3 tips on how to avoid oily grilled pork belly

The custom of barbecuing is popular during the Mid-Autumn Festival. While happily admiring the moon and chatting, people unknowingly consume the calories from high-fat meat and carcinogens such as dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons produced during the barbecue process, which is a major threat to their health. In this regard, Yang Wenqing, a nutritionist at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, provides three tips for a healthy holiday to reduce fat accumulation and gastrointestinal burden, so as to avoid being laughed at by the goddess Chang'e for being fat.

2 thin slices of pork belly contain about 306 calories, which is more than the calories in a bowl of rice. Nutritionists recommend that low-fat white meat should be used instead for barbecue during the Mid-Autumn Festival to reduce calorie intake.

Tip 1: Choose low-fat and high-fiber fruits and vegetables

• Meat: Avoid choosing high-fat meat. It is recommended to choose white meat such as fish, seafood, skinless chicken, or low-fat red meat such as beef tendon or pork hind leg to reduce the intake of animal fat. According to the data from the Obesity Research Society of the Republic of China, 2 thin slices of pork belly contain about 90 grams and 306 calories, which is more than the 280 calories in a bowl of rice.

• Staple foods: A moderate amount of high-fiber whole grains can help intestinal peristalsis and prevent constipation. Ingredients such as brown rice or red beans are recommended.

• Fruits and vegetables: Vegetables are low in calories, filling, and can increase dietary fiber intake and aid digestion. It is recommended to use corn, sweet potato, pumpkin for barbecue, and use the seasonal bamboo shoots, loofah, eggplant as dishes, or wrap the meat with green vegetables. As for the seasonal fruit grapefruit, 2 slices are equivalent to 1 serving of fruit, about 80% full of a bowl, with 60 calories. One serving after a meal can aid digestion.

Tip 2: Make good use of rice cookers and ovens to cook with original flavors and less sauce

When grilling, the ingredients are burned directly over fire, which can easily cause them to burn and produce a variety of carcinogens. Nutritionist Yang Wenqing recommends making good use of cooking utensils such as electric rice cookers and slow cookers, and using low-oil cooking methods such as boiling, braising, and blanching. If you want a barbecue feel, you can use a home-style electric oven or place a cast iron baking tray on the gas stove to avoid direct flames on the ingredients to reduce charcoal and smoke.

In addition, the sodium content of commercially available barbecue sauce is relatively high. It is recommended to make use of spices such as rosemary, pepper, onion, ginger, garlic, onion, or pair it with pineapple, tomato, orange and other fruits to increase the flavor of the food and reduce the need for saltiness.

Making good use of natural spices can enhance the aroma and taste of ingredients and reduce the amount of barbecue sauce used.

Tip 3: Just taste the mooncakes and drink with boiled water

Mooncakes, which are indispensable for the Mid-Autumn Festival, are generally high in calories, so reduce the amount you consume and pair them with sugar-free tea. Nutritionist Yang Wenqing said that lard or toasted ghee is added during the production process of mooncakes. One small mooncake has about 280 calories, which is equivalent to 80% full rice plus 1.5 teaspoons of oil (7.5 grams). One Cantonese mooncake contains about 550 calories, which is equivalent to the calories in 1.5 bowls of rice plus 1 tablespoon of oil (15 grams). When eating, you should cut it into small slices and taste it lightly to avoid consuming it as a main meal and storing fat.

For drinks, plain water is the best choice. You should try to avoid choosing high-sugar drinks such as fruit juice, commercial drinks, and soda. If you want to add flavor, you can choose sugar-free teas such as oolong tea, barley tea, rose, and osmanthus.

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