XNUMX Tips to Enjoy Dragon Boat Festival Zongzi Without Gaining Weight
The Dragon Boat Festival is filled with the fragrance of rice dumplings, and tasting various kinds of rice dumplings is an indispensable pleasure of the festival. However, the high-fat and high-calorie fillings in the rice dumplings, combined with the glutinous rice that absorbs oil easily, make each rice dumpling very delicious.CalorieIf you don’t pay attention, your weight may soar without you noticing. Nutritionist Chen Qianxun pointed out that as long as you master 500Oil-stripping principle, you can enjoy the deliciousness of zongzi while greatly reducing the calorie burden. What people may not know is that the high-calorie fillings in zongzi are not just tripe.
Glutinous rice absorbs oil and becomes a calorie killer, and these fillings also pose hidden dangers
Why are zongzi so high in calories? Take northern zongzi as an example. The stir-fried salted egg yolk, pork belly and mushrooms are already high in calories.High calorie fillingsMore importantly, the oily texture of northern zongzi comes from glutinous rice stir-fried over high heat and oil. The starch absorbs the fat, instantly doubling the calories in a bowl of rice, making it essential to exercise caution. Southern zongzi are often steamed, making them lighter, but caution should still be exercised regarding high-fat ingredients like peanuts (or peanut powder) and accompanying dipping sauces to avoid excessive calorie intake. Those opting for vegetarian zongzi should be wary of highly processed meat substitutes like mock meat and mock ham, as these ingredients are often high in sodium, which can burden the body, cause edema, and even lead to electrolyte imbalances.
Want to eat zongzi during the holidays without gaining weight? What should you do? Nutritionist Chen Qianxun offers the following three practical principles:
Principle 1: Homemade multi-grain, high-fiber fillings cut calories in half and help with gastrointestinal motility
Traditional zongzi (zongzi) are primarily composed of starch, fat, and meat, generally lacking in vegetables and fiber. Therefore, it's recommended to halve the amount of glutinous rice and replace it with whole grains like millet, oats, quinoa, and brown rice. For fillings, consider fiber-rich ingredients like shredded bamboo shoots, king oyster mushrooms, and shredded carrots. For a more chewy texture, low-calorie ingredients like konjac can be added, or low-calorie konjac rice can be used directly to further reduce starch and overall calories. This method not only increases dietary fiber content by 2-3 times, effectively promoting gastrointestinal motility, but also improves the difficulty of digesting glutinous rice in traditional zongzi, making it suitable for both young and old.
Principle 2: Eat sweet and alkaline rice dumplings in limited quantities, and avoid using sauces to avoid hidden calories.
While sweet and alkaline rice dumplings have lower calories per 100 grams than salty ones, they still contain 100 to 200 calories per XNUMXgrams (not including dipping sauces or syrups). These "hidden calories" can easily lead to weight loss if paired with dipping sauces or syrups made with refined sugars like sugar or honey. Nutritionists recommend limiting daily intake of sweet and alkaline rice dumplings and subtracting a portion from your regular meals as the best strategy to avoid calorie overload.
Principle 3: Drink the soup first, eat the vegetables first, and eat the rice dumplings last.
30 minutes before eating rice dumplings, you can eat some kiwi, pineapple and other fruits that help digestion; when eating, you need to master the order of "drink soup first → eat half a bowl of vegetables → finally eat rice dumplings". Combined with the above two principles, the whole family can enjoy the Dragon Boat Festival delicacies without worrying about weight gain.
In addition, nutritionists especially remind people who suffer from gastrointestinal ulcers, reflux esophagitis, gallstones, poor gastrointestinal digestion function, as well as patients with three high chronic diseases such as high blood sugar, high blood lipids, and high blood pressure, as well as the elderly with slow digestion speed, should try to eat rice dumplings during the day and avoid eating them after dinner; at the same time, they should control the amount of food they eat, chew slowly, and stop after a light taste to reduce the burden on the body.
