How can you choose New Year’s goods and dishes to feel at ease? Observe with your eyes, taste, eat in moderation, and maintain balance: 4 tips to stay healthy

The Spring Festival is approaching, and every household is busy preparing New Year’s goods and dishes. Hong Shengjie, a nutritionist at Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, provides four tips of "observation, taste, moderation, and balance" to help housewives and househusbands who are responsible for preparing New Year's goods and dishes. They should start from the purchase of New Year's goods, so that the New Year's dishes can be balanced and healthy. They can also grasp the principles of "food safety" and "health". New Year's reunion dinners do not necessarily have to be full of fish and meat, and one can also become a food expert.

The Spring Festival is approaching, and every household is busy preparing New Year’s goods and dishes. Nutritionist Hong Shengjie from Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital provides four tips: "Observe with your eyes, taste with your mouth, eat in moderation, and maintain balance."

4 tips for choosing New Year's goods to stay healthy

As the Spring Festival approaches, all kinds of New Year goods are put on the shelves in traditional markets. The dazzling array of products makes it difficult to know where to start. Hong Shengjie, a nutritionist at Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, suggested that in addition to seasonal fresh ingredients, there are tricks to choosing New Year's goods. First, "look" at the product packaging and color. When purchasing, pay attention to whether the packaging and labels are complete, and confirm the product's expiration date. He reminded that when choosing dry goods commonly used in cooking, it is recommended to choose ingredients that are close to their original colors. Those that are too white or bright may contain chemical additives such as bleaching agents, colorants or pigments. Secondly, you should not only look carefully with your eyes, but also rely on your nose to "smell". If the ingredients smell pungent, sour, rotten, or even too strong, it may be that the food has been spoiled or too much flavoring has been added. As long as you pay attention when shopping, you can ensure food safety.

Nutritionist Hong Shengjie from the Department of Nutrition at Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital provides four tips on how to prepare New Year’s goods and dishes, so that chefs can celebrate the New Year in a relaxed and healthy manner. (Photo courtesy of Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital)

In addition to "observing with eyes and tasting with taste", nutritionist Hong Shengjie recommends that we should also grasp the principle of "moderation and balance". He gave an example, saying that it is most appropriate to prepare New Year's dishes in "appropriate quantities" based on the number of family members. This not only reduces the trouble of dealing with leftovers, but also allows family members to taste fresh food at every meal. From a nutritionist's perspective, Hong Shengjie believes that there is no need to have fish and meat on every meal during the Chinese New Year. Maintaining a "balanced" diet is the most important thing. He suggested that in addition to meat, one can also add bean protein to the menu, or increase the amount of vegetables and fruits. This can not only help remove greasiness but also allow the intake of a variety of phytochemicals to maintain good health.

During the Spring Festival, there are many more opportunities for friends and family to gather for meals. Nutritionist Hong Shengjie reminds: "It is still necessary to maintain a balanced diet and a normal life pattern during the New Year." People with chronic diseases such as diabetes and kidney disease should be more moderate in their diet and must avoid smoked and pickled foods. In addition, he also said that the new coronavirus has not been eradicated yet, so when visiting friends and relatives during the Spring Festival, people should remember to bow instead of shaking hands, wash their hands frequently and wear masks to avoid being infected by the virus, so that they can spend the Spring Festival happily and healthily.