How can people with diabetes eat Zongzi safely? When buying Zongzi online, check the time at 2 o'clock before buying

I wish you all a happy Dragon Boat Festival! "Every festival makes me miss my family, and when the Dragon Boat Festival comes, I crave for zongzi." Eating zongzi is a must-have food for the traditional festival in early summer in my country - the Dragon Boat Festival. Every household will make full preparations for the arrival of the festival in advance. Some will make zongzi by themselves, and some will buy pre-made zongzi directly. In any case, it is to enjoy the joy of family reunion and feel the beautiful atmosphere of the festival.

When it comes to Zongzi, there is a question that will never be answered correctly: Which is better, the sugar-coated Zongzi in the north or the meat-coated Zongzi in the south? There are a thousand choices for Zongzi. Although the salty and sweet taste is tempting, many people say that they really cannot enjoy the delicious Zongzi, such as the diabetic group.

Is it true that for them, zongzi is completely off-limits? How should we choose zongzi? Before the festival comes, let's talk about all the things about zongzi.

01 There are many Zongzi schools, and there is always one you will love

The various types of rice dumplings on the market can be roughly divided into five categories according to the different raw materials used: white rice dumplings, candied date rice dumplings, meat rice dumplings, multi-grain rice dumplings, and red bean paste rice dumplings.

① White Zongzi: This is what people often call plain Zongzi, which is made of only glutinous rice, with nothing else added. More than 99% of glutinous rice is amylopectin, which has more branches in its structure. Compared with the rice we usually eat, it is a food that is easy to gelatinize. Therefore, the glycemic index (GI) of glutinous rice is also higher. The GI of rice is 82, while the GI of glutinous rice is 87, which also means that glutinous rice has a stronger ability to raise blood sugar.

The most important thing is that because white rice dumplings are made from a single ingredient, many people feel that they have no taste and dip them in sugar. This not only increases the calories, but also makes blood sugar rise faster after the meal.

my country's Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents recommends that daily intake of added sugars should be controlled within 25 grams (about 5 sugar cubes). Excessive sugar intake will increase the risk of tooth decay, obesity and diabetes, so it is best to eat less sugar if possible. [1]

② Candied Date Zongzi: The main ingredient of this type of Zongzi is actually glutinous rice, but a large super sweet candied date is placed in the middle. The calories and sugar content of this candied date are not low. The picture below shows a certain brand of candied dates. The weight of one candied date is about 13g, the calories are about 43kcal, and it also takes in about 10g of carbohydrates (mainly sugars).

▲Picture: E-commerce platform

③ Meat Zongzi: In recent years, meat Zongzi has become very popular. The main ingredients include rice and auxiliary meat, of which the meat is mostly stewed meat, bacon, and barbecued pork. However, no matter what kind of meat it is, the calories are not low. In particular, some homemade dumplings are used to using pork belly, because the fat content of pork belly is high, which can give the zongzi a special aroma.

Studies have shown that adding lard to glutinous rice will delay the time it takes for blood sugar to peak after a meal, but the peak is still high, and higher fat content will reduce the ability to control blood sugar in the next meal. At the same time, animal experiments have shown that lard can promote insulin resistance and hyperglycemia [2]. This shows that meat dumplings not only make you fat, but are also very detrimental to blood sugar control.

④Red bean paste rice dumplings: In addition to the main ingredient of glutinous rice, red bean paste is also used as the filling. The fragrant glutinous rice is paired with the unique taste of red beans, which tastes sweet and delicious, and has an endless aftertaste. However, it should be noted that if conditions permit, it is best to make red bean paste at home. Red bean paste purchased online often contains

It contains a lot of white sugar and cooking oil, and the calories are extremely high.

⑤ Multi-grain Zongzi: With the improvement of people's health awareness in recent years, multi-grain Zongzi have appeared one after another, such as glutinous corn Zongzi, black rice Zongzi, yellow rice Zongzi, brown rice Zongzi, etc. The ingredients have achieved the food diversification recommended by the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", and the staple food is coarse and fine, which is relatively healthy.

▲Picture: E-commerce platform

02 Arrange a good meal combination so that diabetics can also enjoy the fragrance of zongzi

Tasting Zongzi is an important tradition of the Dragon Boat Festival. In fact, diabetics can also eat Zongzi safely, but they must pay attention to the following two suggestions:

First of all, you need to choose the right rice dumplings. Among the five types of rice dumplings mentioned above, the most recommended is the multi-grain rice dumplings, which not only achieve the coarse and fine combination of staple food, but also increase the content of protein and dietary fiber, both of which have the effect of stabilizing postprandial blood sugar and can slow down the increase of postprandial blood sugar in diabetic patients to a certain extent.

Secondly, pay attention to the diet. Don't just eat zongzi and eat until you are full. This will cause your blood sugar to soar after a meal, which is not conducive to blood sugar control. It is recommended that the diet should be staple food: vegetables: protein = 1:2:1.

You can choose multi-grain rice dumplings as the staple food. Generally, one rice dumpling is about 100g, and it is recommended to eat no more than one per meal. The calories of one rice dumpling like the one in the picture below are about 131kcal, which is about the same as the calories of 100g steamed rice.

▲Picture: E-commerce platform

It is recommended to eat two fist-sized portions of vegetables (after cooking), one fist is about 100g, and it is best if more than half of them are green leafy vegetables, such as kale, Chinese cabbage, rapeseed, spinach, etc. At the same time, you also need to eat a fist-sized portion of high-protein food, such as tofu, lean meat, fish and shrimp, etc. For example, 5 mahjong-sized pieces of northern tofu, a palm-sized piece of fish, seven or eight large shrimps, or three finger-sized portions of lean pork.

This combination can help diabetic patients better control their blood sugar after meals. Under the condition of normal use of blood sugar control drugs, they can enjoy the deliciousness of zongzi with peace of mind. The most important thing to remember is four words: taste only a little and stop.

03 Grasp the two major principles to buy good rice dumplings online

For today's young people, ordering zongzi online is the main channel. It is recommended that you read the labels carefully when buying zongzi, including the ingredient list and nutritional information. Zongzi are mostly high in sugar, oil, and calories, so it is recommended to choose zongzi without added sugar and cooking oil in the ingredient list. It should be noted that added sugar does not only refer to white sugar, but also includes: brown sugar, rock sugar, honey, glucose, maltose, maltose syrup, corn syrup, trehalose, etc.

▲Picture: E-commerce platform

Also, please note that when buying rice dumplings of the same flavor, you should compare their nutritional ingredient tables and try to choose one with relatively low calorie and sodium content.

▲Picture: E-commerce platform

In addition, people who are allergic to certain foods need to pay extra attention to whether there are allergens in the rice dumplings purchased online to avoid food allergies.

04 Pack less, eat less, fresh and safe

Whether you buy them or make them at home, the leftover zongzi can be sealed and stored in the refrigerator. Generally, they can be kept for 3 to 5 days. Eat them as soon as possible during this period. In fact, the key is to make and buy less, because even if you don’t have blood sugar problems, you can’t eat too many zongzi every day. 1 to 2 zongzi are enough. Eating too much may cause stomach acid reflux or bloating and other discomforts.

If you want to preserve it for a long time, you must freeze it, but don't store it for too long. It is recommended to eat it within half a year, as the flavor will deteriorate over time.

Tips for eating zongzi: You can "process" the leftover zongzi in various ways, such as cutting them into pieces, coating them with egg liquid and frying them with a small amount of oil; cutting zongzi and fruit into small pieces, adding water and freezing them to make summer popsicles; or cutting zongzi into pieces and frying them in dishes, but you should pay attention to reducing the intake of staple food at this time, otherwise it will become "half-moon"~

References:

[1] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2016

[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.

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

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

This article was first published on the Science Refutation Platform