Tips for choosing staple foods during weight loss: Rice, steamed buns, noodles, and whole grains

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How to choose staple foods during a weight loss period

In recent years, low-sugar diets that eliminate staple foods have become popular online, with some merchants making exaggerated claims such as "lose 20 pounds a month by not eating staple foods," attracting many to follow suit. While this method may be effective in the short term, for most people unfamiliar with weight loss, the low-sugar approach may result in noticeable weight loss in the first week. However, once the body adapts to the method, weight loss stops, and maintaining a balanced diet becomes even more difficult. Let's first look at the dangers of eliminating staple foods.

① The basal metabolic rate is slowing down. For example, it is easy to become deficient in B vitamins and minerals. B vitamins are closely related to the metabolism of sugars, proteins, and fats and energy conversion.

②Increases the risk of developing hyperketonemia and ketonuria.

③ It's difficult to stick to a weight loss plan in the long term, and it's easy to give up halfway.

④ Easily fatigued, dizzy, weak in the limbs, low blood sugar, and decreased memory.

⑤ Weight is prone to rebound, and you may even gain more weight the more you try to lose it.

⑥ It is easy to overeat high-fat and high-cholesterol foods.

Since staple foods are no longer consumed, and the intake of fish, meat, and eggs cannot be increased significantly, the calorie supply will be insufficient. At this point, a large portion of the protein in food will be converted into energy and consumed by the body, and the amount of protein actually available for the body's metabolism, synthesis, and decomposition processes will be greatly reduced. The result is malnutrition, muscle loss, poor skin, severe hair loss, and decreased immunity. Some girls may even experience menstrual disorders or amenorrhea.

In fact, whether a low-sugar diet can actually help with weight loss is a highly controversial issue internationally. According to current research, the low-sugar diet method is not universally applicable. It may be extremely effective for some people, but for others, it may have no effect at all.

Therefore, during a weight loss period, we need to learn how to eat staple foods correctly, combining refined and whole grains, and incorporating them with tubers or other whole grains and legumes. Eat whole grains rather than refined grains, and a variety of foods rather than white foods, and eat small, frequent meals. Choose low glycemic index (low GI) grains as your staple foods. Eat less refined white rice and flour, and foods containing simple refined sugars, such as bread, cakes, and egg tarts.

Rice, steamed buns, or noodles – which is more suitable?

We recommend eating more whole grains during a weight loss period, but some people love to eat rice, steamed buns, and noodles. What should they do then? Let's first look at which of rice, steamed buns, and noodles has the highest calorie content.

100 grams of cooked white rice contains 116 kilocalories.

100 grams of white steamed buns contain 223 kilocalories.

100 grams of regular fresh noodles contain 290 kilocalories.

It's easy to see that, among the three staple foods in equal quantities, noodles have a higher calorie count. Therefore, during a weight loss period, it's recommended to choose rice. However, calories aren't the only criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of staple foods for weight loss. Whether it's rice, steamed buns, or noodles, they are all high-GI refined staple foods. They stimulate insulin secretion, leading to significant fluctuations in blood sugar, and abnormal insulin function can cause fat accumulation in the body.

Therefore, learning to choose the right staple food is the most important thing. While all are staple foods, the foods listed below contain more dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, have a lower glycemic index, provide a greater feeling of fullness, and have higher nutritional value.

① Rice can be cooked together with various whole grains to make mixed grain rice.

② The best choice for steamed buns is a mixed grain steamed bun made from a mixture of whole wheat flour, corn flour, oat flour, soybean flour, etc.

③ Noodle selection: oat flour, corn flour, or mixed grain flour

If you really want to eat refined white rice and white flour, just eat a portion the size of your fist at each meal. During the weight loss period, it is recommended to eat it 1-2 times a week, preferably for breakfast or lunch; during the weight maintenance period, it is recommended to eat it 2-4 times a week, preferably for breakfast or lunch as well.

I don't recommend eating refined rice.

The outer layer of rice is called the bran, which is rich in B vitamins and dietary fiber, essential nutrients for the metabolism of sugars in the body. At the top of the rice grain is a small part called the germ, rich in plant protein, vitamin E, unsaturated fatty acids, and minerals. However, because the germ is so nutritious, insects also like to eat it, making rice difficult to preserve. Merchants remove this most valuable part during processing. At the same time, to extend shelf life and improve color, additives may be added to rice; refined flour also contains many additives. All these processes turn paddy rice into the high-sugar, high-calorie refined sugar we know today. Furthermore, white rice and white flour are easily digested, cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, and are also highly conducive to weight gain.

Staple foods are the main source of B vitamins, but if you eat white rice for all three meals, it's difficult to meet the recommended daily intake of vitamin B1. A deficiency in vitamin B₁ can lead to depression, general weakness, muscle aches, and sluggish thinking. Furthermore, if paired with tasty side dishes, a bowl of white rice can be eaten quickly, and before the brain has time to register fullness, you might unknowingly eat a second bowl.

On the contrary, brown rice is not so easy to swallow.

Brown rice refers to whole grains that retain all but the outer husk, including the bran, aleurone layer, and germ. Brown rice has a coarser texture and takes longer to cook, but it is more nutritious than refined white rice. While it may not be as fragrant as white rice, the outer skin of the grains requires thorough chewing, giving the brain enough time to register fullness.

Refined white rice contains negligible amounts of dietary fiber, only about 0.4%. In contrast, regular brown rice contains 2%, and black rice a whopping 3.9%. Among other whole grains, millet is considered the most "refined," with a fiber content of 1.6%, while corn boasts 6.4%, buckwheat 6.5%, red beans 7.7%, and barley 9.9%. Consuming a combination of these grains is even more beneficial to health.

Replacing white rice with brown rice or mixed grain rice will dramatically increase the supply of dietary fiber, which is very effective in regulating constipation caused by a lack of dietary fiber. In addition, the various nutrients contained in these foods are very beneficial to physical and mental health.

Sugar-free whole grain meal replacement biscuits cannot be used as a staple food.

Many people think they can eat more whole grains, but that's not true.

Meal replacement biscuits are all processed foods. Although the raw material is whole grain, the structure changes after fine processing and baking. They stay in the stomach for a short time, have a high glycemic index, and a weaker feeling of fullness.

Cookies usually contain added oil to achieve a crisp and fragrant texture, and this oil, whether vegetable oil or artificial oil, is an extra calorie intake.

Meal replacement biscuits may contain other ingredients such as nuts, starch, wheat flour, and seaweed, which can add extra calories and whose source is unverifiable.

These cookies are sugar-free, but they contain artificial sweeteners. The debate surrounding artificial sweeteners continues. Some argue that excessive consumption can cause diarrhea, while others suggest it increases the risk of cancer. Furthermore, artificial sweeteners can increase glucose tolerance, weakening the sense of sweetness and leading to a craving for even sweeter foods.

Therefore, it is okay to occasionally replace staple food with biscuits due to a busy work schedule, but you must choose low-energy, low-glycemic, and minimally additive-rich biscuits produced by safe manufacturers. We recommend eating as little processed food as possible.