Diabetics can choose braised snakehead fish, braised herring, and Japanese mackerel during Tet to provide good protein and limit saturated fat from fatty meat.
MSc. Dr. Ha Thi Ngoc Bich, Department of Endocrinology - Diabetes, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that traditional Tet dishes are often high in fatty meat, protein, and fat, which can make it difficult for diabetics to achieve the goal of balanced nutrition and blood sugar control.
To balance, patients can choose to process fish into many dishes to diversify the Tet menu. Fish is rich in protein, minerals, zinc, iodine, potassium, delicious but low in saturated fat, rich in vitamins necessary for the body.
Fats from fish are mostly good fats like omega 3 fatty acids. Eating fish regularly can be good for blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart attack, and provide essential nutrients for the brain.
Doctor Ngoc Bich suggests some familiar Vietnamese Tet braised fish dishes that are both delicious and nutritious.
Snakehead fish is a freshwater fish popular in Asian countries. The amino acids and fatty acids contained in snakehead fish meat provide a lot of protein, which can help wounds heal faster, fight infections, and strengthen the immune system.
Snakehead fish also contains vitamin A and other minerals necessary for the body. Diabetics can cook snakehead fish with pepper, pineapple, and turmeric.
Braised fish with many different recipes is beneficial for diabetics. Photo: Freepik
Anchovies braised with pepper or turmeric are often found on Vietnamese dinner tables. 170g of anchovies provide about 35g of protein, 8g of fat, 2.5g of omega 3 fatty acids. Anchovies are also rich in vitamins B3, B12, selenium and calcium, which help maintain healthy tissues, enhance the body's immune function, reduce blood cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's in old age.
Herring is a seawater fish, living in many places in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, easy to find in markets and seafood stores in Vietnam.
You can braise herring with tomatoes or braise it with rice. This dish is rich in nutrients necessary for the body such as vitamin A, vitamin D, omega 3, DHA... 100g of herring has only 158 calories, the protein in herring is easy to digest, and has many essential amino acids.
Japanese mackerel with its characteristic fatty taste and soft meat makes the meal more appealing. Japanese mackerel contains many fatty acids, essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin K, sodium, iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium... The fish contains many unsaturated fatty acids, when cooked, the amount of these fatty acids increases significantly, good for health. You can braise it with pineapple, tomatoes or pepper.
Basa fish has a lot of fat in the belly, white meat, sweet taste, and is raised a lot in Vietnam. 126g of basa fish contains 158 calories, 23g of protein, 7g of fat, 73mg of cholesterol. In addition to providing a large amount of protein, the good fats in basa fish also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
There are many ways to cook basa fish such as braised with pepper, braised in a clay pot, braised with onions... According to Dr. Bich, although fish has many nutrients that are good for health, people with diabetes should not abuse it as it can lead to weight gain, increased uric acid, and increased pressure on the kidneys. In the long run, it can lead to kidney failure due to having to filter too much protein.
Patients should balance the appropriate amount of food in each meal, and can apply the easy-to-remember and easy-to-measure hand rule. Accordingly, the portion for a meal includes the amount of protein (meat, fish, eggs, beans...) equal to one palm (not counting fingers), the amount of uncooked starch equal to a fist, the amount of fiber from vegetables equal to two hands put together, and the amount of fat about one thumb joint.
Dinh Tien
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