5-color crystal rice dumplings add phytochemicals, kidney patients eat less burden

On the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, every household makes rice dumplings, but traditional meat dumplings are too high in calories and sodium and potassium, which can easily cause a burden on the human body, especially for kidney patients with weak metabolism and immunity and poor kidney regulation function. In order to allow kidney patients to eat rice dumplings with peace of mind, the Changhua Hospital of the Department of Health, Executive Yuan, designed the colorful "Healthy Crystal Rice Dumplings", which add phytochemicals and fiber, and emphasize low protein, low sodium, low potassium, and low calories.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, Changhua Hospital launched the "Healthy Crystal Rice Dumpling" which is high in fiber, low in protein, sodium and potassium, and can be eaten safely by kidney patients. (Photo provided by Changhua Hospital)

"Healthy Crystal Zongzi" comes in five colors: purple, red, yellow, black and green. Taking the purple "Healthy Amethyst Zongzi" as an example, it replaces "traditional glutinous rice" with "low-nitrogen starch" that is low in protein, sodium, potassium and phosphorus, making it suitable for people with kidney disease as a source of calorie supplement. In addition, "Healthy Amethyst Zongzi" also adds 5 colors of ingredients including purple cabbage, red sweet pepper, red hot pepper, yellow corn or yellow pepper, fungus, and broccoli to increase fiber and different phytochemicals, and it does not require oil frying and has lower calories than traditional Zongzi.

Huang Yuru, director of the Nutrition Department of Changhua Hospital, explained that "phytochemicals" are neither vitamins nor minerals, but substances in fruits and vegetables that can truly prevent diseases. Phytochemicals have many benefits for the body, including antioxidants, promoting the activity of detoxification enzymes in the body, regulating hormones, resisting bacteria and viruses, and enhancing immunity.

Huang Yuru further stated that common fruits and vegetables in daily life each have their own phytochemicals and nutrients. If you can eat five fruits and vegetables every day and choose different colors, and do not prefer any one type of food, you can ingest different phytochemicals and get better nutrition, which can adjust immunity, eliminate free radicals, increase antioxidant properties, and even have the effect of controlling cardiovascular disease, diabetes and anti-cancer.