In the land of Guangdong, known for its delicious food, why can people enjoy the abundance of the "slim" food culture? Why do they eat fish and shrimp? The answers lie in their recipes.

Guangdong is known as the "land of gourmet food," but the reasons for its "slim" output are diverse. The answers lie in their recipes.

Guangdong people are famous worldwide for their love, deep understanding, and exquisite mastery of dishes such as clay pot rice, char siu bao, rice noodle rolls, and congee. However, in this "food paradise," surprisingly, "slender individuals" have emerged.

According to the "China Obesity Index" interim research results, the obesity rate in Guangdong province is much lower than the national average, indicating that there is still room for improvement in Guangdong province in terms of obesity.

It is my habit to dine with the "not gaining weight" people from Guangdong.

Even though they are food lovers like me, why can't Guangdong people enjoy a plump figure? What are some good ways to help you in your diet? Healthy eating habits are not only influenced by genetic factors but also play an essential role in maintaining overall health. Exploring the dietary habits of Guangdong people may provide some insights!

1. Vegetables for every meal

In Guangdong, there is a saying, "Three days without green vegetables, walking is not proper."

According to the 2012 Chinese Residents' Nutrition and Health Monitoring results, the average daily vegetable intake for urban and rural residents in China is 269.7 grams, with Guangdong region's average intake at 302.1 grams, which is already within the recommended range (300-500 grams) in the "Chinese Residents' Dietary Guidelines (2016)".

Scientific support:

Vegetables, being the lowest in energy among various foods, are rich in dietary fiber, which effectively enhances satiety and reduces the intake of other high-energy foods, thus significantly contributing to weight control.

To ensure an adequate intake of vegetables daily, it is recommended to have 1 to 2 "fists" of vegetables per meal, with a minimum intake of 5 "fists" per day to maintain good health.

For most people, breakfast is often the best opportunity to increase vegetable intake. It is recommended to pair it with a handful of cherry tomatoes, a tomato, or a cucumber. If possible, blanch leafy vegetables such as Chinese flowering cabbage or spinach in boiling water for about ten seconds, then remove and drizzle with a small amount of soy sauce or salad dressing. This not only makes for a delicious breakfast side dish but also a nutritious choice.

2. Cooking in a light and delicate manner

What Guangdong people pursue is the purity, deliciousness, tenderness, smoothness, refreshing taste, and aromatic flavors of the ingredients. On Guangdong's dining tables, white-cut chicken and steamed fish are indispensable classic dishes loved by diners for their unique flavors and textures.

Compared to northern cuisine, Cantonese cuisine is lighter in taste, leaning towards steaming and blanching, preferring to use poaching, and often using stewing and braising methods.

Blanched heart leafy greens

Chaozhou hotpot, a light and delicate original flavor

Scientific support:

Compared to traditional cooking methods like frying, deep-frying, steaming, and blanching reduce fat energy by 2.25 times compared to carbohydrates and proteins, helping to reduce fat intake and control energy intake.

It is recommended to prioritize cooking methods such as steaming and blanching in the cooking process. These methods are simple to operate, require a short cooking time, and are very convenient to use.

3. Drinking soup before meals

In Guangdong, people enjoy not instant soups like seaweed egg soup, but a pot of nourishing soup that leaves a lasting impression.

Usually, the soup contains a variety of ingredients and may incorporate some medicinal herbs to achieve effects such as clearing heat and dispelling dampness, requiring a cooking time of two to three hours.

Scientific support:

Enjoying a hot bowl of soup before a meal not only provides a temporary sense of fullness but also effectively reduces the amount of food consumed during the meal.

However, if the soup is cooked for too long, the nutritional content of the ingredients will suffer some loss, and the oil content in the soup may be relatively high. Therefore, it is recommended to remove as much oil as possible before drinking.

For most people, cooking the soup to be lighter and enjoying soup before meals can provide us with some insights. Because overeating can easily lead to weight gain, many people prefer to drink porridge from the beginning and become more frequent. This is actually a wrong approach. If you don't have time to cook soup, drinking 200-300 milliliters of water before a meal or another 200 milliliters when you're almost full can effectively reduce food intake and help control weight.

4. I have a special fondness for tea tasting

"A pot of tea in the morning, no need to see a doctor." Tea houses are the preferred gathering place for people in Guangdong to meet friends, discuss business, and relax.

According to data published by the Guangdong Tea Industry Association, Guangdong's annual tea consumption is nearly 250,000 tons, accounting for about one-tenth of the national tea sales.

Scientific support:

According to several related studies, drinking tea significantly promotes weight loss and weight maintenance. Additionally, tea consumption can reduce fat deposition, lower blood pressure, and reduce health risks. Many people consider drinking tea to be a good choice. In the same conditions, the waist circumference and BMI (body mass index) of tea drinkers showed a declining trend compared to non-tea drinkers.

5. Small-sized tableware

Although Guangdong dishes are not large in portion size, the choice of tableware is quite refined, small, and delicate.

According to a buffet survey, people using larger plates consumed 52% more food and ate 45% more food compared to those using smaller plates.

A fierce battle unfolded between people from the South and the North during a shared dinner.

The most noticeable difference in taste preferences between people from the South and the North is the difference between "sweetness in the South and saltiness in the North."

In areas south of the Yangtze River, people prefer sweeter flavors, and sugar is an indispensable ingredient in southern cooking. North of the Yellow River, dishes tend to be saltier, with a significant amount of salt and soy sauce added during the cooking process.

1. Northern dishes tend to be salty

The term "Lu cuisine" is widely circulated in Shandong, especially in the "Beixian" area, attracting much attention.

In the cooking process, northerners tend to use soy sauce and other seasonings, but sometimes the flavors become too strong, weakening the original taste of the ingredients. Southern residents have an average daily salt intake of 12-18 grams, far exceeding the 7-8 grams level of southerners.

It is recommended that residents of the North reduce their soy sauce usage by half and learn from the South during the cooking process by using steaming and blanching methods for better taste. During cooking, salt should be added in moderation according to personal taste, and the daily salt intake per person should be limited to within 6 grams.

2. Southern dishes tend to be sweet

Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine is representative of the "Southern Sweet" flavor, with Hangzhou, Wuxi, Shanghai, and other regions known for their unique sweet flavors.

According to the World Health Organization's recommendations, the daily sugar intake should be around 5% of the total energy intake, about 25-30 grams. However, a serving of sweet and sour spare ribs contains about 75 grams of sugar, while red-cooked pork contains 40-50 grams of sugar. It takes two to three days' worth of sugar intake to enjoy a single dish.

Increased blood sugar levels can cause increased heart rate and blood pressure. It can also stimulate the body to produce more insulin, leading to abnormal sugar metabolism.

For residents in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai areas, it is advisable to avoid or reduce the addition of sugar in their diet, as well as reduce the consumption of high-sugar desserts. The combination of coarse and fine grains in staple foods.

3. Southerners prefer rice, northerners prefer noodles

In addition to the sweet flavor in the South and the salty flavor in the North, there is also the taste difference between southern rice and northern rice.

Although rice and noodles have slight differences in calories and nutritional composition, their importance can be considered negligible. From a nutritional standpoint, both flour and rice are starch-based foods. These two staple foods do not have significant differences overall and can be interchanged, making them ideal choices for staple foods.

Overall, both rice and flour are refined staple foods with relatively low levels of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. If consumed as everyday foods, their nutritional value will be greatly reduced. To obtain a more nutritious diet, it is advisable to combine coarse and fine grains, replacing some polished rice and white flour with coarse grains such as mung beans and oats for the best results.

Finally, experts emphasize that the key to obesity lies in balancing energy intake and expenditure. Therefore, in addition to developing healthy eating habits, exercise is equally important.