Eat zongzi without getting oily! Just pair it with okra and eggplant

Zongzi is a seasonal ingredient during the Dragon Boat Festival. What should overweight elderly people do if they want to eat meat-filled zongzi but are afraid of getting fat? Nutritionists recommend that if you choose small rice dumplings weighing less than 200 grams and pair them with dark vegetables rich in water-soluble dietary fiber, such as okra and eggplant, you can achieve an unexpected oil-removing effect, allowing the elderly to eat rice dumplings with peace of mind without getting greasy.

Elderly people should pay attention to the calories when eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival, and choose rice dumplings weighing less than 200 grams as they are less likely to contain fat. (Photo by Zhou Fumei)

Nutritionist You Weiming from Taitung St. Mary's Hospital pointed out that the weight of the current rice dumplings on the market is about 300 grams. The traditional rice dumplings with fried shrimp, salted egg yolk, and pork belly as fillings are too high in calories. Eating one is almost the same as the calories of two bowls of rice. It is recommended that when buying rice dumplings, the elderly should choose smaller ones, or share a rice dumpling with friends and family. This way, they can reduce their calorie intake by half, and there is no need to worry about gaining weight.

[Eating Zongzi with vegetables contains more fiber and less fat]

Traditional rice dumplings are wrapped with strong-flavored salted egg yolks. If you accidentally eat two rice dumplings, your cholesterol will exceed the standard by 2 times. In order to prevent cholesterol from affecting the cardiovascular health of the elderly, chestnuts can be used instead of salted egg yolks. The advantage is that chestnuts have lower calories than egg yolks and more than one-tenth less cholesterol than egg yolks. Eating them is stress-free and filling.

Nutritionist You Weiming emphasized that the secret to eating rice dumplings without worrying about the oiliness is to increase the intake of low-calorie, dark-colored vegetables. Green okra, which is rich in polysaccharides, and purple eggplant, which is rich in phytochemicals, both have sufficient water-soluble dietary fiber, and are very suitable for the elderly to enjoy with glutinous rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival.

The mucus of okra is rich in polysaccharides, which can adhere to the stomach wall and intestines after consumption to reduce fat absorption.

[Characteristics of side dishes that don’t get oily when eating zongzi]

• The mucus of okra is rich in polysaccharides. When it is adsorbed on the stomach wall and intestines, it is like spraying a layer of protective film on the stomach wall, preventing direct damage to the ulcer wound when gastric acid is secreted, and preventing the intestinal wall and villi of the small intestine from absorbing more fat.

• When the water-soluble dietary fiber in okra and eggplant comes into contact with the water in the intestines, they will begin to swell naturally, which can increase a person's sense of fullness and reduce their food intake.

• Water-soluble dietary fiber helps promote intestinal motility, increase the volume of stool, and absorb excess cholesterol in the body and excrete it along with the stool.

• Eggplant is rich in phytochemicals, including anthocyanins and lutein. Eating eggplant as a side dish can not only promote smooth intestinal bowel movements, but also delay the aging of human cells.

Nutritionists point out that if eating only half or a small rice dumpling is not satisfying, you can make adjustments to the fillings. For example, use pork belly with less fat content, and replace the original shrimp with fresh mushrooms or kelp. These are all good choices to reduce fat and increase dietary fiber intake.

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