Yuanxiao and tangyuan are different, and sugar-free ones are not healthier

Yuanxiao (Chinese dumplings) and glutinous rice balls are delicious, but be careful not to eat too much or you will become "chubby"!

On the day of the Lantern Festival, people have the traditional customs of lighting lanterns to worship Buddha, appreciating lanterns, lion dancing, guessing lantern riddles, and eating glutinous rice balls/yuanxiao. The most indispensable thing is eating!

However, many people still can't tell the difference between Yuanxiao and Tangyuan. What's the difference? In this article, we'll talk about the difference between the two and how to eat them healthier.

01 What is the difference between Yuanxiao and Tangyuan? Although Yuanxiao and Tangyuan are both round and eaten on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, they are really not the same thing. The difference is:

① Method: Yuanxiao is "rolled", and Tangyuan is "wrapped". The traditional method of making Yuanxiao is based on the filling. First, fix the filling, then put the filling on a sieve with a lot of glutinous rice flour, and roll it around... until it is rolled into a ball covered with glutinous rice flour. For Tangyuan, first make the glutinous rice skin, then wrap the filling in it.

②Cooking: Generally speaking, Yuanxiao is mostly steamed or fried (if you insist on boiling it, it will take a long time and the soup will be turbid), while Glutinous Rice Balls are mostly boiled.

③Taste: Yuanxiao has a harder texture, while glutinous rice balls have a softer texture.

④ Storage method: Tangyuan can be frozen for a long time, but Yuanxiao cannot. Yuanxiao is usually made and sold immediately, because it is easy to crack if frozen.

02 Are glutinous rice balls easy to digest or difficult to digest? Glutinous rice is used to make glutinous rice balls. Many people think that glutinous rice is sticky and difficult to digest, which is a bit of a misunderstanding of glutinous rice.

The starch structure of rice and white flour is straight-chain starch, while more than 99% of glutinous rice is amylopectin, which has more branches in its structure and is easier to gelatinize. When people digest starch, they hydrolyze it from the ends of the molecules, and amylopectin is easier to hydrolyze and digest because it has many branches.

Therefore, compared with the rice and flour we usually eat, the glycemic index of glutinous rice rises faster. The GI of rice is 82, while the GI of glutinous rice is 87. People think that glutinous rice is difficult to digest, probably because foods such as glutinous rice balls, Yuanxiao, and eight-treasure rice that use glutinous rice often add a lot of sugar and fat, giving people a "greasy" feeling.

In short, it is easier to digest warm glutinous rice balls/yuanxiao if you chew them slowly and eat them in small amounts. However, if you wait until the glutinous rice balls/yuanxiao are cold before eating them, not only will the texture become harder and more difficult to chew, but it will also increase the difficulty of digestion and may cause acid reflux and heartburn.

03 Are sugar-free foods healthier? The emergence of "sugar-free glutinous rice balls/yuanxiao" on the market has become the "focus" of attention for diabetic patients and those who want to lose weight. They think that eating them will not worry about the increase in blood sugar, and will not gain weight due to excessive intake of sugar, so they often eat them without restraint.

In fact, even "sugar-free glutinous rice balls/yuanxiao" does not mean they are healthier! For example, the xylitol peanut glutinous rice balls in the picture below are sugar-free, but xylitol is used to replace the added sugar in the filling, but the calories, fat and carbon water are not low.

For example, 100 grams of glutinous rice balls (about 8 pieces) are equivalent to the calories of 2.5 small bowls of cooked rice. And you will eat 14.4 grams of fat, which is almost half of the daily fat intake recommended by the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents".

▲Photo e-commerce platform: Xylitol peanut dumplings

In addition, although xylitol has little effect on postprandial blood sugar, the main ingredients of glutinous rice balls and Yuanxiao are glutinous rice flour after all, and the overall carbohydrate and fat content has not decreased much. Eating too much will still cause relatively large fluctuations in postprandial blood sugar, and will also lead to excessive calorie intake, increasing the risk of obesity.

Therefore, even "sugar-free glutinous rice balls/Yuanxiao" are not necessarily very healthy, and you have to eat them slowly.

04 Only by matching them can you eat them healthily. Tangyuan and Yuanxiao are also staple foods. Although they are not big, they are not low in calories. If you want to reduce blood sugar after meals and control your weight, the most important thing is to learn how to match them.

① Reduce the amount of staple food: Glutinous Rice Balls/Yuanxiao are the staple food, so you should reduce the intake of other rice and noodles in this meal, or you can not eat other rice and noodles, and just eat a few glutinous rice balls or Yuanxiao as the staple food. It is recommended to control it to 4 to 5 pieces, which is equivalent to the calories of 1 to 1.5 bowls of rice.

②Increase vegetables: Vegetables are rich in dietary fiber, which can enhance satiety, promote gastrointestinal motility, and slow down blood sugar after meals. It is recommended to eat 1.5 to 2 fists of cooked green leafy vegetables per meal.

③ Protein is essential: A moderate intake of protein can also slow down postprandial blood sugar levels. Eating eggs, meat, fish, shrimp, and soy products together with staple foods can help lower postprandial blood sugar levels. For example, the GI of white rice is 82, but the GI of rice + fish is only 37; the GI of steamed bread is 88, but the GI of steamed bread + braised beef is only 49. [1]

In addition to paying attention to the above dietary combinations, you should also pay attention when choosing glutinous rice balls/Yuanxiao: try to choose one with lower calorie and fat content, and it is best not to contain lard in the ingredient list.

This is because studies have shown that after adding lard, the time it takes for blood sugar levels to rise to a peak after eating glutinous rice will be delayed, and the peak blood sugar level will still be high. At the same time, the high fat content will also reduce the ability to control blood sugar levels in the following meal. Animal experiment results also show that excessive lard may promote insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. [2]

05 These 5 types of people should pay attention when eating Tangyuan/Yuanxiao

① People with three highs must eat less: their blood sugar level is high after meals.

② People who are losing weight should eat less: glutinous rice balls and Yuanxiao are high in calories.

③The elderly and children should eat less to avoid increasing the digestive burden.

④ It is best for infants and young children under 3 years old not to eat it: Even if the skin is not hot, the filling temperature is high and burns may occur easily. Glutinous rice is sticky and incomplete chewing may cause choking, which poses a risk of suffocation.

⑤ People with gastrointestinal discomfort and poor digestion should eat less: avoid gastrointestinal discomfort.

Summary: Tangyuan and Yuanxiao are not the same kind of food. No matter which one you eat, you have to control the amount. Yuanxiao is round, the moon is round, and the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is round and round! Yuanxiao and Tangyuan are delicious, but be careful not to eat too much or you will become "round and lumpy"! I wish you all a happy Lantern Festival!

Author | Xue Qingxin, member of Chinese Nutrition Society, registered nutrition technician, health manager, public nutritionist

Reviewer | Song Shuang, Associate Researcher, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Editor | Ding Zong

References:

[1] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[2] Mao Xuanxia, ​​Shen Xinnan, Xie Ruining, et al. Effects of different dietary fats on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in rats [C]// Shanghai Cereals and Oils Science and Technology Academic Conference, Shanghai Cereals and Oils Society Academic Annual Meeting. 2004.

This article was first published on Science Refutes Rumors