Is it difficult to swallow and digest Yuanxiao? Nutritionist teaches low GI, high protein "Oatmeal and Date Paste Yuanxiao"

The Lantern Festival is coming soon. To celebrate the Lantern Festival, the Nutrition Department of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital has teamed up with the Day Care Integration Center to guide the elderly to make "oatmeal and date paste Lantern Festival" which is easy to swallow, easy to digest, low in GI, and high in protein and suitable for the elderly. Nutritionist Chen Zheyang reminds us that the common Yuanxiao sold in the market are difficult to swallow and digest. People with poor digestive systems, weak gastrointestinal functions, the elderly and children should reduce the amount and eat with caution.

Features of Oatmeal and Date Paste Yuanxiao

Nutritionist Chen Zheyang analyzed that the cooking feature of "Oatmeal and Date Paste Yuanxiao" is that it uses high-quality black bean protein, which has the characteristics of lowering cholesterol, supplementing estrogen, stabilizing blood pressure, and improving iron deficiency anemia. In addition, red dates contain flavonoids, polysaccharides and vitamin C, which are essential antioxidants for the body. They can help the body eliminate excess free radicals, and are anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. Moreover, red dates and oats are rich in dietary fiber, which can help accelerate gastrointestinal motility and improve constipation symptoms. In addition, longan is warm in nature and sweet in taste, benefits the heart and spleen, replenishes qi and blood, and has a good nourishing and tonic effect. The outer skin is made of glutinous rice balls that are easy to chew and swallow, and finally wrapped with oats to increase the intake of dietary fiber. It is recommended to cut each Yuanxiao into four equal parts for the convenience of sharing with the elders as a snack.

The Lantern Festival is about eating Yuanxiao (glutinous rice dumplings) with fillings. Zhang Xingling, director of the Day Care Integration Center, said that aging and degeneration are normal for the elderly. Many of them have bad teeth, and they are worried that they will choke while eating Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival. In addition, many elderly people have problems with high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high blood lipids. Among the elders who came to the Concentric Circle Day Care Center this time, nearly 90% suffered from dementia, and another 10% were disabled due to chronic diseases. They hope that through festive activities, they can let them reminisce and enrich their lives.

The Nutrition Department of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital has teamed up with the Day Care Integration Center to help the elderly make "Oatmeal and Date Paste Yuanxiao" which is easy to swallow, easy to digest, low in GI, and high in protein. (Photo courtesy of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital)

Promoting brain activation is the focus of activity planning for caring for the elderly. Allowing the elderly to distinguish different festivals through different dishes not only increases the festive atmosphere, but also allows the elderly to feel involved in the festival. Through this event, the public's attention to the dietary and nutritional health needs of the elderly will be enhanced, and the elderly will have the opportunity to make the meals they want by themselves.

Kneading the dough for making Yuanxiao is a difficult task. If the dough is not kneaded thinly, it is difficult to wrap the filling. If it is kneaded too thinly, the filling will easily break and expose. Nutritionist Chen Zheyang shared his experience of accompanying the elderly in DIY. When making Yuanxiao, the elders need to work together. The elders with better fine motor skills knead the dough, and the elders with less agile movements can help wrap the filling and roll the Yuanxiao. The key is to let everyone have fun doing it together.

These ethnic groups should be careful when eating Yuanxiao

Nutritionist Chen Zheyang reminds us that the common Yuanxiao sold in the market are difficult to swallow and digest. People with poor digestive systems, weak gastrointestinal functions, the elderly and children should reduce the amount and eat with caution. If you have problems with the three highs, you need to grasp the principles of "balanced diet, high fiber, and original food".

The finished product of "Oatmeal and Date Paste Yuanxiao". (Photo courtesy of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital)

DIY Oatmeal and Date Paste Yuanxiao

Ingredients (1 serving, 1 piece)

Skin

1. Materials:

1. 15g oatmeal

2. 10g glutinous rice flour

3. Water 100cc

4. A little crushed nuts

B. Method:

1. Chop the oatmeal into smaller pieces, but don’t chop it into small pieces.

2. Add warm water to the glutinous rice flour and knead it into dough. Cover the dough with a wet cloth during the operation to prevent the surface from drying out and hardening.

3. Divide the dough into small portions, roll them into balls and press them into small pancakes.

4. Wrap the filling (refer to the filling method) in the pan, cook with boiling water, let cool, then put chopped nuts and oatmeal on an iron plate and shape them using the "rolled Yuanxiao" method.

Filling

A: Materials

1. 20g red dates

2. 5g black beans

3. A little water

4. Sugar 5g

5. 2.5 grams of longan

B: Method

1. Soak red dates and black beans in water and put them in the refrigerator overnight.

2. Steam the red dates and black beans in an electric cooker and remove the red date seeds.

3. Put red dates and black beans into a food processor and blend into a paste.

4. You can add sugar while beating the paste to adjust the sweetness to your preference.

Nutritional Analysis:

(Photo courtesy of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital)

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