Tillie Doyle
Hot pot is a popular dish in many Asian cultures, but is it low calorie? The answer is: it depends. A hot pot meal cooked at home can be a healthy alternative to eating out, as you can control what goes into the pot and avoid excess fats and sodium. However, a typical hot pot meal at a restaurant can easily exceed the recommended daily intake of sodium and fat. A single packet of broth can contain over 1,500 calories, and the popular mala (spicy) packet has 199% of the recommended daily fat intake.
So, if you're watching your weight, it's best to stick to homemade hot pot and choose your ingredients carefully. Go for lean meats like chicken or fish, and fill up on high-fibre vegetables. Avoid processed foods and limit your dipping sauces to keep the calorie count down.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Calories | A homemade hot pot can be low in calories if you control the ingredients. A packaged broth can exceed 1,500 calories per packet. |
| Sodium | A typical hot pot meal far exceeds the recommended daily salt intake. |
| Fats | A packaged broth can contain 199% of the recommended fats that you should eat in a day. |
| Health | Hot pot can be healthy if you choose your ingredients carefully to avoid an overdose of sodium, saturated fats, and carbohydrates in your meal. |
What You'll Learn
Broth: Water-based broths are low-calorie
Hot pot is a traditional Chinese dish that is typically enjoyed during the winter months. It involves a simmering pot of soup stock in which people dip a variety of ingredients, including meat, fish, and vegetables, to cook them before eating. While hot pot is a delicious and social meal, it is not typically considered healthy due to its high-fat content. On average, a serving of hot pot contains around 1,668 calories, 67 grams of protein, 118 grams of fat, and 86 grams of carbs.
However, with a few adjustments, it is possible to make hot pot a low-calorie meal. One of the key ways to do this is to choose a low-calorie broth. Broth forms the base of a hot pot dish, and water-based broths are a great way to keep the calorie count low. Here are some tips for choosing and preparing a low-calorie broth for your hot pot:
- Opt for a homemade broth: Packaged broths tend to be very high in fat and calories. For example, a popular mala (spicy) packet contains 199% of the recommended daily fat intake. By making your own broth at home, you can control the ingredients and keep the fat content low.
- Choose a light soup base: Go for clear or light-flavoured soups such as mushroom, cabbage tofu, or tomato and corn. These options tend to be lower in calories and fat compared to popular bases like satay, curry, pork bone, and Sichuan chilli.
- Use fresh herbs and spices: Instead of relying on oil and MSG to add flavour to your broth, try using fresh herbs and spices like garlic, peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves, star anise, scallions, onion, ginger, and doubanjiang (chilli bean paste).
- Avoid frying ingredients: Some hot pot recipes call for frying certain ingredients in oil before adding them to the broth. To keep the fat content low, avoid frying and opt for boiling or simmering instead.
- Be mindful of portion sizes: Hot pot is often served as a shared meal, making it easy to overeat. Keep track of how much broth you are consuming by being mindful of portion sizes.
By following these tips and choosing a water-based, low-calorie broth, you can enjoy a delicious and healthy hot pot meal without sacrificing flavour.
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Meat: Choose lean meats like chicken and fish
Lean meats such as chicken and fish are excellent choices for a low-calorie hot pot. When preparing a hot pot, it is important to select lean meats to avoid an excessive amount of fat in the dish. Chicken and fish are healthy options that can provide lean protein, as well as other essential nutrients like zinc, iron, and B vitamins.
If you want to include chicken in your hot pot, opt for skinless chicken with visible fat removed. Chicken breast, in particular, is an excellent choice as it contains minimal fat while providing a good amount of protein. When preparing the chicken, avoid frying and instead opt for healthier cooking methods such as baking, broiling, roasting, or stir-frying.
Fish is another excellent choice for a lean protein source in your hot pot. Go for fish with firmer flesh, such as salmon, cod, or halibut. These types of fish will hold up better in the hot pot than more delicate varieties.
In addition to chicken and fish, seafood options like shrimp, scallops, squid, and crab can also be included in your hot pot. These choices add variety and flavour to your dish while keeping it low in calories and fat.
When preparing your hot pot, remember that the key to keeping it healthy is in the choices you make. Opting for lean meats like chicken and fish, as well as a variety of vegetables and healthy cooking methods, will ensure that your hot pot is not only delicious but also nutritious and low in calories.
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Vegetables: Load up on veggies to stay full
Hot pot is a popular dish in many Asian cultures, but is it healthy and low-calorie? The answer is that it depends on the ingredients and cooking methods used. While hot pot can be high in calories, fat, and sodium, there are ways to make it healthier and more nutritious. One way to do this is to load up on vegetables, which can help you stay full and satisfied while keeping the calorie count low.
Vegetables are a great way to add volume and nutrients to your hot pot without adding a lot of calories. They are also a good source of dietary fibre, which aids in creating a feeling of fullness and pacing your appetite. By eating vegetables first, you can also prevent them from absorbing too much oil from the hot pot broth.
When it comes to choosing vegetables for your hot pot, there are plenty of options to choose from. Some great low-calorie options include:
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Bean sprouts
- Watercress
- Spinach
- Enoki mushrooms
- Tomatoes
- Corn
- Pumpkin
- Bok choy
- Shiitake mushrooms
These vegetables will not only add flavour and texture to your hot pot, but they will also help you stay full and satisfied. In addition, they are a much healthier alternative to processed foods and fatty meats, which can be high in sodium, saturated fats, and calories.
When preparing your hot pot, it is recommended to stick to homemade broths as they tend to be lower in fat and calories. You can also control what goes into the broth, ensuring that it is a healthy and nutritious option. By making your own broth, you can use fresh herbs and spices to add flavour instead of relying on oil and MSG.
In conclusion, loading up on veggies is a great way to make your hot pot more nutritious and filling while keeping the calorie count low. So, go ahead and add some extra vegetables to your hot pot and enjoy a delicious and healthy meal!
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Dipping sauces: Opt for light sauces like garlic and soy
Hot pot can be a very fatty dish, so opting for light dipping sauces is a great way to reduce your calorie intake.
A typical hot pot meal far exceeds the recommended daily intake of salt. The broth, along with popular hot pot ingredients such as fish balls, crab sticks, and meatballs, are all high in sodium. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of this when choosing your dipping sauce.
A light and healthy dipping sauce option is a combination of fresh chillies, soy sauce, minced garlic, and vinegar. This sauce will add a kick of flavour to your hot pot without the excess calories and sodium.
Another option is a creamy garlic sesame sauce. This sauce is made with sesame paste, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, garlic, shiitake mushroom seasoning, and water. It is a great alternative if you are looking for a sauce without a spicy flavour.
If you are looking for a nuttier flavour, Japanese sesame miso sauce is a good option. It is made with miso paste, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, Chinese sesame paste, coconut aminos, toasted white sesame seeds, and water. This sauce is creamy and rich in umami flavour.
Lastly, a simple combination of soy sauce, fresh garlic, ginger, spring onions, and toasted sesame oil is a common choice for a light dipping sauce.
By choosing one of these lighter dipping sauces, you can still enjoy the delicious flavours of hot pot while reducing your calorie intake.
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Processed foods: Avoid meatballs and hotdogs, which are high in sodium
Hot pot is a popular dish in many Asian cultures and cuisines. It is essentially a flavourful pot of spices and herbs that cook individual pieces of meat while infusing them with flavour. While hot pot can be delicious, it is generally considered unhealthy due to the high levels of fat and sodium in the broth. The packaged broth used in most restaurants can contain excessive amounts of fat and sodium, exceeding 1500 calories and 2000mg of sodium per packet, respectively.
To make a healthier choice, it is recommended to prepare hot pot at home using a homemade broth with controlled ingredients. This way, you can reduce the amount of fat and sodium in your meal. In addition to choosing a healthier broth, it is also suggested to select lean meats such as sirloin or skirt steak, which have lower fat content than brisket or rib-eye. Including a variety of vegetables in your hot pot can also add flavour, texture, and nutritional value to your meal.
Now, let's shift our focus to processed foods and the specific advice to avoid meatballs and hotdogs due to their high sodium content. Processed meats, including meatballs and hotdogs, are typically high in sodium, which can negatively impact your health. Meatballs, for example, are often listed among the perennial hot pot favourites, along with fish balls and cuttlefish balls. Dr Daniel Wai, a specialist in the field, warns that just five servings of fish balls and cuttlefish balls will exceed the recommended daily sodium allowance. This doesn't even include the sodium contribution from the broth itself.
Similarly, hotdogs are well-known for their high sodium content. While the exact amount varies between brands, no hot dog on the market is considered a low-sodium food by the FDA standards. Some hot dogs provide more than 20% of your daily value of sodium per serving, classifying them as high-sodium choices. The sodium in hot dogs comes primarily from added salt, but they may also contain sodium-containing additives such as sodium nitrite and sodium phosphate. These additives are used for flavour enhancement and preservation.
It is worth noting that the negative health implications of consuming excessive sodium are not limited to hot pot or hotdogs. Processed meats, in general, including meatballs and hotdogs, have been linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer by the World Health Organization. This risk is attributed to the formation of cancer-causing compounds during the meat preservation process and the presence of other harmful chemicals formed when meat is cooked at high temperatures.
To summarise, when it comes to hot pot, preparing it at home with controlled ingredients can make it a healthier option. As for processed foods, it is advisable to avoid meatballs and hotdogs due to their high sodium content, which can have negative health consequences. Opting for lean meats and including a variety of vegetables in your hot pot can further enhance the nutritional profile of your meal.
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Frequently asked questions
Hot pot can be low calorie if you make it at home and control what goes into it. If you're eating out, it's harder to tell, but it's likely to be higher calorie.
The broth is often high in fat and sodium, and the meat and dipping sauces can also add a lot of calories.
Choose a clear or light-flavoured soup as your base, add more vegetables, choose lean meats like chicken or fish, and limit fatty sides and processed foods.
It depends on the ingredients and the portion size, but it's likely to be at least 800 calories and could be up to 3000 calories for a buffet.
Yes, the high sodium content can increase the risk of high blood pressure and kidney problems. The high-fat content can also lead to weight gain and chronic conditions such as heart disease.
