To eat japchae more healthily, add more vegetables rich in dietary fiber.
The day when japchae is on the table feels like a feast day. Japchae, which used to be a court food in the past, is made with various vegetables such as spinach, carrots, and onions mixed with the springy texture of glass noodles, making your mouth watery just by looking at it. What kind of health effects can there be if you add plenty of vegetables such as spinach, carrots, and onions to japchae?
◆ If you want to eat more healthy japchae… “Put plenty of vegetables with lots of dietary fiber”
Japchae’s glass noodles are a carbohydrate food made from sweet potato starch. It is high in calories and can raise blood sugar if you eat a lot like noodles. Here lies the wisdom of our ancestors. The original meaning of japchae also means a lot of various vegetables. The dietary fiber rich in vegetables has the function of suppressing the rise in blood sugar and directly lowering cholesterol. If you eat spinach, carrots, onions, etc. first and eat glass noodles later, it is more helpful in controlling blood sugar. For health, it is good to eat carbohydrates later in the order of vegetables-proteins-carbohydrates.
◆ The reason why it goes well with spinach… Richest in vitamin C and beta-carotene among vegetables
The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences said that sugar-rich glass noodles go well with vegetables rich in vitamins. Spinach has a lot of vitamin C and is the richest in ‘beta-carotene’ among vegetables, which reduces bad free radicals and increases lung function. It contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which support eye health. It protects the retina of the eye and lowers the risk of blindness such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. Spinach has the most vitamin A among vegetables, which is good for improving eyesight at night. It dissolves well in perilla oil and sprinkles with sesame seeds to make it more effective.
◆ The reason why you need to add more onions… Helps glucose (glucose noodle) metabolism well
Onions are rich in chromium, which helps the metabolism of glucose (a kind of carbohydrate) in the noodles. It stimulates the action of insulin to regulate blood sugar and suppresses the rise in blood sugar. Onions are good for blood vessels by reducing the absorption of neutral fat and cholesterol in the body. This is because of the ingredients of allicin and quercetin. Sweet potato starch, the raw material of vermicelli, also contains magnesium, which is effective in controlling blood pressure and lowering blood cholesterol. Adding more onions to japchae can improve the taste and enhance health effects.
◆ Soak noodles in cold water for 20 minutes before cooking to keep them chewy
The quality of glass noodles, the main ingredient of Japchae, is important. When purchasing in the market, it is essential to check the labeling of the country of origin and expiration date on the packaging. Soaking glass noodles in cold water for regarding 20 minutes before cooking helps to keep them chewy. If you add cooking oil while boiling, you can slow down the swelling. Seal the remaining vermicelli well and store in a cool, well-ventilated place.
◆ Rice? High-calorie vermicelli… Eating too much can make you gain weight
Since vermicelli is high in calories, be careful not to eat too much of it. If you eat rice, the calories increase. Starch, the raw material of vermicelli, is a carbohydrate and is a tasteless, odorless white powder with glucose as its constituent unit. According to the National Standard Food Composition Table, 100 g of japchae rice contains 136 kcal of calories, 68.7 g of moisture, 3 g of protein, 2.9 g of fat, 24.5 g of carbohydrates, and 3.1 g of total dietary fiber. In addition, it contains calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and beta-carotene.
