HEALTHY EATING DURING CHINESE NEW YEAR

Franco C
Feb 2, 2022
2 min read

Updated: Aug 21, 2022

Chinese New Year is here and it is time for merry-making and socializing. However, do be mindful of the risk of over-indulgence in your favourite food and snacks as you make your visits. Besides conforming to social distancing rules, take note of the calories as well.

It is useful to have a careful plan during this festive period in what you eat. Here are several healthy eating tips to get through your Year of the Tiger Chinese New Year celebration and other festive occasions.

Be Conservative on your drinks

Alcohol contains a lot of calories, so set yourself an alcohol limit mentally before arriving at a party or social gathering. A good way is to alternate alcohol with water, soda water or diet soft drinks. It is even better if you can switch sweetened soft drinks with diet options or stick to plain water.

Know your weakness

Most of us have a soft spot for something sweet or salty. If possible, try to refrain from eating them at all. It is more difficult to stop once you have started to try those snacks.

Eat before the party

If you arrive hungry to a gathering offering a buffet spread, the temptation to eat lots of good food can be hard to resist. The ideal option is to eat a healthy meal beforehand. If not, try to pick lean protein-based choices such as meat balls, prawns, lean meat skewers, sushi or cold rolls.

Adopt a Two-courses strategy

There is no need to miss out on delicious meals when eating at restaurant. A simple way to prevent caloric overload is to limit yourself to one to two main courses, for example entrée and a main course, main courses and a side salad, or main course and dessert.

Focus on lean meat and vegetables

Instead of carbs based items like pasta, pizza and rice-based dishes, select main meals that include protein-rich foods, salads and vegetables. To avoid unhealthy fats, stay away from deep fried offerings like chips, wedges, nuggets or calamari.