Calorie comparison of 8 types of rice dumplings: lotus leaf rice dumpling wins the kilocalorie ranking

When the Dragon Boat Festival arrives, there are a wide variety of rice dumplings, including lotus leaf rice dumplings, southern rice dumplings, northern rice dumplings, whole grain rice dumplings, purple rice dumplings, glutinous rice dumplings, and alkaline rice dumplings. Although they are high in calories and difficult to digest, they always make people salivate. But do you know which type of rice dumplings has the highest calories? Nutritionists point out that the best choice is the Cantonese lotus leaf rice dumpling. An average serving is about 700 calories. If it is a larger one like the overlord rice dumpling, it is not difficult to break a thousand calories!

Among all kinds of rice dumplings, Cantonese lotus leaf rice dumplings rank first in terms of calories and sodium content. (Photography by Huang Zilun)

In order to help the public better understand the amount of calories and nutritional content of rice dumplings, Chen Shumei, a nutritionist at the Songde branch of Taipei City United Hospital, specially selected 8 categories of rice dumpling products for comparison. She mentioned that modern people are busy with their lives and will directly buy rice dumplings for the holidays. Although the wide variety of rice dumplings are delicious, the calorie content varies greatly. It is recommended that when purchasing, try to choose those with marked fillings and nutritional ingredients. If the portion is large, such as a lotus leaf rice dumpling that may exceed a 1,000 calorie limit, sharing it with family is also a good idea.

1. Delicate Lotus Leaf Rice Dumpling

1 bag 400g / 656 calories. An average serving of lotus leaf rice dumpling has about 700 calories, and the fat content is not to be mentioned, accounting for 19.6 grams; the sugar content is as high as 86.8 grams; and most importantly, the sodium content is 984 milligrams. Patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension should avoid eating it.

Delicate lotus leaf meat dumplings (Photography by Huang Zilun)

2. Braised Pork and Peanut Southern Zongzi

1 piece: 175 grams / 381 calories. Although southern rice dumplings have lower calories when boiled in water, the calories increase after being modified and high-calorie, high-fat ingredients such as braised meat and peanuts are added.

Southern rice dumpling with braised pork and peanuts (Photo by Huang Zilun)

3. Longan and Purple Rice Dumpling

80 g / 339 kcal. Most people think that purple rice is healthier and has relatively lower calories, but in fact, purple rice is still starch, and after being fried, the calories are still not low. However, the sodium content is only 32 mg compared to other rice dumplings, which performs better.

Longan and purple rice dumplings (Photography by Huang Zilun)

4. General Northern Zongzi

135 g / 333 kcal. Common northern rice dumplings are made with glutinous rice fried in oil and are high in calories. Pay special attention to the contents such as egg yolk and pork belly, which are key factors affecting the calories.

Typical northern rice dumplings (Photography by Huang Zilun)

5. General Southern Zongzi

150 g / 341 kcal. Even though the calories are lower compared to northern rice dumplings because they are boiled in water, it is important to note that the portion size on the label is proportional to the calories.

Typical Southern Rice Dumpling (Photo by Huang Zilun)

6. Oatmeal and five-grain rice dumplings

135 g / 267 kcal. You still need to pay attention to the amount of whole grains you eat. Also, because the texture of the grains is relatively "coarse", you need to chew them slowly to avoid bloating.

Oatmeal and five-grain rice dumplings (Photo by Huang Zilun)

7. Hakka Rice Dumpling

80 g / 172 kcal. Hakka rice dumplings are small in size, and if you are not careful, you will still eat too much and the calories will exceed the limit. Eating too much will also put a burden on the gastrointestinal system.

Hakka rice dumplings (Photo by Huang Zilun)

8. Traditional Alkaline Rice Dumpling

80 grams/109 calories. When eating alkaline rice dumplings, people like to add fructose, which increases the calories. In addition, there are many crystal rice dumplings with a similar taste to alkaline rice dumplings, which are added with brown sugar, taro, red beans and other flavors. The calories are actually close to 200 calories.

Traditional alkaline rice dumplings (Photo by Huang Zilun)