Pinoy cuisine is dangerous to health particularly because the best dishes are often high in cholesterol. The logic should be that these should be taken occasionally. Thus, we indulged in favorites for this meal at Fork N Dagger.
Aligue fried rice is enriched with the flavor of crab fat. The four cups of cooked rice is sauteed with garlic and a tablespoon or two of the crab fat. According to online sources, crab is rich in Vitamin B12, niacin, selenium, folate, iron, and zinc.
A cup of crab is said to contain 112 calories, 24 grams of protein, and less than one gram of fat. This also has high-levels of omega-3 fatty acids which benefits the heart because it lowers triglycerides, reduces blood clotting, and makes it less likely to develop irregular heartbeat. This also prevents vitamin deficiency anemia because of Vitamin B12 and folate.
Rice has 130 calories for 100 grams and vegetable oil is 120 calories per tablespoon or with olive oil at 119 calories. But we have reduced the carbohydrates in the meals and can take this sparingly. There will be 390 for 300 grams of rice, 120 calories for 1 tablespoon of oil, and 51 calories for the crab fat or a total of 551 calories.
Crispy porkbelly sinigang was something new because this sour soup cannot contain crispy pork according to our standards. Indeed the recipe had fried pork belly as the main ingredient added to the soup made with tamarind for the tart. Vegetables included are eggplants and string beans with green onions. According to health sources, 900 grams of the fried pork belly contains 380 calories, 29 g fat, and 26 g protein. The pork will be estimated at 300 grams at 120 calories as more substantial.
Chicharon bulaklak is another favorite as a main dish in my Pilipino cuisine trip. The pork intestines are boiled, split open, and cut into bite sizes. These were rolled in flour before these were deep fried. The health profile of one ounce of pork intestine has 52 calories that has 4.71 fat, 44 mg cholesterol, and 2.17 g of protein. This sends warnings to limit consumption of this food. If there are 16 ounces in one pound or .45 kg, this means 832 calories if almost half kilo is eaten or shall we say half which is estimated at 416 calories.
The butter and garlic seafood platter was the most awaited part of the meal. This had crab, shrimps, squid, and mussels. The crabs laced with butter may have slightly higher calories with 717 calories per 100 grams. Shrimps that are also cooked in the butter contain 99 calories per 100 grams, 189 mg cholesterol, sodium at 111 mg, potassium 259 mg, and protein at 24 g. Squid has 175 calories per 100 grams, cholesterol at 260 mg, sodium at 306 mg, potassium 279 mg, and protein at 18 g.
The mussels on the other hand at 100 grams have 86 calories, 2.24 g fat, 3.69 g carbohydrates, and 11.9 g protein. In nutrients, sodium is 286 mg and 320 mg of potassium. This confirms the needed sodium and potassium required by the body are from these seafoods. In this dish we estimate 100 grams as the estimated consumption, 717 for crabs, 99 for shrimps, 175 for squid, and 86 for mussels that total 1,077 calories. To add butter at 102 per tablespoon gives us 1,179 calories.
If a woman should consume 2,000 calories and a man 2,500 calories a day, this meal gives an average of 2,266 calories per 300 grams of rice and 300 gram of pork belly, 200 grams pork intestines, 100 grams of crabs, 100 grams of shrimps, 100 grams of squid, and 100 grams of mussels. This Pinoy meal exceeds the required calories for the day. But who says one cannot cheat on this occasion.
– Nonnette C. Bennett
