Chinese Breakfast Pitfalls: Hidden Sugars in Turnip Cake, Rice Balls, and Rice Milk Can Spike Blood Sugar

While many opt for seemingly lighter Chinese breakfast choices, they may still be unknowingly consuming high-sugar combinations that can spike blood glucose levels. Nutritionist Wang Yu-ching highlights that even without fried items like 'youtiao' (dough sticks), choices such as turnip cake, rice balls, and traditional rice milk can lead to a "blood sugar blind spot."

Wang explains that ingredients common in these breakfasts, like glutinous rice and rice flour, are primarily starch. When paired with sweet soy sauce, 'youtiao,' or sweetened rice milk, they form a high-sugar, high-starch meal. Consuming such a breakfast can lead to symptoms like dizziness, yawning, and sleepiness shortly after eating.

To navigate Chinese breakfast options more healthily, Wang suggests smart substitutions. For turnip cake, she recommends asking for it with an added egg and no soy sauce to increase protein and reduce sugar intake. For rice balls, she advises ordering a smaller portion of rice and substituting the 'youtiao' with a braised egg to lower the overall starch content and enhance satiety.

For those who enjoy traditional rice milk, Wang strongly advises switching to unsweetened soy milk. This provides quality protein without the added sugar, helping to stabilize blood sugar levels and maintain energy throughout the day. The key, Wang emphasizes, is not to avoid traditional Chinese breakfast entirely, but to make informed substitutions, focusing on adding protein sources like eggs and reducing hidden sugars and excessive starch.