Many people start with lamb when eating hot pot, followed by seafood and vegetables, and finish with potatoes and sweet potatoes. In fact, this is not the best order. From a health perspective, you should eat vegetables before meat when eating hot pot, and it's best to start with potatoes and sweet potatoes.
This is because potatoes and sweet potatoes contain a large amount of starch, possessing the characteristics of both "staple food" and "vegetables." Eating starchy foods while cooking meat can protect the digestive tract. Hot pot is generally quite spicy and can irritate the stomach and intestines, but the rich starch in potatoes and sweet potatoes can form a protective mucosal lining in the gastrointestinal tract, shielding it from damage. Furthermore, eating starchy foods first can increase satiety, reducing the amount of meat and seafood consumed, and also preventing the waste of protein that can come from eating meat first. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are also high in dietary fiber, which can reduce the body's absorption of fat and cholesterol. Moreover, compared to traditional fried sesame seed cakes or whole grain noodles, potatoes and sweet potatoes are slightly superior in terms of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Therefore, replacing traditional staples with potatoes and sweet potatoes allows the body to get more nutrition.
In addition to the order of eating, the choice of dipping sauce is also related to dietary health. If you order a lot of seafood dishes for your hot pot, try to avoid seafood-flavored sauces to prevent excessive purine levels. Sesame oil dipping sauces have a high fat content and are not suitable for people with high blood lipids. Sesame paste, on the other hand, is more suitable for people with sensitive stomachs. In common southern sauces, chili paste and broad bean paste have high salt content, making them unsuitable for people with high blood pressure. It is recommended to use a seasoning mix made from vinegar, scallions, ginger, and garlic as a substitute.