If you want to annoy a recent immigrant from China, be sure to mention to them that egg rolls are your favorite form of Chinese food. If the person you’re assailing with your poor culinary taste even knows what you’re alluding to, they’ll probably be quick to inform you that egg rolls are an illegitimate form of Chinese food — having been invented (most likely) in New York City during the 1930s — and have no authentic link to classic, mainland Chinese cuisine. And, if they want to be technical, they may even point out that the name “egg roll” is an obvious misnomer insofar as most egg rolls incorporate no form of egg in their creation, neither in the filling, nor the wrapping.
Of course, you don’t care about any of this, do you? All you want to know is how a seemingly benign food item composed principally of low-calorie vegetables, a teensy bit of meat and a smattering of flour could possibly be unhealthy.
But egg rolls are anything but healthy. They’re wrapped in dough and deep-fried. The result is an appetizer that packs more than 220 calories and 10 grams of fat in each one. And that doesn’t include the sweet dipping sauce.
Exactly! Everything inside of an egg roll is healthy, so how could it possibly be unhealthy?
I can understand why you might think an egg roll would be healthy. When you crack one open and examine its contents, it’s essentially a bunch of chopped-up vegetables, pork and seasoning. From there, it’s tightly wrapped and bound by a flour tortilla.
If we left it there, all would be right with the world. However, we all know the reason we’re obligated to “crack” the egg roll open to begin with is because it’s been deep fried. Owing to the deep-frying element of its preparation, all of the true nutrient value of the egg roll is fried straight to oblivion.
What is so bad about deep frying?
Where should I begin?
Straight out of the gate, frying food depletes much of its vitamin content. For example, if you take a vitamin A treasure trove like a sweet potato, and then you dice it up and submerge it in oil to be served as a side dish alongside a burger, the vitamin A content of that sweet potato would be expected to plummet. While all cooking methods automatically cause nutrient degradation in most foods, studies have demonstrated that frying causes significantly greater nutrient depletion than other cooking methods.
So when you take the most prominent vegetable found in an egg roll — the cabbage — which has very little macronutrient value except for some vitamin C and vitamin K, and you fry it in hot oil, what emerges is essentially a steamy pocket of roughage and not much else.
Aside from stripping away nutrients from your food, the deep-frying process also causes the food contents to absorb additional fat, which isn’t an altogether bad thing, but it can take what would otherwise have been 70 combined calories worth of cabbage, carrots and pork, and elevate them into the 150-to-200-calorie range. Four egg rolls later, and you’ve ingested 600 to 800 calories worth of a pre-meal appetizer, and that’s before you’ve chowed down on the almond chicken and beef-fried rice.
Are Dollar Tree Egg Rolls Good?
FAQ
Is eating egg roll good for health?
Are egg rolls or spring rolls healthy?
What food group is egg rolls in?
Are egg roll wrappers unhealthy?
Are egg rolls junk food?
Unfortunately, egg rolls are considered junk food due to their high fat and calorie content. A single egg roll contains around 220 calories and 10 grams of fat, not including the dipping sauce which adds even more calories.
Is junk food healthy in any way?
Junk food is by no means healthy. This food generally has an excess of saturated fats, sodium, and sugars. Scientific evidence suggests that the frequent consumption of junk food contributes to the increase in overweight, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
Do egg rolls have meat?
That depends on where you order your egg rolls, as they can contain various fillings. Most egg rolls contain some kind of meat. Ground or roast pork is typically used, but you will also find egg rolls filled with duck, chicken, beef, or shrimp. They also contain various vegetables, such as shredded carrots, scallions, celery, and cabbage.
Are egg rolls bad for You?
The dough is deep-fried, making it high in trans fats and saturated fats which can lead to health problems like heart disease if consumed in large amounts. While egg rolls may be delicious, they should be eaten in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Are Spring Rolls Considered Junk Food?