After Tet, almost every house still has banh chung. The common situation that housewives encounter is not knowing whether to boil/steam banh chung again or fry banh chung to eat without affecting the weight loss process.
Banh chung is made from sticky rice, green beans, pork and wrapped in dong leaves. When it comes to weight loss, many people wonder whether eating boiled banh chung or fried banh chung has different effects on weight.
In fact, if considering the principle of nutrition, the difference between these two cooking methods exists, but the decisive factor is still the total calorie intake and how to control portion sizes.
Boiled banh chung retains its original ingredients with high starch content from sticky rice, fat from fatty meat and a portion of protein from green beans.
An average piece of banh chung can provide a fairly large amount of energy, mainly from carbohydrates. When eating on a weight loss diet, if you do not control your portion size, excess starch will be converted into stored energy, causing weight gain.
Meanwhile, banh chung fried is re-processed by frying on a pan with oil or fat. The frying process increases the amount of fat and total energy of the dish. The crunchy, fragrant outer crust may be more attractive but also makes the dish richer in calories than boiled banh chung. However, this difference is not too large if only using a small amount of oil and eating with a moderate portion.
The important thing in weight loss is not to absolutely avoid a specific dish, but to control total energy in the day.
If a person on a diet still maintains a reasonable calorie deficit, combined with regular exercise, then eating a piece of banh chung - whether boiled or fried - will not disrupt the entire weight loss plan. Conversely, if you eat too much, even if it is low-fat boiled banh chung, your weight can still increase.
Housewives also need to remember that accompanying dishes also have a significant impact. Eating banh chung with lots of pickled onions and green vegetables will help balance the diet and create a longer feeling of fullness, limiting consumption of other energy-rich foods.
Between boiled banh chung and fried banh chung, boiled banh chung has the advantage of lower calories. But the decisive factor in weight loss is still controlling portion sizes and balancing total energy.
Therefore, if you know how to adjust it reasonably, enjoying banh chung will not necessarily hinder the weight loss process.
