Many people like to congee, but how much do you really know about it? Winter is coming, how to drink congee to nourish your body the most? Follow the editor to find out!
Yam and Lean Pork Congee
For those with a weak stomach in winter, drink well-cooked congee.
When cooking congee, people generally prefer it to be very thick and mushy, believing it to be the most nutritious and easily absorbed by those with a weak spleen and stomach. This is because nutrients in congee, such as B vitamins, are water-soluble. Cooking the congee until it's very soft is beneficial for absorbing its nutrients for people with indigestion, a weak spleen and stomach, or those who can only consume liquid food after surgery.
If you want to enhance the nutritional value of congee, you can pair it with different foods based on who is eating it. Here are a few recommended nutritious congees for winter:
Chinese Yam and Lean Pork Congee:
Also known as Yam and Lean Pork Congee. This congee is suitable for all ages. It is rich in starch and, when paired with yam, can invigorate the spleen and whet the appetite.
Carrot, Celery, and Dried Shrimp Congee:
Carrots are rich in carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A, beneficial for the skin and eyes; Celery is rich in dietary fiber; Dried shrimp can supplement calcium. This combination is not only delicious and colorful but also nutritionally balanced and rich.
Red Bean and Lily Bulb Congee:
If you have a sweet tooth, you can use small red beans with lily bulbs. This is especially suitable for relieving autumn dryness during the dry autumn and winter months.
Eating Too Much Preserved Egg and Lean Pork Congee is Not Nutritious
As we all know, wherever congee is sold on the street, "Preserved Egg and Lean Pork Congee" is always available, and it's true that it tastes very good. However, it is not beneficial to your health.
Preserved eggs themselves are not nutritious; the protein they contain is denatured and is not beneficial to health. Therefore, it is recommended to choose healthier ingredients to pair with congee instead of preserved egg and lean pork congee. If you have a craving for it, it's best to pair it with more nutritious foods.
Who Should Be Cautious About Drinking Congee?
We've all had this experience: drinking a bowl of congee for work or school in the morning, you feel energetic for the first two hours, but by around 10 a.m., your stomach starts to growl.
This is not because congee is not nutritious, but because it promotes digestion and is easily absorbed, causing blood sugar to rise quickly, making you feel full of energy in the first two hours. But precisely because the nutrients are easily absorbed, blood sugar rises and falls quickly. After two hours, you will start to feel hungry. Given that congee has a significant impact on blood sugar levels, diabetics should avoid drinking it to prevent uncontrollable spikes in blood sugar.
What Should Parents Pay Attention to When Children Drink Congee?
Children are in a period of growth. How can they drink congee to intake more balanced nutrition? This requires following a principle of meal pairing: the farther apart the biological species of the paired foods, the better (e.g., pairing animal with plant is better than pairing plant with plant). The more types of food paired, the better, and the more frequently they are consumed together, the better.
Congee is like a "lubricant" that goes well with almost anything. As long as you follow the principle of comprehensive and balanced nutrition, you can cook a delicious and nutritious congee.
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