Are you craving for Bao Zong Pao Fan? Be careful, eating it the wrong way can hurt your stomach!

"Ten Australian lobsters on Huanghe Road can't buy a bowl of rice noodle soup here." The hit of "Fang Hua" has made Shanghai delicacies such as pork ribs and rice cakes and fried dumplings popular, and has also attracted many people to replicate "Bao Zong rice noodle soup" at home. With the popularity of rice noodle soup, the topic of "whether rice noodle soup nourishes the stomach or hurts the stomach" has been debated again. Some people say that the softness of rice noodle soup is good for the stomach, while others say that rice noodle soup affects digestion and hurts the stomach. So, what is the truth?

01

Four ways to eat soaked rice

1) Soak rice in boiling water

Soak the cold rice directly in boiling water or boil the cold rice with water, and serve it with yellow mud snails, red fermented bean curd, meat floss, pickled cucumbers, fried dough sticks dipped in fermented bean curd juice and other salty and fresh side dishes. This method is simple and quick, and the rice soaked by "Boss Bao" in the TV series is this type. The other three ways of eating are all based on the addition of boiling water soaked rice.

Image source: "Flowers"

2) Rice in soup

Mix the leftovers and rice from the previous night and cook them in boiling water or with water. The flavor is completely determined by the leftovers. In real life, we eat more of this type. Although many people think that the nutrition of this soup rice mainly comes from the soup, in fact, its nutrition still depends on the raw materials and cooking methods.

Image source: Photo Network

3) Soy sauce rice

Add soy sauce to boiled rice, with soy sauce as the main seasoning, and some people will add a little sesame oil to enhance the flavor. Soy sauce is a high-sodium food, soy sauce rice is not suitable for people who need to control sodium intake.

Image source: sohu.com

4) Ochazuke

The rice soup is made by replacing the boiling water used for rice with tea. It has a fresh taste and a strong tea aroma.

Image source: Photo Network

02

Rice soaking does not hurt the stomach

Unhealthy eating habits hurt your stomach

1) Less chewing

Soup rice has a high water content, making the rice soft and easy to swallow, which usually speeds up eating and reduces the number of chewing times. Some people even "drink" the soup rice directly. Although the soup rice is soft, it is not porridge after all. If you swallow it directly without chewing it thoroughly, it may bring extra burden to people with weak digestive function .

2) Eating salty food

No matter what kind of rice porridge you eat, it is a high-salt food , especially the "Bao Zong" rice porridge, which is served with pickled food, and even the fried dough sticks are dipped in soy sauce before eating. A high-salt diet itself will irritate the gastric mucosa , reduce the defense ability of the gastric mucosa, reduce gastric acid secretion, and increase the risk of gastric lesions and gastric cancer.

3) Eat oily food

Fat not only makes food more tender, smooth and juicy when chewed, but also will be oxidized during heating to produce aromatic compounds, which promote appetite. The common saying "no meat, no aroma" actually means no fat, no aroma. The leftover soup for making soup with rice is where the cooking oil is most concentrated. Soup with rice is often a high-fat food . It smells fragrant and tastes delicious and smooth, but the high fat content not only increases the burden on the gastrointestinal tract , but also causes symptoms such as bloating and loss of appetite in patients with stomach problems.

Image source: Photo Network

03

5 tips to teach you how to eat soaked rice in a healthy way

Although the rice is soft, it is recommended to chew it thoroughly. Generally, it is advisable to chew a mouthful of rice more than 10 times to reduce the burden on the stomach.

The side dishes for rice noodle soup are generally high in salt , so it is recommended to eat less .

Leftover vegetable soup often contains more oil and salt. It is recommended to discard some of the vegetable soup when cooking to avoid making the rice too salty or too oily.

Improper storage of overnight meals may breed pathogens. When eating, they need to be cooked thoroughly and heated to an internal temperature of over 75°C. In simple terms, it basically means boiling and keeping it boiling for more than 3 minutes.

No matter what kind of rice soaked in soup, the nutrition is relatively poor, mainly carbohydrates. Therefore, it is recommended to pair it with nutritious side dishes , such as stir-fried seasonal vegetables and steamed fish and shrimp.

Rice soaking is a diverse and traditional delicacy. Rice soaked in water, soup, soy sauce and tea each have their own unique flavors. When enjoying these delicacies, you also need to pay attention to the potential health effects and adjust your eating habits.

References

[1] Aminde LN, Cobiac LJ, Phung D, et al. Avoidable burden of stomach cancer and potential gains in healthy life years from gradual reductions in salt consumption in Vietnam, 2019-2030: a modeling study. Public Health Nutr. 2022;26(3):1-12.

[2] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022) [M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2022.

[3] Dietrich S, Ceulemans J, Hermans E, et al. Understanding the conditions under which drugs are transferred from the stomach through the upper small intestine after a high-calorie, high-fat meal. J Pharm Sci. 2024 Jan 11:S0022-3549(24)00005-4.

Author: Wang Zhengyuan, Ph.D. in Nutrition, Deputy Chief Physician, Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention Editor: Xiao Dingdang