Introduction: Porridge shops are all the rage these days, with their signature claim that drinking porridge is healthy. However, the porridge in these shops is pre-cooked and kept warm until a customer arrives, at which point different ingredients are added. This method of making porridge is not only not healthy, but also unhealthy. So, how should porridge be cooked to be truly healthy?
Long-term heat loss of B vitamins
Problem: Most porridge in shops is made from plain congee. A large batch of plain congee is cooked and then kept warm in a pot, ready to be mixed with corresponding ingredients as customers arrive. The porridge, kept warm for several hours, will inevitably suffer a significant loss of vitamins. To speed up the cooking process, some shops even add alkali during the cooking process to promote the breakdown of starch granules, which leads to an even more severe loss of B vitamins.
Tips: Try to choose mixed grain porridge, as it is rich in B vitamins. Even if some are lost, a large amount will still remain. Additionally, B vitamins are widely found in foods such as beans, meat, dairy, and eggs. When drinking porridge, you can pair it with some bean-based side dishes or a fried egg.Unfresh ingredients
Problem: The most important thing for making porridge is good ingredients, especially mixed grains, which can give the porridge a natural aroma. However, when eating at a porridge shop, you often feel that the ingredients are not fresh. This is because various mixed grains contain germ embryos, which contain unsaturated fatty acids and lipoxygenase, posing a risk of fat oxidation. They are not very shelf-stable and can easily develop a stale odor.
Tips: Lotus seed porridge, Job's tears porridge, and nut porridge are most prone to these problems. Be cautious when ordering these. If you taste something stale, be sure to give feedback to the shop immediately.3 grams of salt in a bowl of savory porridge
Problem: Porridge is generally divided into two styles: northern and southern. Northern style includes mixed grain or bean porridge, without salt, and whether to add sugar is up to the individual. Southern style porridge is almost always savory, with various fish, meat, and egg ingredients. Northern style porridge is healthier as it contains no oil or salt. Even if some vitamins are lost, it still provides a good amount of dietary fiber and minerals, such as red bean porridge, mung bean porridge, eight-treasure porridge, Job's tears porridge, and five-nut porridge. Southern style porridge includes salt and even MSG. A 300-gram bowl of porridge can contain up to 3 grams of salt, which is not suitable for people with high blood pressure.
Tips: If you are not diabetic, you can choose some plain grain porridge or sweet porridge. Or, after ordering, you can proactively ask the shop not to add salt or sugar. If you must have savory porridge, be sure to pair it with light-tasting staple foods and side dishes.Iced porridge can harm the stomach
Problem: Iced porridge, like other cold foods, can cause the blood vessels in the gastrointestinal tract to constrict, affecting digestion and absorption.
Tips: Don't gulp down large bowls of sweet iced porridge just to cool down. It's better to drink warm porridge.Actually, at home, you don't need to learn the complex steps for making restaurant-style "century egg and lean meat porridge." Traditional millet porridge and others are classic examples of the best healthy porridge. Using the freshest ingredients, the simplest foods, and the least amount of oil and salt to cook porridge is the true way to be healthy by drinking it.