TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Making and eating zongzi (sticky rice dumpling) is a popular tradition during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday in Taiwan, but a dietitian has advised against eating more than one at a time.

Cancer Care Foundation dietitian Ko Hsiao-tung (柯曉彤) recently issued a press release to remind the public that zongzi is a high-calorie food, CNA reported. She said traditional zongzi are made of fatty food materials, such as glutinous rice, streaky pork, peanuts, and salty egg yolk.

She pointed out that ingredients for making northern Taiwan zongzi are stir-fried first before they are steamed, so they contain more calories than if they were just steamed. According to Ko, a savory zongzi can contain 500-600 calories, almost the same as a lunch box (biandang, 便當).

The same goes for sweet zongzi, as its stuffing is mainly bean paste. Oil and sugar are usually added to enrich its flavor, Ko said, adding that a sweet zongzi can contain as much as 300-400 calories.

Nutritionist Chao Han-ying (趙函穎) said that glutinous rice is not easy to digest and advised against eating more than one zongzi during a meal. She recommended eating two servings of vegetables and one serving of fruit while having zongzi to increase the intake of dietary fiber and vitamin C.

Diabetics and individuals with high blood cholesterol or cardiovascular disease should not eat more than one zongzi a day, she said, instead recommending a maximum of half a zongzi during a meal and having it with vegetables and fruit, per CNA.