How to Eat Zongzi Healthily During the Dragon Boat Festival
Focus on High Fiber: The glutinous rice used in zongzi takes a long time to digest, and the stomach takes longer to empty, which can easily lead to indigestion symptoms such as excessive stomach acid, bloating, or a dull, painful stomach. If part of the main ingredient can be replaced with coarse grains, red beans, Job's tears, Chinese yam, taro, or sweet potatoes, it can not only increase the fiber content and reduce the burden on the digestive system but is also more beneficial to health.
Low Oil and Low Calories: Meat zongzi has long been the star of the "zongzi family," but its drawback is its high saturated fat content. If possible, switch to lean meat, or even replace it with chicken, seafood, or fish.
Read the Nutrition Label Carefully: Many packaged zongzi now have nutrition labels. These labels include the calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and sodium content per serving or per 100 grams. However, consumers often mistakenly believe that the data on the nutrition label represents the calories and nutrients from a single zongzi. The correct approach is to convert the data based on the weight per serving or per 100 grams and the actual weight of one zongzi. Therefore, developing the habit of reading nutrition labels and purchasing zongzi that meet your personal needs can make this Dragon Boat Festival both delicious and healthy.
Food Pairing: During the Dragon Boat Festival, don't just fill up on zongzi and forget to consume other types of food, as zongzi generally only provide staples, meat, and fats from the six major food groups. It is recommended to pair them with seasonal vegetables and have a fruit for dessert.
In Moderation: Don't eat too much. Do not drink cold water immediately after eating, as zongzi are made of glutinous rice, which is considered "heaty" in nature. When it encounters cold, it can congeal and become difficult to digest, leading to bloating.
Precautions
Food Pairing
1. Tea
For very sweet zongzi, such as those with red bean paste or jujube paste, pair them with mint tea or green tea. This can help metabolize glucose and clear heat and grease.
For very oily zongzi, such as those with fresh meat, ham, or sausage, pair them with Pu'er tea, chrysanthemum tea, or hawthorn tea to aid digestion.
2. Papaya and pineapple are sweet and help with digestion, relieving the greasy feeling in the mouth after eating zongzi. This method is both beautifying and aids digestion.
People Who Should Avoid Eating Zongzi
Zongzi have a light and elegant fragrance, a soft and glutinous texture, and a variety of flavors, making them quite popular. However, the main ingredient, glutinous rice, is quite greasy and sticky. Overconsumption can easily lead to indigestion, causing symptoms such as increased stomach acid secretion, bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Therefore, one should not overindulge. After being steamed or boiled, zongzi release a gelatinous substance that increases the load on digestive enzymes. Coupled with its "warming" nature that can cause qi stagnation, eating too much will加重 the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the following groups should avoid or eat them with caution:
1. Patients with cardiovascular diseases: Meat zongzi and lard and red bean paste zongzi contain a lot of fat. Eating too much can increase blood viscosity, affect blood circulation,加重 the burden on the heart and the degree of ischemia, and trigger angina pectoris and myocardial infarction.
2. The elderly and children: Zongzi are mostly made of sticky glutinous rice. If the elderly and children eat too much, it can easily cause indigestion.
3. Patients with stomach and intestinal diseases: After being steamed, zongzi release a gelatinous substance that increases the load on digestive enzymes.
4. Diabetics: Zongzi often contain high-sugar ingredients like red dates and red bean paste. If consumed without moderation, it can damage pancreatic function, causing a rapid increase in blood sugar and urine sugar levels, worsening the condition.
How to Choose: Be Careful with Five Aspects
First, check the production date and shelf life on the zongzi label; do not buy spoiled zongzi.
Second, be cautious of changes in flavor; if the zongzi filling tastes a bit sour, bitter, or has an off-flavor, do not eat it.
Third, be mindful of the quality; be sure to buy zongzi from regular stores, restaurants, and supermarkets.
Fourth, be careful with the outer packaging; buy zongzi that are safe and hygienic.
Fifth, be careful to choose the right type of zongzi for you; those with stomach problems should not eat overly sweet zongzi, and those with gallstones, cholecystitis, or pancreatitis should not eat meat zongzi, egg yolk zongzi, or overly greasy zongzi.
Helpful Reminders
1. When eating zongzi, it's best to drink tea at the same time to help with swallowing and digestion. Eat in moderation, have a little at a time, and you can choose mini zongzi.
2. When eating zongzi, pair them with cold-mixed vegetables or fruit salad to relieve gastrointestinal discomfort.
3. Zongzi must be thoroughly heated until soft before eating.
4. People with stomach problems can choose plain rice zongzi, do not dip them in sugar, and avoid eating them too sweet.
5. Patients with gallstones, cholecystitis, and pancreatitis should not eat meat zongzi, egg yolk zongzi, or other zongzi that are too high in fat and protein.
Eat less, choose healthier types of zongzi, drink more clear tea, and do not eat expired or moldy zongzi. People with stomach problems should choose plain rice zongzi and use as little sugar as possible.
6. They must be fully heated until soft before consumption.
Zongzi Leaves
Selection of Zongzi Leaves: People in Guangzhou mostly use bamboo leaves to wrap zongzi; it's better to choose ones with a smooth and soft surface. People in Shantou mostly use bamboo leaves; the zongzi will have a fresh bamboo fragrance, but they need to be boiled soft before use. In Shanghai and other places, bamboo leaves collected from Huangshan, Anhui during the "Great Heat" of summer are used, which have a special fresh fragrance, commonly known as "Hui Zhou Fu Zhuo."
Seasoning of Zongzi Fillings: For salty meat zongzi, first marinate fresh pork with a little MSG, sugar, wine, salt, and light soy sauce, and knead repeatedly until the seasonings penetrate the pork before wrapping.
Tying of Zongzi: Red bean paste zongzi should not be tied too tightly to prevent the rice grains from squeezing into the paste, which can cause undercooked spots if not boiled through. For salty meat zongzi with fatty pork, they should not be tied too tightly; a moderate tightness is sufficient. If using lean pork, it should be tied tightly because the lean meat will shrink after cooking, and the fatty juices from the filling will leak into the water, failing to maintain the rich and glutinous texture of the zongzi.
Cooking Zongzi: When cooking zongzi, make sure the water is boiling before adding them. The water should cover the zongzi. Once it comes back to a boil, cook over high heat for about 3 hours. Do not add cold water during the cooking process. Note that alkaline water zongzi cannot be cooked with other types of zongzi. After cooking, take them out while hot. When eating, open the bamboo leaves, and the zongzi's fragrance will be enticing. The ideal zongzi is oily but not greasy, glutinous but not sticky, with a perfectly balanced salty-sweet flavor, and is tender and delicious.