Should we eat glutinous rice balls or Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival? Today we won’t talk about “salty and sweet”, eating it this way is more “elegant”

During the Lantern Festival, eating a bowl of soft, glutinous and sweet glutinous rice balls is a unique ritual of the Lantern Festival.

Some people say that what we eat at home is Yuanxiao, not Tangyuan.

In fact, there is not much difference between the two of them.

Simply put, glutinous rice balls are made by wrapping them.

Yuanxiao is made by rolling .

But their ingredients and nutrition are basically the same.

As the saying goes, "Yuanxiao in the north, Tangyuan in the south".

No matter which one you eat, it has the beautiful meaning of "reunion".

So how can we eat more healthily during the Lantern Festival?

01. First of all, don’t eat too many glutinous rice balls

Although small in size, they are high in energy . The calories of 4 stuffed glutinous rice balls are almost equal to that of 1 bowl of rice. If you eat glutinous rice balls, it is best to reduce the amount of staple food such as rice to control the total energy level. You should also go out more after eating to burn some calories.

Patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and people who want to control their weight should not eat too much to avoid weight gain and body burden.

02. Eat while hot, but be careful not to get burned

Yuanxiao or Tangyuan are made of glutinous rice flour as the main raw material. One of the characteristics of glutinous rice is that the content of amylopectin in its starch is particularly high, which can be as high as about 80%. One of the characteristics of amylopectin is that it likes heat and fears cold.

When it is combined with hot water, it will expand into a paste with high viscosity, and it is easier to digest when eaten hot. However, when it encounters cold, the texture of glutinous rice will become hard and difficult to digest.

Therefore, the elderly, children or people with poor gastrointestinal function should not eat cold dumplings to avoid stomach discomfort or indigestion.

But be aware that freshly cooked rice dumplings and yuanxiao are very hot, and glutinous rice is sticky and dissipates heat very slowly, so eat them slowly to prevent scalding your throat and esophagus .

03. Give priority to glutinous rice balls with nuts, sesame and red bean paste fillings

Nowadays, there are various fillings of glutinous rice balls, including sesame, red bean paste, sweet potato, oil, meat, chocolate, etc. It is recommended that you give priority to sesame, peanut, various nuts and red bean paste fillings.

Nuts are high in nutritional value, and bean paste also contains a lot of protein and minerals. In contrast, chocolate fillings are high in energy and low in nutritional value, and bacon fillings contain a lot of lard, so it is not suitable to eat too much.

04. Eat a balanced diet and eat more fruits, vegetables and beans

In order to better control blood sugar and blood lipids, it is best to eat glutinous rice balls with low-fat, high-fiber foods, such as beans, vegetables, fungi and algae. Therefore, in addition to eating glutinous rice balls and Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival, you may also want to prepare some vegetables, fruits and beans.

Finally, I wish you all a happy Lantern Festival~