How to control calories and aid digestion by eating glutinous rice balls during the winter solstice? Are you eating sweet and salty glutinous rice balls correctly?

As the winter solstice approaches, rice dumplings have become a traditional delicacy for every household. However, glutinous rice flour, the main ingredient of glutinous rice balls, is difficult for the elderly and children to chew and digest, and the calories in the fillings are more likely to cause a burden. How can we make glutinous rice balls retain the flavor that suits the occasion while meeting the health needs of different groups? Nutritionist Zhou Jialin from Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital shares the healthy way to eat sweet and salty glutinous rice balls, as well as easy-to-digest glutinous rice ball recipes, so that the whole family can eat glutinous rice balls with peace of mind.

The main ingredient of glutinous rice balls is glutinous rice flour, which belongs to the whole grain category. If the glutinous rice balls have fillings, such as sesame or peanut fillings, the filling part belongs to the oil category; if the filling is red bean or mung bean paste, it also belongs to the whole grain category.

Nutritionist Zhou Jialin explained that glutinous rice balls and fillings made with extra sugar can easily cause blood sugar levels to rise, and fillings containing fat will further increase the calories in the glutinous rice balls. Therefore, if it is ordinary red and white glutinous rice balls, it is recommended to eat no more than 20 pieces a day. The calories are equivalent to half a bowl of white rice. If it is glutinous rice balls with fillings, two pieces can reach the same calories, so you need to pay attention to controlling the portion. If children consume too much glutinous rice ball fillings, their intake of refined sugar may exceed the standard, leading to tooth decay, obesity or affecting their growth and development.

In addition, due to the high viscosity of glutinous rice balls, elders or children often face difficulties in chewing and digesting them, and may even experience bloating, gastroesophageal reflux or choking. Nutritionist Zhou Jialin explained: "The reason why glutinous rice balls are so sticky is that their main ingredient is glutinous rice flour. Glutinous rice flour belongs to amylopectin in starch. The difference between amylopectin and other starches is that it produces stronger stickiness. This is why glutinous rice is stickier than ordinary white rice, which makes glutinous rice difficult to digest and causes gastrointestinal discomfort.

Are you eating sweet and salty glutinous rice balls correctly?

Nutritionist Zhou Jialin suggested that if people want to control the calories in eating glutinous rice balls, they can start by adjusting the toppings and ingredients. For example, the sweet soup of sweet glutinous rice balls can reduce the amount of sugar water and replace it with sugar-free tea, sugar-free soy milk or milk; salty glutinous rice balls can be added with vegetables, tofu, mushrooms or white fungus to increase fiber and nutrition. In addition, she also reminded that family members should pay more attention when elders and children eat glutinous rice balls, and they can also cut large glutinous rice balls into small pieces to make them easier to swallow. It is best to eat glutinous rice balls during the day to avoid affecting digestion at night. Alternatively, everyone can go out for a walk together after eating the glutinous rice balls, which will not only help digestion but also increase family interaction.

Nutritionist Zhou Jialin shares the healthy way to eat sweet and salty glutinous rice balls, as well as easy-to-digest glutinous rice ball recipes, so that the whole family can eat glutinous rice balls with peace of mind. (Photo courtesy of Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital)

Easy-to-digest and easy-to-chew glutinous rice balls recipe

Finally, nutritionist Zhou Jialin said that if you want to make glutinous rice balls that are easy to digest and chew, it is recommended to replace the glutinous rice flour in the glutinous rice balls with other ingredients, such as sweet potato puree, purple sweet potato puree or taro puree, etc. This will greatly reduce the stickiness of the glutinous rice balls and improve the safety of consumption, so that the whole family, from the elders to the children, can spend the winter solstice in health and safety, and the whole family can be happy and at ease.

◎Sweet potato dumplings

Material:

100g sweet potato, 60g glutinous rice flour, 20ml water.

practice:

1. Wash and steam the sweet potatoes, peel and mash them.

2. Mix the sweet potato puree with glutinous rice flour, slowly add water and knead into a smooth dough.

3. Roll the dough into small balls and cook in boiling water until they float.

4. Eat with sugar-free soy milk or low-sugar syrup according to your preference.