|
Beware of fat and sodium in fried rice noodles and egg noodles
|
Fried rice noodles and fried egg noodles are both very popular
dishes, yet they are high in fat content. As 100 grams of
Singapore-style fried rice noodles weighing about 610 gram
contains 51 grams of fat (equivalent to 10 teaspoons of oil).
Braised noodles or noodles in soup are healthier alternatives
compared with their fried counterparts, yet soup bases for noodles
like pork rib stock, sour-and-spicy stock and spicy stock with
sesame oil also rich in oil. Hence it is advisable to choose
tomato stock, fish stock or vegetables stock as soup base.
|
|
Greasy noodles, E-fu noodles and instant noodles are deep-fried
and dehydrated in the manufacturing process, and thus contain high
oil content that will not disperse even during blanching. Toppings
such as luncheon meat, marinated pork, ham, sausage, meat balls
and fish balls are also high in sodium, which is equivalent to
about one-fifth of the daily maximum daily sodium intake of 2000
milligrams for an adult. Therefore, frequent consumption should be
avoided.
|
According to Doris, Japanese cuisine such as sushi and soba
noodles are usually prepared without much seasoning. A
Japanese-style lunch consisting of five to ten pieces of sushi
plus salad is a healthy meal option.
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Table 2: Carbohydrates and dietary fibres of selected congees,
rice noodles, egg noodles and rice
|
Food Item
(Per 100g)
|
Carbohydrates
(g)
|
Dietary fibres
(g)
|
|
|
Congees
|
|
|
|
|
Rice congee (cooked)
|
10 |
0.1 |
|
|
Oatmeal porridge (cooked, without added salt)
|
10
|
1.7
|
Smart Choice
|
|
Pasta
|
|
|
|
|
Pasta (egged, boiled without added salt)
|
27
|
1.9
|
Smart Choice
|
|
Pasta (prepared from wholemeal flour; cooked in
non-salted water)
|
23 |
5.3 |
|
|
Noodles
|
|
|
|
|
Instant noodles
|
62 |
0.7 |
|
|
Noodles (egged, dried, without flavouring)
|
71
|
3.3
|
Smart Choice
|
|
Rice
|
|
|
|
|
White rice (long grains, uncooked and without
flavourings)
|
80 |
1.3 |
|
|
Brown rice (long grains, uncooked)
|
77
|
3.5
|
Smart Choice
|
(Source: Centre for Food Safety, Nutrient Information Table)
|
Extract from CookSmart, Issue 19
|
|
