The Dragon Boat Festival approaches, and households are busily preparing to wrapzongzi.However, as the trend of health preservation becomes more prevalent, increasingly many people are using their creativity to make low-calorie and low-fat zongzi that is less likely to cause bloating. Even hospitals are getting in on the act; for instance, the Chi Mei Hospital in Tainan uses red amaranth, a staple crop unique to indigenous peoples, mixed with five-grain rice to increase dietary fiber content, reducing the calorie count to just 350 kcal while enhancing antioxidant capacity.This helps combat inflammation and prevent cardiovascular diseases.Rich in Red Amaranth's Nutritional Benefits

Red amaranth, a native plant of Taiwan, is often used by indigenous peoples as a raw material for brewing millet wine or cooked with rice and taro; sometimes it is even used to make hair decorations due to its starch enzyme properties.

Agricultural authorities note that red amaranth has twice the protein content of rice, six times the dietary fiber of sweet potato, and 45 times the calcium content. It also contains various minerals such as iron, zinc, selenium, and germanium, with high levels of lysine which helps in calcium absorption and collagen synthesis.In addition to these benefits, red amaranth is rich in multiple antioxidant enzymes, plant polyphenols, and field mustard pigments, offering antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, tumor-inhibiting, maintaining vascular elasticity, and lowering cholesterol effects. Its health benefits are numerous.Traditional Meat Zongzi 500 kcal; Low-Calorie Red Amaranth Zongzi is More HealthfulMany traditional meat zongzi use glutinous rice as their base ingredient, which has high stickiness and easy to break down in the gut, making it less beneficial for maintaining blood sugar levels.Traditional zongzi often include fatty pork belly, salted egg yolks, peanuts, mushrooms, and other ingredients, with each 200-gram zongzi containing about 400 to 500 kcal, a high fat content and low fiber content that is not ideal for those trying to control their weight or manage high cholesterol and blood sugar.Given this, the nutrition department of Chi Mei Medical Center utilized red amaranth mixed with five-grain rice to increase dietary fiber intake while reducing gut discomfort; they also replaced fatty pork belly with lean chicken and tofu, substituted salted egg yolks for chestnuts to lower cholesterol levels, and used less oil and salt in cooking.A healthy red amaranth zongzi has only 350 kcal per piece, making it low-calorie and more health-conscious.Healthy Red Amaranth Zongzi★Ingredients:For the glutinous rice: 5 grams of red amaranth, 30 grams of five-grain rice, and 25 grams of long grain glutinous rice.

Inner filling materials: 35 grams of chicken pieces, 3 dried shiitake mushrooms, 2 slices of konjac, one chestnut, a bit of red onion, and shrimp flakes.

Seasonings: five-spice powder, licorice powder, mushroom-based oyster sauce, bitter tea oil.

★Preparation:1. Wash the five-grain rice, long grain glutinous rice, and red amaranth for 3 to 4 hours, then steam them until cooked.2. Marinate the chicken pieces and dried shiitake mushrooms with five-spice powder, licorice powder, and mushroom-based oyster sauce.3. Sauté the red onion and shrimp flakes in bitter tea oil for a moment before adding all the ingredients and cooking them until they are about 50% done.4. Take two layers of bamboo leaves, wrap the cooked five-grain rice, long grain glutinous rice, red amaranth, and stir-fried inner filling inside.5. Steam the zongzi in a steamer for 1 to 2 hours before eating.Egg yolk，Peanut，Shiitake mushroometc.Ingredientsare used to make the filling. A zongzi weighing 200 grams has an energy content of about 400 to 500 kilocalories, with a high fat ratio and low fiber ratio, which is not beneficial for individuals aiming to control their weight or have high cholesterol and high blood sugar.

Given this,Hsu Yen-jen, a nutritionist from the Department of Nutrition at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital,used red quinoa combined with grains to increase dietary fiberand reduce gastrointestinal discomfort;To replace egg yolk and reduce cholesterol;lean chicken and tofu skin replaced fatty pork belly as filling materials;chestnut substituted for egg yolk to lower cholesterol;Mung bean pastethe cooking process required less oil and salt.A healthy red quinoa zongzi contains only 350 kilocalories, is low in calories,

and has a healthier concept of health and wellness.

Healthy Red Quinoa Zongzi

Ingredients:

For the zongzi rice: 5 grams red quinoa, 30 grams grain mixture, 25 grams long glutinous rice.dried shrimp for flavoring;For the filling: 35 grams chicken cubes, 3 dried shiitake mushrooms, 2 slices of konjac, 1 chestnut, a small amount of garlic chives and dried shrimp.

Seasonings: five-spice powder, licorice powder, mushroom vegetarian oyster sauce, bitter tea oil.

Seasonings: five-spice powder, licorice powder, shiitake mushroom sauce with oyster flavor, bitter tea oil.

1. Rinse the grain rice, long-grain glutinous rice, and red amaranth, then soak in water for 3 to 4 hours.Method:First, wash the grain mixture, long glutinous rice, and red quinoa,

soak them for 3 to 4 hours,

then steam and set aside.

4. Place two layers of bamboo leaves, put in the steamed grain rice, long-grain glutinous rice, red amaranth, and stir-fried filling, and wrap them up.

Second, marinate the chicken cubes, dried shiitake mushrooms, konjac with five-spice powder, licorice powder, shiitake mushroom sauce with oyster flavor.