On the 15th day of Chinese New Year (also known as Yuan Xiāo Jié OR The Lantern Festival), you’re probably looking forward to another round of steamboat with loved ones!
However, if you don’t choose your ingredients wisely, you may end up boiling a calorie-dense meal with little to no nutritional value to properly support your immune system’s optimal function during this critical time.
We don’t think anyone’s love for steamboat is going to sail away soon, so make every calorie count instead with these 3 tips for a healthier festive steamboat at your next reunion dinner!
- Boil your own soup base: The key to a tasty steamboat is its soup base! It infuses the ingredients simmering within with a delicious flavour and a mouth-watering aroma that’s difficult to resist. Unfortunately, popular soup bases with satay, curry sauce, pork belly and bone tend to be on the oilier side with high fat and sodium levels. This can be damaging to your heart health in the long run, especially if you decide to consume it in excess by slurping it all up!
Tip: Try boiling this simple homemade chicken soup to form the base of your steamboat. You don’t need to stick to just root vegetables — try spinach for added sweetness! Just remember that they don’t take too long to cook, so simply throw it into the pot for the last 5 minutes. It’s as easy as ABC
- Choose leaner meats and seafood: Try avoiding processed foods such as sausages and luncheon meats tend to have slightly higher fat and sodium levels (800-1300mg). Reduce your sodium intake where you can by choosing fresh prawns and fish fillet, as well as leaner cuts of meat such as the chicken breast or thigh without the skin. In fact, you could try your hand at these low sodium chicken meatballs while you’re at it too!
Tip: To prepare, please refer to the “To prepare meatball” portion of the ingredients list in this Japanese-inspired hotpot recipe
- Choose leaner meats and seafoodTry avoiding processed foods such as sausages and luncheon meats tend to have slightly higher fat and sodium levels (800-1300mg). Reduce your sodium intake where you can by choosing fresh prawns and fish fillet, as well as leaner cuts of meat such as the chicken breast or thigh without the skin. In fact, you could try your hand at these low sodium chicken meatballs while you’re at it too!
Tip: To prepare, please refer to the “To prepare meatball” portion of the ingredients list in this Japanese-inspired hotpot recipe
- Mix up your own sauces: Lastly, the secret lies in the sauce — the steamboat sauce, that is! Dipping sauces are loved by many as they can customised with a creamy sesame or peanut dressing, slick chilli oil, paste and other condiments. However, such condiments are also secret sources of calories, fat and even Consuming too much sugar isn’t the sweetest news for those diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes!To prevent this, replace dried herbs and powdered spices with fresh produce. This means lots of freshly minced bulbs of garlic and ginger mixed with parsley, coriander, spring onions and more herbs of your choice. Whisk them all together in a low-sodium soy or vinegar sauce.
Pro tip: Spice up your sauces naturally with chopped or crushed chilli peppers instead of commercially packaged chilli oils and pastes.
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