Wonton wrappers: uses, nutritional facts, health benefits, and side effects!

Wonton wrappers are a staple in Far Eastern Asian cooking. These are filled and later fried, boiled, or steamed to give you delicious dishes.

But how healthy is the use of this wrapper? Are there any associated health benefits? What are the likely side effects?

Wonton wrappers

The Wonton wrappers are thin wrappers made from wheat flour. For this, the wheat flour is mixed with water and eggs to make dough.

This dough might have added corn starch or potato starch. One can roll thin sheets out of this dough to make the wrappers. Moreover, they are also commercially available in bunches.

The usual size is 3.5 inches a square. These go into the making of Chinese dumplings. The wrappers are filled with various stuffing such as vegetables, shrimp, pork, chicken, meat, etc.

The wontons are wrapped and served in a unique way that varies from region to region. In the USA, these wontons are usually fried or steamed. The steamed wontons are put into a soup and served. They add variety to the diet.

Nutritional facts

The amount of protein, fats, carbs, and other nutrients in this dish depends on how the wontons are made, what size of the wrapper is used in making the dumpling, and what ingredients are used to fill the dumpling.

If we just take the nutritive value, USDA states that 100 grams of it have 291 calories. The total fat in it is 1.5 grams and out of this 0.3 grams is saturated.

There is 9 mg of cholesterol in it. But the sodium content is high at 572 mg which is almost 23% of the daily requirements of this mineral.

Potassium is 82 mg while total carbs are 58 grams. Protein is 10 grams and dietary fiber is 1.8 grams. Additionally, this wrapper has calcium, iron, and magnesium. But there is neither Vitamin C nor vitamin B in it.

Dumplings are small and the calories and fat content depend on whether it is fried or steamed. Also, the fillings determine the number of calories and nutrients.

Extra calories can come from the soups in which they are dipped or the sauce served along with the food dish.

Health benefits

The food made from these wrappers adds variety to the diet. They provide energy in the form of carbs and fats. And if seafood, chicken, or meat is put as a filling, protein comes from there.

Additionally, when wonton soup is used, it provides vitamins B6 and K which are healthy for the body with a lot of benefits.

This vitamin B6 has a link with certain body cancer. People with low levels of this vitamin have a heightened risk of cancer.

And those consuming high amounts of this vitamin have a 20% lower risk of colon cancer, a study has revealed. But NIH feels that taking B6 supplements has no role in cancer prevention.

Furthermore, limited studies have shown the positive impact of B6 on cognition improvement. On the other hand, vitamin K makes bones healthy and stronger.

Read more: How to make Steamed Dumplings? (Spicy, Savory and Delicious)

But those with gluten sensitivity or intolerance and allergies to MSG or shrimps should avoid wontons. Moreover, the high sodium in this food can give rise to blood pressure issues.

The fats in fried wonton dumplings can cause an increased risk of heart ailments and atherosclerosis.