Eat less hotpot sauce! Avoid excessive intake of fat and sodium

The Lunar New Year is a happy time, especially when the whole family gathers around the stove to eat hotpot and keep in touch with each other. However, nutritionists remind that patients with chronic diseases should avoid using processed hot pot ingredients, reducing the amount of meat, and drinking alcohol; they should also reduce the use of any sauces to avoid consuming too much fat and sodium, which may cause physical burden and discomfort.

Zhang Chunmei, director of the nutrition department at New Taipei City United Hospital, pointed out that during the Chinese New Year, many people like to eat hot pot around the stove, but for patients with chronic diseases, it is often the case that "you can't drink this or eat that." In fact, as long as you pay a little attention and choose the vegetables and fruits appropriately, you can eat safely and healthily.

For example, the dish called "Longevity" which is made of mustard greens, button mushrooms, abalone mushrooms and other ingredients is almost always thickened with cornstarch before serving. Although there are many vegetables, the soup is also large, so the soup should not be drunk to avoid increasing the blood sugar level of diabetic patients. Although the dish "Niannianyouyu" is made of steamed fish, the portion size should still be noted because the diabetic diet is about controlling the portion size of food, not restricting certain foods.

Secondly, steamed fish is a good choice for patients with cardiovascular diseases. During the Chinese New Year, some braised or vinegar-fried foods are often indispensable, but these foods are oily and contain a lot of sugar, so people with chronic diseases must limit their intake. In addition, chicken soup is a must-have dish for many families during the Spring Festival. For elderly people with weak bodies, it is better not to just drink the soup. It will be more nutritious for them to eat more chicken than just drinking chicken soup.

However, it seems inhumane to ask the elderly to abstain from certain foods at the dinner table during the New Year holidays, so you might as well try a different cooking method. When braising, you can use sugar substitutes specifically used for cooking, without changing the taste. It would be even better if you add more vegetables blanched in boiling water around the edge of the plate.

Nutritionist Zhang Chunmei recommends that hot pot soup can be cooked with vegetables and fruits. If there is a gout patient at home, use less mushrooms, especially dried shiitake mushrooms. Also, try to avoid using commercially available chicken broth cubes to prevent excessive intake of sodium salt; avoid drinking hot pot soup that has already been cooked with hot pot ingredients, meat and seafood, as the hot pot soup is already high in oil, sodium and purine. It is best to drink a clear soup base made from cooked vegetable and fruit broth.

The main principles for preparing hot pot ingredients are to use more vegetables and fruits in different colors, reduce the amount of meat, and avoid using processed hot pot ingredients. When eating hot pot, it is recommended not to use any sauce to avoid consuming too much fat and sodium. If necessary, you can use a small amount or replace it with homemade vegetable and fruit sauce.

After a full meal, you should get up and move around, or take a walk outdoors with your family to reduce excessive burden on your body. In short, a variety of choices, moderation, balance, and a slight avoidance of snacks are the ways to maintain a healthy diet during the Chinese New Year. If you add proper exercise, you will be 100% healthy.