During the Tet holiday, gathering with family, hot pot is a favorite dish for many people. However, if not eaten correctly, it can cause the hot pot to lose its nutritional value.
According to Dr. Doan Thi Anh Dao, Head of the Nutrition Department at Thanh Nhan Hospital, hot pot is a dish that helps diversify food and provides many fresh ingredients that are beneficial for health.
However, when eating hot pot, it is important to only dip and eat what you can consume at that moment, avoiding excess food left in the pot. If vegetables are cooked for too long, they will lose their nutrients. At that point, eating the vegetables will only provide fiber, lacking vitamins and minerals.
Dr. Truong Hong Son, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine, also states that when eating hot pot, one should ensure the principle of safely supplementing food while also being economical and enjoying a healthy meal.
Typically, when preparing hot pot, homemakers often season the broth heavily. Therefore, when eating, it is advisable not to add extra condiments to avoid excessive salt intake. Consuming too much salt can place a burden on the kidneys, cardiovascular system, and blood pressure.
Dr. Son advises that to ensure hygiene while eating hot pot, it is better to use utensils to pick up food and serve it into bowls, rather than using chopsticks directly in the pot. If everyone uses their own chopsticks to pick food from the pot, it can make the meal less hygienic, and there is a risk of transmitting diseases if someone has an infection.
When eating hot pot, a principle of safety that must always be adhered to is to eat cooked food and drink boiled water. In reality, many people enjoy eating raw when having hot pot. This habit can pose a risk of parasitic infections and diarrhea.
Hot pot is a nutritious dish. (Illustrative photo).
“To ensure safety, it is advisable to cook food thoroughly before eating. For thinly sliced ingredients, they should be dipped in the boiling pot for about 1 minute to ensure they are fully cooked. For balls or thicker-shelled foods like shrimp, clams, and snails, they should be dipped for over 5 minutes,” Dr. Son stated.
When eating hot pot, nutrition experts also recommend eating vegetables first and meat afterwards. Green vegetables provide fiber and essential vitamins and minerals, while also helping to detoxify, cool the body, and improve the absorption of healthy fats.
Many people tend to sit for a long time when enjoying hot pot. Dr. Son believes this is not a good habit. A hot pot meal should last only 45 minutes to 1 hour. It is not advisable to exceed this time limit as it can overload the digestive system, negatively impacting health.
Hot pot, rich in meat and seafood, is high in protein and fat. Therefore, many people may feel full quickly and skip carbohydrates. However, Dr. Truong Hong Son still advises that everyone should eat a little rice, noodles, or pasta to help balance nutrition in the body.
Other notes when eating hot pot that Dr. Son emphasizes include avoiding the risk of burns, and not consuming food that is too hot as it can damage the oral mucosa. The habit of drinking alcohol and toasting during Tet should also be done in moderation to avoid affecting liver function.
To maintain good health and safety during Tet, experts recommend having a balanced diet with a variety of foods. Additionally, everyone should maintain regular physical exercise to enhance health.
