The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and mooncakes, with their sweet flavor and symbolic meaning of family reunion, have once again appeared on people's dinner tables. Fan Zhihong, an associate professor at the College of Food Science at China Agricultural University, reminded citizens in an interview with reporters to eat mooncakes scientifically and to keep their diet light.
Nutrition expert Fan Zhihong introduced that mooncakes are a type of pastry. The pastry is made from flour, sugar, and cooking oil. The fillings in the south, such as meat and egg yolk, have a higher fat content. Traditional mooncakes, like red bean paste and lotus seed paste, contain more starch and sugar. Therefore, mooncakes are closer to staple foods, and if you eat mooncakes, you should reduce your intake of other staple foods.
"Most mooncakes nowadays are high in oil, sugar, and calories. After eating a mooncake, your daily diet should be light and not too greasy," Fan Zhihong reminded. For the three meals a day, if you have a mooncake for breakfast, lunch and dinner should be low in oil and sugar. Use less oil when stir-frying, change the cooking method for greasy dishes—switch from stir-frying to cold salads, or from braising to stewing. Replace some meat dishes with vegetables and fruits.
"I recommend eating mooncakes in the morning," Fan Zhihong said. Mooncakes are high in oil and sugar, so eating them in the morning can provide energy for the morning and is less likely to cause weight gain. You can also pair them with protein-rich foods like milk and soy milk, and add some fruit.
Fan Zhihong reminded that some special groups should be particularly careful when eating mooncakes. For diabetics, they should be cautious about sugar-free mooncakes. Some sugar-free mooncakes use sugar alcohol sweeteners, and excessive consumption may also cause diarrhea. Moreover, the fat content in sugar-free mooncakes is no less than that of regular mooncakes, and the calorie count is still high. People with high blood lipids or high cholesterol should not choose meat-filled or egg yolk-filled mooncakes, as these have an excessively high fat content. They can choose five-nut mooncakes, but they must still control the amount. People who are controlling their weight should eat fewer mooncakes to avoid excessive calorie intake.