People's lives are becoming more refined, and this is especially true for their diet. From squeezing oranges into juice, to grinding soybeans into soy milk, to mincing fish into fish balls, in the process of "refining and discarding the coarse," many important nutrients are also lost. With just a few simple tips, you can firmly lock in these good nutrients.
After making soy milk, the leftover okara can be used for pancakes. Okara can be considered the most nutritious "waste" because it contains a large amount of calcium. In 100 grams of okara, there are nearly 100 milligrams of calcium, almost equal to the calcium content in milk. "In addition, the dietary fiber in okara is also quite abundant, which can promote gastrointestinal motility and has the effect of preventing colon cancer," says He Jiguo, an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at the College of Food Science, China Agricultural University. In recent years, scientists in the United States, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and other countries have successively discovered that okara contains more anticancer substances called "saponins." Regularly eating okara can reduce the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and other cancers. Although it is nutritious, the poor texture of okara is the main reason people discard it. In fact, with a little processing, okara can also be delicious.
The simplest method is to mix the okara with salt, flour, egg liquid, and chopped green onions, then pan-fry it into okara pancakes. Paired with soy milk, it makes a nutritious and delicious breakfast. Additionally, you can cook okara with oats and coconut milk to make a sweet and tasty okara porridge. Chilled in the refrigerator, it becomes a great dessert.
Pork rinds are something women should eat more of. Many believe that discarding the rind and fat and only eating lean meat is the healthiest option. Actually, "Pork rinds are extremely rich in collagen, with very low fat and calorie content, so it's a real pity to throw them away," says He Jiguo. Collagen is crucial for maintaining the shape of cells and the plasticity of tissues. It can prevent skin from becoming dry and dehydrated, slow down cellular aging, and thus has a skin-care and beautifying effect, making it something women should eat more of.
Make jelly from fish scales to turn waste into treasure. Fish scales contain a significant amount of lecithin, various unsaturated fatty acids, and multiple minerals, with particularly high levels of calcium and phosphorus, making them a special health supplement. They can enhance human memory, delay the aging of brain cells, promote blood circulation, and help prevent hypertension and heart disease.
The scraped fish scales can be made into fish scale jelly. Rinse the fish scales clean and drain them. Place them in a pressure cooker, adding an appropriate amount of vinegar to remove the fishy smell. For every 250 grams of fish scales, add 400 grams of water. Cook over high heat for 10 minutes, then reduce to low heat and cook for another 20 minutes, until the scales turn white and curl, and the soup becomes thick. Remove the scales and any impurities. Pour the liquid into a container to set into a jelly. Chilling it in the refrigerator makes the texture even more delicate. When eating, season with salt, soy sauce, vinegar, cilantro, and chopped green onions for a cold salad.
In addition, fish eyes are also a nutritious food. They contain unsaturated fatty acids that can enhance brain memory and thinking skills, and are very beneficial in preventing memory loss, high cholesterol, hypertension, and other diseases.
For the elderly, when eating oranges, don't throw away the orange pith. In fact, it is precisely because the orange pith contains a nutrient called "rutin" that it has a slightly unpleasant bitterness. This substance helps keep blood vessels normal in elasticity and density, reduces the brittleness and permeability of the vessel walls, and prevents cerebral hemorrhage. Therefore, the elderly with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases should definitely not discard the orange pith when they eat oranges.