SINGAPORE — In the lead-up to Chinese New Year, families will be making plans for their annual reunion meal and in Singapore, a popular choice is to have a steamboat dinner either at home or an eatery.

A steamboat or hot-pot meal is a communal dining concept where people dunk raw food items into a boiling pot of soup and then fish them out when they are cooked, to be eaten with dipping sauces and other accompaniments such as rice or noodles.

Not only is it a cost-effective way to feed a large group of people, cooking an assortment of ingredients in simmering broth is also often thought of as a “healthier” option compared to tucking into greasy, fried dishes at Chinese food places.

Food that is boiled should be healthy, right?

Well, that depends on how it is eaten and what else are served on the side, health experts said.

Yes, if one is mindful of what goes into the steamboat dinner, it can be a nutritious balanced meal. 

On the other hand, a single indulgent steamboat dinner may also easily bust a day’s — or even two days’ — worth of the recommended calorie, fat and sodium intake for each person. 

Dr Jonathan Chong from DTAP Clinic at Novena Medical Centre said: “Steamboat meals may not necessarily be as healthy as people think they are. While often seen as a healthier option, they can have many drawbacks and potential health repercussions.” 

HOW IS A STEAMBOAT MEAL UNHEALTHY?

Dietitian Chloe Ong said that there is often a fine line between what is healthy and unhealthy. 

A principal dietitian at Parkway Cancer Centre, she added: “A steamboat meal can have as low as 400 calories if the person is disciplined and picks more vegetables, lean protein and avoids the oily dipping sauces.

“But it can have as much as even 2,000 calories if the soup base is oily and the person picks a lot of fatty meat slices and includes dipping sauces such as chilli oil, peanut butter dips and soya sauce, not to mention if there’re also sugary or alcoholic drinks with the hot-pot meal.” 

The average recommended daily caloric intake for adults is 2,200 calories for males and 1,800 calories for females. 

While a single overly indulgent reunion meal is unlikely to result in any serious health repercussions, repeated consumption of steamboat meals may result in the development of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes over time, Dr Chong said. 

In particular, people with pre-existing medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and kidney issues should exercise added caution when consuming steamboat meals, he added. 

“For individuals who already have such conditions, there may be a worsening of the control over these conditions in the immediate aftermath of such meals. For instance, deterioration in blood sugar control in patients with diabetes, an elevated blood pressure or increase in cholesterol levels.”

The following are what to look out for when preparing or having a steamboat or hot-pot meal.

1. CHOOSE A ‘CLEAR’ SOUP

Not all broths are equal. One of the factors that determines how healthy your meal is the soup base.

“Some of the broths used are often high in sodium, which can cause an increase in blood pressure and may be associated with the development of hypertension, Dr Chong said.

“Certain soup bases such as the popular mala broth often contain large amounts of oil and saturated fat, which may in turn be linked to high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.”  

Ms Ong said that “clear” soup bases that are prepared with some pork ribs or chicken parts are generally healthier and lower in sodium compared to those that use instant stock cubes. 

“If the soup looks ‘creamy’ such as collagen, laksa or mala broth, it may be higher in sodium and saturated fat,” she added. 

For example, a small bowl of mala broth contains about 220 calories, 3.6g of saturated fat and close to 900mg of sodium, which is almost half the recommended daily sodium limit of 2,000mg set by the World Health Organization.

Compare this with a bowl of clear chicken soup, prepared without chicken skin: It contains half the calories at about 115 calories, 1g of saturated fat and about 170mg of sodium.  

TIP: 

Dr Chong recommended picking a lighter flavoured, lower-sodium soup base and avoiding drinking too much soup during the meal.

Refrain from slurping up the broth after many rounds of continuous boiling of meat slices and seafood, even though it looks and smells very flavourful. This is because at that stage, the soup would be even higher in sodium, fat and purines, Ms Ong said. 

Purine is a chemical compound found naturally in some foods that breaks down into uric acid. 

“Prolonged boiling of high purine food would increase the purine content of the soup, which may trigger a gout attack for some people. 

"At the same time, sodium content is bad for hypertension and the oily soup can also increase bad cholesterol levels while the added calories could contribute to weight gain as well,” Ms Ong said.  

2. GO EASY WITH THE DIPPING SAUCES

Ms Ong said that the dipping sauces that go with the steamboat meal may also pack a load of unwanted calories and sodium. 

“For example, two tablespoonsful of chilli oil contain about 180 calories, 17g of fat and more than 500mg of sodium. These calories from chilli oil are ‘hidden calories’ that most of us would not be aware of.”

Dr Chong pointed out that many ingredients that are commonly eaten from a steamboat such as fishballs, meatballs and crabsticks are usually highly processed and can contain large amounts of sodium and cholesterol as well. 

For instance, just three pieces of pork meatballs have around 260 calories, 7.2g of saturated fat, 87mg of cholesterol and 381mg of sodium. 

By comparison, three slices of lean pork contain 141 calories, 2.2g of saturated fat, 51mg of cholesterol and 45mg of sodium. 

Consumption of processed meats has been consistently linked with higher rates of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes, he said. 

“Some people may think that fishballs, squidballs or prawnballs are pure protein but most of these are usually made of a mixture of starch,” Ms Ong said. 

TIP: Limit the amount of dipping sauce. Instead of dousing an entire slice of meat with sauce, give it a light dip when flavouring your food. 

Try choosing natural aromatics such as chopped fresh garlic or spring onions, freshly diced chilli and lower-sodium soya sauce instead of the usual chilli oil and peanut sauce. 

Instead of placing the processed “balls” and meats immediately into the pot when the soup starts bubbling, start your meal with plenty of fresh vegetables instead before adding leaner cuts of protein.

“Choose more fresh vegetables, tofu, mushroom and fresh meat such as lean meat, chicken and seafood, rather than processed marinated meats. In that way, we can reduce the intake of sodium and saturated fat,” Ms Ong said. 

3. DON’T OVERDO THE CARBS

It is easy to overeat when the elders at the table continuously pile food on your plate or egg you to take more food.

However, controlling the amount of carbohydrates consumed in a single meal is especially important for people with a chronic condition such as diabetes, Ms Ong said.

“(People with diabetes) will need to take note of all the ingredients that they are having and keep to their carbohydrate allowance. 

"For example, if you (usually) consume a bowl of rice (150g) for dinner, be mindful that at a steamboat meal, there may also noodles, dumplings, yam, corn, etc. So, the rice portion should be cut down accordingly,” she advised. 

TIP: For people on a strict portion control, it might be a good idea to plan in advance. 

One way to do this is to put aside the carbohydrate food items that you are going to eat, either before or after cooking them in the hot pot, Ms Ong suggested. This is so as not to lose track of how much you have eaten while eating and chatting during the meal. 

Whenever possible, choose wholegrains such as red or brown rice. If there are only white rice and noodles, portion control is still the most important in managing blood sugar levels. Include more leafy vegetables in your meal for added fibre as that would help slow the blood sugar spike, Ms Ong said. 

Dr Chong said that a simple way to control meal portions would be to use the Health Promotion Board’s My Healthy Plate guide, which recommends filling half the plate with fruit and vegetables, a quarter with wholegrains and the last quarter with good sources of protein. 

4. BEWARE RISKS OF DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS, FOOD CONTAMINATION

Dr Chong said that it is not uncommon for people to experience some gastrointestinal symptoms after overindulging in a steamboat feast. 

For people who have gastroesophageal reflux disease, a condition in which stomach contents flow back up the oesophagus connecting the mouth and stomach, a hot-pot meal may worsen symptoms such as heartburn and regurgitation.

He also said that there is a potential risk of food being undercooked since cooking is done in a communal pot and there is no control over the mix of items placed into the pot at different times.

“Some families may also inadvertently place raw and cooked food side by side, which poses a risk for cross-contamination,” he added.

Salmonella and campylobacter bacteria and the hepatitis A and E viruses can cause diseases due to improperly handled steamboat food.

“Patients with such illnesses typically develop diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever, and should seek immediate medical attention should such symptoms arise,” Dr Chong said. 

TIP: If you have gastroesophageal reflux, try to avoid dietary triggers such as spicy and fatty foods that can lead to uncomfortable digestive symptoms. 

Be mindful of how you quench your thirst during a steamboat meal.

“Carbonated beverages and caffeine-containing drinks such as sodas, colas and iced teas are often consumed together with steamboat meals,” Dr Chong said.

“Such beverages may also be linked to a worsening of symptoms in some patients with gastroesophageal reflux, and should thus be substituted with safer, healthier alternatives such as plain water.”

Having some over-the-counter medications on hand may be helpful.

“Symptoms (of reflux) can be alleviated with the use of over-the-counter medications like antacids, which usually contain a combination of magnesium, aluminium and calcium compounds.  

“Such medications neutralise acid and can provide quick relief for symptoms of heartburn,” Dr Chong said. 

In patients with irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, some studies have found that peppermint oil may potentially be beneficial to reduce post-meal abdominal pain, gas and bloating, he added.  

“However, should individuals develop more serious symptoms suggestive of food poisoning or food-borne illnesses, such as diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever, it would be advisable to not self-medicate but to seek medical attention for further evaluation and treatment, because complications such as dehydration can occur.”