During the Mid-Autumn Festival, mooncakes become an essential treat for every family. However, this traditional delicacy is not suitable for everyone.
Who Should Limit Mooncake Consumption
At this time of year, mooncakes are flooding the market. However, the quality of these products varies significantly. Consumers who purchase low-quality mooncakes that do not meet food safety standards may risk their health, facing issues like food poisoning and digestive disorders.
According to Dr. Thu Hoai, a former nutrition officer at Thanh Nhan Hospital, baked and sticky mooncakes are indispensable during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but nutritionally, they are not considered healthy food. People with the following conditions should consider whether to eat these mooncakes.
Mooncakes contain a lot of protein.
Elderly and Young Children
Mooncakes are high in protein. Young children have an immature digestive system, and consuming mooncakes can overload their stomachs, leading to indigestion and digestive disorders. The same applies to the elderly. Therefore, both groups should be cautious and not eat too many mooncakes in one day, as this could lead to acute pancreatitis, abdominal pain, and other serious symptoms, potentially threatening their lives.
People with Allergies and Skin Issues
Due to their high sugar content, individuals with allergic dermatitis, acne, and other skin conditions should limit their mooncake intake, as it may increase sebum production.
Pregnant Women
For pregnant women, excessive consumption of mooncakes can negatively affect conditions like hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular issues, and diabetes, potentially impacting the fetus. Therefore, it is essential for expectant mothers to consume mooncakes in moderation to ensure their health.
People with Diabetes
Individuals who are overweight, have high blood lipids, hypertension, or coronary artery disease should limit or avoid mooncake consumption altogether.
Eating an excessive number of mooncakes can worsen atherosclerosis, increasing the risk of stroke or myocardial infarction.
Individuals with Stomach, Heart, or Kidney Issues
People suffering from conditions such as cholecystitis, gallstones, gastritis, hypertension, high cholesterol, or heart disease should avoid mooncakes. Excessively sweet mooncakes or those containing peanuts and nuts can increase the burden on blood circulation, tiring the heart, and even causing myocardial infarction.
For those with gastric or duodenal ulcers, eating mooncakes may stimulate gastric acid secretion, worsening their condition and complicating treatment. Salty mooncakes are also unsuitable for those with kidney inflammation due to their high salt content.
Those Looking to Lose Weight or Obese Individuals
The main ingredients of mooncakes include flour, sugar, butter, and lard. The crust of traditional mooncakes and fillings like bean paste and lotus seeds are often heavily flavored with fat and sugar.
As a result, mooncakes are very rich in fats and sugars. Therefore, if you’re looking to lose weight, it is best to limit or completely avoid these treats. Obese individuals should also refrain from consuming mooncakes to prevent further weight gain and worsening obesity.
Mooncakes are very rich in fats and sugars.
How to Consume Mooncakes Properly?
According to Associate Professor Nguyen Thi Lam, former Deputy Director of the National Nutrition Institute, traditional mooncakes consist mainly of wheat flour, sugar, butter, and various fillings, divided into two types: sticky and baked. Each mooncake contains approximately 600 kcal, which can vary depending on the filling.
A 170g mooncake provides energy equivalent to double that of a bowl of Vietnamese pork noodle soup and one and a half times that of a bowl of pho. If consumed excessively over weeks, the risk of weight gain increases, especially for those already overweight, leading to obesity due to excess energy intake.
Experts recommend that each person should only eat one piece (equivalent to 1/8 of a mooncake) after a meal.
While enjoying mooncakes, one should reduce their rice intake or corresponding food amount. For example, if consuming half a sticky or baked mooncake, one should cut down on about one bowl of rice that day while increasing vegetable intake to help flush out fats and prevent rapid blood sugar spikes.
If eating mixed filling mooncakes, it is advisable to reduce the fat to lower the total energy intake, as one gram of fat provides nine kcal. Diabetic, overweight, and obese individuals should choose smaller-sized mooncakes or those specifically made with lower sugar and energy content.
Mooncakes can be enjoyed alongside hydrating foods with low sugar indexes, such as cucumbers or green tea. These combinations enhance the flavor while reducing the overpowering sweetness of the mooncakes.
After consuming mooncakes, it is essential to rinse the mouth immediately to prevent tooth decay, especially with sticky mooncakes that can cling to teeth, increasing the risk of cavities. Additionally, it is advisable to take a 30-minute walk after eating to burn off excess energy.
Tips for Buying Mooncakes
According to food safety experts, this is the time when various mooncakes are widely available in the market. However, buyers need to be cautious and select mooncakes that ensure food safety and hygiene.
To choose quality mooncakes, consumers should purchase products from wholesale and retail points under the direct management of reputable brands registered for quality standards with health authorities or those with certifications for safety and hygiene.
It is crucial to avoid purchasing unbranded, expired products, items with damaged packaging, misshapen mooncakes, or illegal goods.
Fresh mooncakes, especially traditional ones, usually do not contain preservatives, so they should be consumed immediately within the specified shelf life indicated on the packaging to ensure quality.
Consumers should be aware that if any mooncake has an unpleasant odor, crumbles easily, or tastes different, it should not be consumed, as it may be moldy or treated with unhealthy additives.
