Bak chang: How can we eat or make healthier rice dumplings?

SINGAPORE - The annual tradition of eating rice dumplings, otherwise known as bak chang or zongzi, happens during the celebration of Dragon Boat Festival.

But, with the heavy use of oil and fatty meat to make this delectable food, it comes as little surprise that this dish is high in carbohydrates, fat and salt content.

Yahoo Southeast Asia spoke with local nutritionists to uncover the calorie and nutrition count of rice dumplings, and the healthiest ways to consume and make these savoury delights.

How many calories are there in one rice dumpling?

Fiona Chia, principal nutritionist from Health Can Be Fun, shared that the calorie count of one rice dumpling can equate to three-quarters of a plate of chicken rice, and can thus be eaten as a meal instead of a snack. As the glutinous rice is compressed, the portion of one dumpling can amount to 1.5 or even 2 cups of rice.

According to Lim Kiat, senior nutritionist of Singapore Heart Foundation, the calorie count of a rice dumpling is 387 calories on average, and can equate to three cans of sweetened soda.

Another accredited nutritionist, Chan Joy Seng from Alive Nutrition Consultancy, categorises rice dumplings as a staple food with a high energy count. A higher intake of calories can therefore increase the likelihood of obesity.

Chan shared that the unrefined white glutinous rice used in the dumplings has a higher Glycemic index (GI) content, a measurement of how quickly food can make your blood sugar (glucose) rise. As such, people with diabetes should be mindful of the amount of rice dumplings they consume at one go.

In reference to health and fitness tracking app MyFitnessPal, consumption of one rice dumpling would equate to 42 minutes of cycling, 28 minutes of running or 1.7 hours of cleaning to burn the calories off.

High salt and fat content

Lim, on the other hand, likens the sodium content found in a typical rice dumpling to 7.5 grams of salted butter, which would account for one-quarter of our daily sodium intake. Rice dumplings are also high in refined carbohydrates and contain about 11 to 12 grams of fat.

Chia pointed out that the high salt and saturated fat content comes from preserved meat or salted duck egg, of which links to our cholesterol level and blood pressure, thus putting one at risk of chronic conditions. The cooking method of steaming the dumplings can also cause a loss in nutrients.

Chan noted that fatty portions of meat are often used in rice dumplings. The type of oil used to cook the ingredients can also affect the fat content, of which food with high saturated fat is associated with increased risk of heart disease.

The other concern is the amount of cholesterol found in the egg yolk of salted egg used in some rice dumplings.

How to find healthier rice dumplings (Bak Chang)

• Look out for rice dumplings that use multigrain or brown rice

• Buy dumplings with less preservatives and more natural ingredients

• Add a side dish of stir fried vegetables or a salad to balance out nutrition content and minimise spike of blood glucose level

• Reduce portion size by sharing the rice dumpling with friends and loved ones

• Eat alkaline dumpling (kee chang) made out of yellow glutinous rice without filling (use nut butter as a supplementary dip instead of sugar, palm sugar syrup or kaya)

How to make healthier rice dumplings (Bak Chang)

• Use unpolished or black glutinous rice and wholegrain such as Quinoa and oats for more fibre content and less sugar

• Replace processed or fatty meat with fresh and leaner meat, or use chicken or fish to replace pork (white meat is generally lower in saturated fats than red meat)

• Use low sodium or lesser amounts of soy sauce in marination, or replace soy sauce with herbs and spices such as five-spice powder or lower sodium salt

• Add in beans such as chickpeas, kidney beans, chestnut, mung beans or braised peanuts for more protein

• Include healthier ingredients such as mushrooms, dried shrimp, scallop and carrots

• Minimise frying of glutinous rice

As with all foods, moderation is the key to maintaining one's health and prevention of illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases. We can still enjoy rice dumplings, but with more mindfulness towards the ingredients used and their nutritional content.