As many Taiwanese prepare to enjoy a hot bowl of glutinous rice dumplings, or tangyuan (湯圓), to mark the winter solstice, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said people should take care while preparing the popular treat to avoid consuming excess calories.
The amount of calories in four large dumplings, or 20 small ones, is equal to calories in a bowl of cooked rice, HPA Director-General Chiou Shu-ti (邱淑媞) said, adding that consumers should “carefully read the labels on food products, prepare the ingredients smartly and reduce portion sizes” to enjoy the winter solstice while taking care of their well-being.
People should read the nutritional facts printed on he packages carefully when they are purchasing tangyuan and try to choose products with less calories, saturated fats and sugar per serving, the agency said.
According to a WHO report on maintaining a healthy diet, daily intake of saturated fats should not exceed 10 percent of their daily energy intake.
An adult who weighs 60kg and does sedentary work needs to consume about 1,800 calories per day and no more than 20g of saturated fats, but 10 large tangyuan, savory or sweet, contain about 15g of saturated fat — 75 percent of the maximum daily intake, the HPA said.
For adults who are trying to lower their LDL cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol, the American Heart Association recommends reducing saturated fats intake to no more than 5 to 6 percent of their total calorie intake.
The HPA said that a person’s daily intake of free sugars should be less than 5 percent of their total energy intake, which is about 90 calories or 22.5g for a person consuming 1,800 calories per day, but 10 large tangyuan made of black glutinous rice with sweet sesame filling contain 21g of sugar, nearly reaching the recommended maximum limit.
Chiou said excessive amounts of saturated fats and sugar can cause cardiovascular disease, adding that excess sugar consumption also leads to obesity, metabolic disorder and tooth decay, while affecting blood sugar levels and emotional stability.
The agency said people should choose healthy ingredients when preparing tangyuan, adding that they should avoid sweet red bean or peanut soup and instead add wolfberries (枸杞) or ginger to prepare a soup with less sugar and calories, especially if they plan to stuff the dumplings with sweet sesame or peanut fillings.
Savory tangyuan with meat fillings usually contain enough fat and meat, so the HPA suggests cooking the soup with only vegetables.
People with diabetes are advised to eat salty tangyuan with vegetables, and people with high blood pressure or kidney disease can eat sweet or savory tangyuan, but should avoid the soup, while people with gastroesophageal reflux or poor digestion should eat slowly, the HPA said.
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