Balancing food during festive season
Eating right during the festive season is not as difficult as it seems. Don’t forget to exercise, too.
Let the festivities begin! It’s the season again, and as beautiful decorations and festive music usher in the Chinese New Year, we wait in anticipation for the year to start afresh, with hopes for good things to come our way.
Hours before the big day, relatives near and far file in for the reunion dinner – the most important event of the celebration. A sumptuous meal lies on the dining table, a tribute to a year well lived and the opportunities that lie ahead.
While the good ol’ dietary advice could be roughly summarised by this rule of thumb: go easy on the fat, sugar and cholesterol, traditional reunion dinners tend to involve lots of meat and contain high fat content.
However, there are steps you can take to make the dishes healthier and maintain its fine meaning.
For starters, the reunion dinner, done in the traditional way, is actually close to one of the dietary ideals of a balanced diet.
The yee sang (raw fish and vegetable salad) starts off the feast with fibre and vitamin-rich vegetable shreds mixed with protein-rich raw fish strips. This is followed by reunion-dinner must haves – steamed fish, braised pork and sea cucumber, prawns, and mixed vegetables – taken with rice, and you have the whole package.
All the essentials in a balanced meal, from carbohydrates to fat, protein to vitamins and minerals are served.
“One of the things to remember is that we have to accept the fact that we may overeat, somehow,” says dietitian Teng Yu Yuet.
Whether it is the reunion dinner, or the cookies we pop in our mouths when we visit our friends, there is no running away from the abundance of food we have during the Chinese New Year.
“So, it is about how much we are overeating and how we remain active to burn off the calories we take during the season,” she explains.
Here are a few tips to eat heartily and healthfully at the same time from Teng and dietitians Koh Pei Ling and Yang Wai Yew from Sunway Medical Centre.
Choose wisely
Some dishes just does not taste the same without the fatty pieces of meat lathered with fragrant, oily and salty sauce. But you can either eat less, or choose lean meat instead. You can retain the flavour of the dish, but with less fat.
Those who eat out may not have much choice on what goes into their food, but choosing the method of cooking may make a difference. For instance, steamed fish contain less fat and oil than fried fish.
For those who prepare their reunion dinner, reducing salt in the sauces and adding more vegetables to the menu can make the dinner more nutritionally balanced.
As a host, you can be more mindful with what you serve to your guests. When shopping for snacks, you can add healthy ones like seaweed, pitted prunes and plain nuts to your list.
Eat moderately
A reunion dinner feast is alright for one day, but having the same meal over the next fifteen days isn’t.
Try to keep your calorie intake within your limits, and be mindful, especially when there’s lots of good food around.
You can check the calorie content of some foods usually served during Chinese New Year. Go easy on empty calories like soft drinks and packet drinks; opt for green tea or Chinese tea for a change. It is okay to let the children have some sweet beverages during the season, but remind them that these are only treats for the festivities, not drinks they should be taking often. This is to avoid them taking on the habit of drinking sweet drinks regularly.
Be mindful of your portion
One piece of kuih kapit hardly leaves a dent on your calorie count for the day, but if you take 20, be prepared to take a 71 minute walk to shake off the calories. The same advice applies for preserved fruits, coated nuts, bak kwa (dried meat) and kuachi (melon seeds). They may not be filling, but they too contain calories!
Balance your meals: exercise!
Add some spice to your holidays by organising activities that burn off your extra calories.
Organise basketball games with your cousins and friends. Take the family out for a walk in the park. Line dance, play badminton, go for a swim. It will add to the fun and meaning to an annual family get-together.
After the New Year, do get back on your regular exercise regime to work off all the calories you picked up during the celebrations.
Let the festivities begin! It’s the season again, and as beautiful decorations and festive music usher in the Chinese New Year, we wait in anticipation for the year to start afresh, with hopes for good things to come our way.
Hours before the big day, relatives near and far file in for the reunion dinner – the most important event of the celebration. A sumptuous meal lies on the dining table, a tribute to a year well lived and the opportunities that lie ahead.
While the good ol’ dietary advice could be roughly summarised by this rule of thumb: go easy on the fat, sugar and cholesterol, traditional reunion dinners tend to involve lots of meat and contain high fat content.
However, there are steps you can take to make the dishes healthier and maintain its fine meaning.
For starters, the reunion dinner, done in the traditional way, is actually close to one of the dietary ideals of a balanced diet.
The yee sang (raw fish and vegetable salad) starts off the feast with fibre and vitamin-rich vegetable shreds mixed with protein-rich raw fish strips. This is followed by reunion-dinner must haves – steamed fish, braised pork and sea cucumber, prawns, and mixed vegetables – taken with rice, and you have the whole package.
All the essentials in a balanced meal, from carbohydrates to fat, protein to vitamins and minerals are served.
“One of the things to remember is that we have to accept the fact that we may overeat, somehow,” says dietitian Teng Yu Yuet.
Whether it is the reunion dinner, or the cookies we pop in our mouths when we visit our friends, there is no running away from the abundance of food we have during the Chinese New Year.
“So, it is about how much we are overeating and how we remain active to burn off the calories we take during the season,” she explains.
Here are a few tips to eat heartily and healthfully at the same time from Teng and dietitians Koh Pei Ling and Yang Wai Yew from Sunway Medical Centre.
Choose wisely
Some dishes just does not taste the same without the fatty pieces of meat lathered with fragrant, oily and salty sauce. But you can either eat less, or choose lean meat instead. You can retain the flavour of the dish, but with less fat.
Those who eat out may not have much choice on what goes into their food, but choosing the method of cooking may make a difference. For instance, steamed fish contain less fat and oil than fried fish.
For those who prepare their reunion dinner, reducing salt in the sauces and adding more vegetables to the menu can make the dinner more nutritionally balanced.
As a host, you can be more mindful with what you serve to your guests. When shopping for snacks, you can add healthy ones like seaweed, pitted prunes and plain nuts to your list.
Eat moderately
A reunion dinner feast is alright for one day, but having the same meal over the next fifteen days isn’t.
Try to keep your calorie intake within your limits, and be mindful, especially when there’s lots of good food around.
You can check the calorie content of some foods usually served during Chinese New Year. Go easy on empty calories like soft drinks and packet drinks; opt for green tea or Chinese tea for a change. It is okay to let the children have some sweet beverages during the season, but remind them that these are only treats for the festivities, not drinks they should be taking often. This is to avoid them taking on the habit of drinking sweet drinks regularly.
Be mindful of your portion
One piece of kuih kapit hardly leaves a dent on your calorie count for the day, but if you take 20, be prepared to take a 71 minute walk to shake off the calories. The same advice applies for preserved fruits, coated nuts, bak kwa (dried meat) and kuachi (melon seeds). They may not be filling, but they too contain calories!
Balance your meals: exercise!
Add some spice to your holidays by organising activities that burn off your extra calories.
Organise basketball games with your cousins and friends. Take the family out for a walk in the park. Line dance, play badminton, go for a swim. It will add to the fun and meaning to an annual family get-together.
After the New Year, do get back on your regular exercise regime to work off all the calories you picked up during the celebrations.
MOHD ADHA MOHD ZAIN (ADHA ZAIN)
Blogger Informasi
