Introduction: When having a hot pot in winter, choosing the dipping sauces requires special attention. Gathering with friends and family for a steaming hot pot is one of the most enjoyable things to do in the cold winter months. Did you know that the order in which you cook ingredients in a hot pot is also a science.
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Many people eat hot pot by starting with lamb, then seafood, followed by vegetables, and finally potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. In fact, this order is not the best choice. From a health perspective, you should eat vegetables before meat in a 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 a "staple food" and a "vegetable."
Eating starchy foods while cooking meat can protect the digestive tract. Hot pot is generally quite spicy and can irritate the stomach and intestines. The rich starch in potatoes and sweet potatoes can form a mucosal lining in the gastrointestinal tract, protecting it from damage.
On the other hand, eating starchy foods first can increase the feeling of fullness, reducing the amount of meat and seafood consumed. It also helps avoid the waste of protein that can come from eating meat first. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are also rich in dietary fiber, which can reduce the body's absorption of fat and cholesterol.
Furthermore, compared to traditional fried sesame biscuits or multi-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 can provide the body with more nutrients.
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 dipping sauces to prevent excessively high purine levels. Sesame oil dipping sauces have a high fat content and are not suitable for people with high blood lipids. Sesame paste, however, is more suitable for people with poor digestion. In common southern dipping sauces, chili sauce and broad bean paste have high salt content, making them unsuitable for people with high blood pressure. It is recommended to use seasonings made with vinegar, scallions, ginger, and garlic as a substitute.