CookSmart (19th Issue) Page30

Dietitian Guide

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. One plate 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. A bowl of instant noodles in soup with luncheon meat and egg has 400 milligrams of 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.