CookSmart (13th Issue) Page29

Dietitian Guide

On average a man needs about 2,000 kcal and a woman about 1,500 kcal per day, while the fat intake relative to these amounts of calories is 67 g and 50 g respectively. If, for instance, you eat half a bowl of vegetables, half a bowl of mushrooms, two pieces of half lean, half fatty beef or mutton, several meatballs or fish balls and half a bowl of noodles during a hot pot meal, you may have acquired approximately 50% of the recommended daily calorie intake, and your fat intake may have already exceeded the maximum daily level.

Moreover, food items such as Taiwan style meatballs, luncheon meat, cheese sausages, instant noodles and Shacha sauce have high sodium content. They are not recommended for people with high blood pressure.

Table 1: Calorie, Fat and Sodium Content in Food Commonly Found in Hot Pot Meals

Hot Pot Meal A (Healthier Choice!)

Hot Pot Meal B (Less Healthy Choice)

^?USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory

^†The Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention

^††Database for Food Composition in Taiwan, Department of Health, Executive Yuan (Taiwan)

*From nutrition facts label

“Be healthy. Eat vegetables first and then meats and others.”