Don’t let yourself get fat! Handmade 100-calorie red bean crystal rice dumpling

Which Zongzi will you pick for the Dragon Boat Festival? Traditional rice dumplings are high in calories. Compared with a bowl of white rice at 280 calories, a single salty rice dumpling has about 400 to 600 calories. Even the cold alkaline rice dumplings eaten as snacks have 250 calories each. Add in the syrup or powdered sugar for flavoring, and the risk of obesity increases immediately. How should we choose rice dumplings that are suitable for the occasion without worrying about obesity? Nutritionists recommend trying a red bean crystal rice dumpling that has only 100 calories.

The Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and Hualien Tzu Chi Memorial Hospital shares the recipe of low-calorie red bean crystal rice dumplings, which are recommended as a substitute for traditional alkaline rice dumplings. (Photo provided by Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital)

Red bean crystal rice dumplings use sago instead of traditional glutinous rice, which not only retains the chewy texture of alkaline rice dumplings, but also has 100 calories per piece, making it less burdensome to eat than the 250 calories of traditional alkaline rice dumplings.

Sago rice can replace glutinous rice and can also be eaten by kidney patients

Jiang Jiazhen, a nutritionist at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, said that alkaline rice dumplings need to be treated with alkaline water. For ordinary families, the production process is rather troublesome, and many people are worried about the safety of food additives. By choosing sago, which is sticky in itself, there is no need to add chemical food additives to achieve a chewy texture. In addition, sago is a "low-nitrogen starch" that has the nutritional value of starch but much less protein than ordinary rice. It is more suitable for many patients with chronic diseases, especially those with kidney disease.

Ji Kaiyun, a nutritionist at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, pointed out that many processed foods contain additives and preservatives. Most of these additives are metabolized by the liver and kidneys. It is difficult for people to detect the harm to their health if they consume them for a short period of time, but long-term excessive consumption may cause obvious harm to the body. It is recommended that people can take advantage of the reunion time of the Dragon Boat Festival to DIY rice dumplings with their families. It is safest to make them by yourself and it can also enhance family relationships.

Ingredients for red bean crystal rice dumplings. (Photo provided by Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital)

【Red Bean Crystal Zongzi】

Ingredients: 12g sago, 10g red bean paste, 1 teaspoon sugar, a little vegetable oil, 1 bamboo leaf, and bamboo rope.
step:
1. Wash and boil the rice dumplings leaves and set aside.
2. After washing the sago, add some water and sugar and mix well.
3. Apply some vegetable oil on the rice dumplings leaves, fold them and put the first layer of sago in.
4. Add the red bean paste that has been shaped into balls and cover with a second layer of sago.
5. Tie with string, wrap it up and place it in a steamer for 30 minutes.
illustrate:
1. This is a serving for one person, and each piece has about 100 calories.
2. You can replace the red bean filling with your favorite filling. Just steam the ingredients in an electric cooker and then mash them into a paste with a spoon.
3. After the crystal rice dumplings have cooled down, they taste better and have a more chewy texture.

【Health Tips】:

Nutritionist Jiang Jiazhen reminds us that calories are not the only principle of a healthy diet. No matter how low-calorie the rice dumpling is, it is recommended to eat only one a day, especially salty rice dumplings which have an average of 400 to 600 calories each. It is recommended to share them with family and friends, or eat them with fruits and vegetables.