What does a doctor mean by "light diet"? I bet few people know

Let's do a multiple-choice question first. Which of the following is considered a light diet:

A. Vegan spicy hot pot

B. Hot and sour chicken breast

C. Creamy mashed potatoes

D. Brown sugar boiled eggs

E. Traditional pork trotter and soybean soup

If your reaction is “Hey, why is there no correct answer?” or if you have more than two answers, then congratulations! You are the focus of this article.
In this question, the most likely correct answer is B. Let me explain why.

What is a bland diet?

A light diet mainly refers to reducing or avoiding the intake of foods high in sugar, fat and salt .

Let's look at the error options:

A. Vegan Spicy Hot Pot

Spicy hot pot is high in oil and salt, so what if it is vegetables? OUT~

C. Creamy Mashed Potatoes

It looks white and soft, but cream is mostly saturated fat or trans fat, and sugar may be added during the mixing process with mashed potatoes, which is completely not low-fat or low-sugar. OUT~

D. Brown sugar boiled eggs

This is a tonic in many people's minds, especially brown sugar, which is believed to be able to "replenish blood" and bears expectations that should not be borne. In fact, no matter whether it is brown sugar, white sugar, or fructose syrup, they are all added sugars. OUT~

E. Traditional pork trotter and soybean soup

The whitish soup is probably emulsified fat. If you add salt to the soup, drinking it will easily lead to excessive salt intake. OUT~

Option B, "Spicy and Sour Chicken Breast in Cold Sauce", seems much more reliable. Chicken breast has very little fat, and as long as you control the salt and oil, this dish can not only satisfy your appetite, but also fully meet the standards of a light diet.

What, hot and sour food can be called a “light diet”?

Well, this requires us to talk about the misunderstandings we have about light diet.

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Our misunderstanding of "light diet" in those years

1

Myth 1: A bland diet means not eating spicy or sour food

"Light" mainly refers to the control of oil, salt and sugar , and has little to do with sourness and spiciness. Instead, it is better to use vinegar, lemon juice, spices and other seasonings in daily cooking, which can not only improve the taste of food, but also replace some salt and soy sauce.

However, hot and sour foods can stimulate appetite, which may lead to overeating or drinking, which is another problem.

2

Myth 2: A bland diet means not eating meat, only eating vegetarian food

If you eat according to this standard, you should be careful of malnutrition. Especially for the elderly, children, and patients who have undergone surgery or are recovering from illness, eating meat properly can help wound recovery, make up for the extra energy consumed by the disease, and promote muscle and bone health.

For ordinary people, eating a moderate amount of meat will not increase blood lipids. On the contrary, eating vegetarian food for a long time may cause anemia, sarcopenia, vitamin deficiency and other problems.

3

Myth 3: A bland diet means not eating ginger, onions, or garlic

Ginger, onion and garlic are a good choice for a light diet.

4

Myth 4: A light diet means no barbecue or hot pot

There are many types of barbecue and hot pot, and the specifics also depend on the cooking process and seasoning. For example, grilled chicken breast can be used as a fitness ingredient after grilling, as long as you pay attention to the amount of oil and salt during the marinating process.

There are also hotpot and porridge hotpot in Guangdong area, which use water or white porridge as the soup base. As long as you pay attention to choosing appropriate ingredients and the amount of soy sauce in the dipping sauce, they can also meet the standard of "light diet".

5

Myth 5: A light diet means a diet with bland colors

Take the creamy mashed potatoes and the traditional pork trotter and soybean soup as examples. These two foods are light white in color and not seasoned with chili peppers, so they look really light in color. However, after analysis, the sugar, salt and oil content is likely to exceed the standard, and they are not as healthy as the spicy and sour shredded chicken.

Therefore, we cannot classify them as light dieters just because they look innocent.

6

Myth 6: A light diet means porridge, eggs and vegetables

Well, it’s OK to eat like this, but if you eat like this every meal, I guess no one can stand it. A light diet is not actually a single ingredient with a single cooking method, but a reasonable use of various ingredients and clever combination of rich food.

7

Myth 7: Only the elderly, the weak and the sick need a light diet

Wrong! Everyone needs a light diet.

Because high oil, high salt, and high sugar can bring risks to health. According to the "Chinese Residents' Dietary Guidelines 2016", adults should not consume more than 6g of salt per day, 25g-30g of cooking oil per day, and no more than 50g of sugar per day (preferably controlled below 25g). If there are children or patients with chronic diseases at home, these standards need to be strictly enforced.

Source: Chinese Dietary Guidelines 2016

Let’s go back to the question at the beginning. Is the option “spicy and sour chicken breast” absolutely correct, and are the other answers absolutely wrong?

Actually, not necessarily.

One important indicator I didn’t mention is “ intake .” Even if the chicken strips are cold-mixed with less oil and salt, eating too much will cause the total amount of salt to exceed the standard.

Not to mention, some people are used to adding sugar to cold dishes, and some people like to add sesame oil to cold dishes. These seemingly insignificant seasoning habits can also harm health if used too much.

Other options don’t necessarily mean they are not possible. For example:

When eating spicy hot pot, don't drink the soup. Rinse off the oil with water to greatly reduce fat intake.

Creamy mashed potatoes, if you only eat them occasionally, and only eat a few bites, will not pose a threat to your health;

Brown sugar boiled eggs can quickly replenish calories during special periods when high calories are needed, but don't expect it to replenish blood or "promote milk";

For the traditional pork trotter and soybean soup, it is a smart way to eat the meat appropriately and drink less or no soup.

After reading this, you will be smart enough to find that a light diet does not mean bland soup, nor is it only for patients.

As long as you master the ingredients, cooking methods and eating skills, you can take great strides towards the "light diet" standard even if you order takeout.

Planning and production

Source: Dr. Ou Xi

Editor: Wang Mengru