Zhongxiao branch of Taipei Municipal United Hospital, said that chestnuts are high in carbohydrates, which can provide the human body with more heat energy and help metabolize fat, and their nutrition is equivalent to that of food.

Moreover, chestnuts are rich in calcium, iron, potassium and various vitamins, especially fresh chestnuts contain about five times as much vitamin C as apples. The rich potassium ion content helps maintain nerve conduction, regular heartbeat, assists normal muscle contraction, balances excess sodium ions, stabilizes blood pressure, and prevents cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

The sugar-roasted chestnuts that often appear on the streets in winter always attract many gourmets.

Nutritionist Hong Ruopu recommends eating chestnuts as a snack, and 5 chestnuts at a time is enough. Do not eat large amounts after meals, as this may be detrimental to weight control.

Chestnuts are not low in calories. Eat 5 chestnuts at a time as a snack. Don't eat too much.

However, it should be noted that chestnuts are nuts and seeds, and their calories are not low. According to the Food Nutrition Database of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, every 100 grams of raw shelled chestnuts contains about 264 calories, while sugar-roasted chestnuts with the shells have 209 calories per 100 grams. If you feel craving for chestnuts because they are sweet and delicious, you should be careful about the risk of gaining weight.

Nutritionist Hong Ruopu recommends eating chestnuts as snacks between meals or adding them to meals. Do not eat large amounts after meals, otherwise you will easily consume too many calories, which is not conducive to maintaining weight. When eaten as a snack, the limit is 5 chestnuts (about 50 grams; according to the "Nutrition Atlas of Common Foods in Taiwan", this amount of chestnuts has about 70 calories, equivalent to the calories of a staple food); when added to meals, it must replace the calories of the staple food. In addition, millet contains carbohydrates, and eating too much will affect blood sugar. People who are losing weight or have diabetes should pay special attention to the amount of intake.

【Recommended dish: Braised chestnut chicken】

• Ingredients: 500 grams of chicken legs, 250 grams of fresh chestnuts. Salt, soy sauce, wine, cornstarch, rock sugar and broth, appropriate amounts.

• practice:

  1. Make a cut in the chestnut. After the water in the pot boils, add the chestnuts, cook for 3 minutes, put them in cold water, peel off the outer shell and inner skin and set aside.

  2. Dice the chicken legs, cut the green onions into sections, and slice the ginger for later use.

  3. When the oil in the pan is hot, add the onion, ginger and chicken in order, stir-fry until the meat turns white, and pour the wine along the edge of the pan.

  4. Add soy sauce, rock sugar and salt, stir-fry evenly until the meat is coated with the sauce.

  5. Add appropriate amount of broth or water, then put in the chestnuts, cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes until the sauce is reduced.

Make a cross cut in the middle of the chestnuts and boil them in salt water to help remove the shell and skin.

3 methods! Easily remove chestnut shells and skins

However, the shell of chestnut is hard. Apart from mixing sugar and black sand to make "sugar-fried chestnuts", how can we easily remove the shell and chestnut skin and take out the whole plump chestnut for use in various dishes? Nutritionist Hong Ruopu provides the following 3 methods for reference:

1. Cooking in salt water: Wash the chestnuts, cut a slit in the middle with a knife, put them in salt water, cook them on the stove for 5 minutes, and remove the shells and skins while they are still hot.

2. Rice cooker method: Wash the chestnuts, cut a slit, put them in the rice cooker without adding water, press the cooking button, and take them out after the switch pops up, peel and remove the skin.

3. Microwave method: Cut a small hole in the chestnut with a knife, put it in a bowl, cover it, put it in the microwave, and peel it while it is hot.