Dragon Boat Festival/
Dumpling Festival (端午节) falls on the 5th day of May in Chinese calendar is to remember the
death of famous Chinese Poet Qu Yuan who had sacrificed his life for his country.
The culture of eating rice dumpling on Dumpling Festival (端午节) was originated from packets of rice thrown into the river to prevent fish
from eating Qu's body. Now, the rice dumpling (粽子) is becoming very
popular and it is a must for every Chinese families to celebrate this Dragon Boat
Festival.
Below are the 8 facts about Rice Dumplings that you should know:
1. What are the nutrition values of
traditional rice dumplings (salted pork, alkaline water and assorted rice
dumpling)?
Traditional rice dumplings are mainly made of glutinous rice with fatty pork, egg yolk, ham, roasted meat and green bean as filling. Fatty pork contains plenty of fatty acid and cholesterol; recommended daily intake of cholesterol is 300mg for each individual, and a 15g duck egg yolk contains 330mg of cholesterol; bean or lotus seed paste are high in sugar.
Traditional rice dumplings are mainly made of glutinous rice with fatty pork, egg yolk, ham, roasted meat and green bean as filling. Fatty pork contains plenty of fatty acid and cholesterol; recommended daily intake of cholesterol is 300mg for each individual, and a 15g duck egg yolk contains 330mg of cholesterol; bean or lotus seed paste are high in sugar.
The calorie of different types of rice
dumplings are as follows:
Types of Rice Dumpling
|
Calorie
|
Equal to
|
Salted Pork
|
500-600
|
3 bowl of rice
|
Alkaline Water
|
200-300
|
1 bowl of rice
|
Assorted
|
1000-1400
|
Close to the daily calorie intake for
a petite-size female |
2. How much can we consume?
Eating a medium-sized rice dumpling equals to 1/3 daily intake of calorie by an individual.
Eating a medium-sized rice dumpling equals to 1/3 daily intake of calorie by an individual.
Since rice dumplings are high in calorie, so
treating them as supper or afternoon tea is not recommended. It is
recommended to consume it as part of a meal (replace carbohydrates such as rice
or noodles), during lunch or dinner. 1/4 to 1/2 of a standard size rice
dumpling should be the upper intake limit and avoid dipping with too much soy
sauce to avoid excessive intake of calorie and sodium.
It is recommended to eat with vegetables and fruits
to increase fiber intake to prevent constipation. And remember to drink more hot
Chinese tea especially green tea to ease the digestion.
3. Can rice dumpling be taken on empty
stomach as breakfast?
Glutinous rice is very sticky, if taken on
empty stomach, it will stay inside our stomach for longer time and stimulate more
gastric acid secretions and this subsequently causes gastric, indigestion, flatulence
and acid re-flux.
4. Is it harmful to consume
traditional rice dumplings on daily and weekly basis?
Yes. Traditional rice dumplings are high in calorie, saturated fat and cholesterol which are harmful to our heart. Prolonged consumption of a high fat diet may cause fat to accumulate at blood vessel wall and narrow them down. Thus, it may increase the risk of developing heart disease.
Yes. Traditional rice dumplings are high in calorie, saturated fat and cholesterol which are harmful to our heart. Prolonged consumption of a high fat diet may cause fat to accumulate at blood vessel wall and narrow them down. Thus, it may increase the risk of developing heart disease.
However, bean or lotus seed paste, which is
high in sugar, will raise the blood glucose level rapidly.
Therefore, patients with heart disease, high
blood pressure, gout and diabetes should be careful when eating rice dumplings.
6. How long can we store rice dumplings in the
fridge?
Freshly-made rice
dumplings can be stored inside the fridge as long as 3 days.
If stored inside the
deep freezer, it may last longer (up to 6 months). However, the rice dumplings
have to be fully cooked upon defrosted to prevent bacteria growth.
7. Can pregnant women consume rice dumplings?
Glutinous rice
contains folate and some trace minerals Find out more HERE.
It helps in anemia and enhances energy. The pork and nuts inside the dumping is
also suitable for preggie consumption. However, it is too high calories [which
will cause dramatic weight gain] and it will cause indigestion and gastric if
taken in large amount. Pregnant women might experience worse constipation due
to excessive intake of glutinous rice.
8. Can kids eat rice dumplings?
Generally, it’s not
recommended for kids below 3 years old to consume rice dumplings as their
digestive systems haven’t matured, as a result, it will cause indigestion and
flatulence. As the texture of the dumpling is quite sticky hard and difficult
to chew, it might cause choking in these young kids by accidents as well.
9. Types of
dumplings (yummy-yummy pictures)
 |
| LATEST HEALTHY CREATION - Jelly Chang - stay tuned for the recipe |
 |
| Nyonya Chang |
 |
| Cantonese Chang |
 |
| Alkaline Chang with red bean fillings |
Gonna work full today, don't have time to taste any of them. But by looking at the pictures, I am satisfied ^_^
Happy Dumplings Festival ^_^
