CookSmart (17th Issue) Page30

Dietitian Guide

"Vegetables are better cooked than left raw," thus saith the Chinese?

Sylvia says,"Some vegetables such as Chinese kale and flowing Chinese cabbage (aka choy sum) are preferably cooked, to be rid of their bitterness, rather than eaten raw. As for how to cook them, blanching or stir-frying in just a little oil is recommended. On the contrary, it is recommended that tomatoes should be cooked in a little oil so that their fat-soluble lycopene will become more readily absorbed by the body."

A salad without dressing is just too bland, but…

Sylvia says,"Certain salad dressings are very high in energy. A spoonful of Thousand Island dressing, for example, contains 59 kcal of energy while the same amount of mayonnaise contains even higher energy, at 94 kcal. What's more, a spoonful of fish sauce contains 1413 mg of sodium. That's why we need healthy alternatives like low-fat salad dressings, low-fat yogurt and balsamic vinegar. Also add herbs, garlic, ginger, chilli, curry powder or other spices to a salad for better flavour."