Eat light New Year dishes and be healthy to have a happy New Year! Nutritionist: Diabetic patients should follow the dietary principles of "three lows and one high"

New Year is an important festival, during which people will reunite with their families and travel. The happiest thing during Chinese New Year is eating rich New Year dishes, playing games and eating snacks together, so everyone may accidentally gain several kilograms during Chinese New Year. Therefore, the choice of diet during the Chinese New Year is also very important. The main thing is to adhere to the dietary principles of "three lows and one high" (low oil, low sugar, low salt and high fiber), so that you can spend a happy and healthy New Year.

New Year dishes are mainly light

In principle, it is the same as the "three lows and one high" in normal healthy eating, and we should not relax during the Chinese New Year. This dietary principle is recommended for healthy people, people with three highs, and people who want to lose weight. New Year's dishes are often high in oil and heavy in flavor, and are cooked with a lot of frying and sauces, such as braised, sweet and sour, and honey sauce. The calories will increase unknowingly after frying and cooking with sauces, which will cause more burden on the body. We try to choose cooking methods such as steaming, roasting, and boiling to reduce the intake of excessive calories.

In addition, New Year's Eve meals usually consist of a lot of meat and fish, with a lower proportion of vegetables. Therefore, you can add more vegetables to the dishes, such as adding bok choy or bamboo shoots to bladder to increase the vegetable content. It would be better if you can avoid foods high in animal fats, such as animal skins, fat, lard, etc. In addition, ingredients such as cabbage and tofu can be added to soups, which are both healthy and beautiful. During the Chinese New Year, you can also choose mustard greens (long-lived vegetables), which are not only suitable for the occasion but also allow you to consume more green vegetables.

Reunion hotpot and snacks are high in calories, so be careful to control your intake

On New Year’s Eve, people usually choose hot pot as a symbol of family reunion, and the choice of soup base and ingredients is also very important for hot pot. When choosing soup base, it is recommended to choose light ones, such as vegetable soup, kelp soup, etc. It is recommended to avoid soups such as pork bone soup, spicy soup, etc., which are high in fat content and have high calories. When choosing ingredients, it is recommended to use natural ingredients and avoid processed foods, such as hot pot ingredients. It is recommended to use vinegar, light soy sauce and natural spices such as onions and garlic as dipping sauce.

During the Chinese New Year, a table full of snacks, biscuits, etc. is indispensable. Common snack biscuits include pistachios, potato chips, etc., which have a relatively high calorie density. We eat it while playing games or watching TV, and unknowingly take in a lot of extra calories. It is recommended to put the planned amount into a container first and finish the food in the container. This way you can better control the intake and avoid accidentally eating too much.

Drinking is inevitable when family and friends get together, but it is recommended to drink in moderation. Especially for patients with high triglycerides and gout, excessive drinking will aggravate the severity of the disease. In addition, alcohol is also a high-calorie food, so obese and diabetic people should try to avoid it. For beverages, it is recommended to choose sugar-free tea, barley tea, scented tea, etc. instead of soft drinks (soda, cola, etc.) to reduce excess calorie intake.

According to statistics from the National Health Insurance Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the most common disease in emergency rooms during the Spring Festival from 2017 to 2019 was gastroenteritis, which may be caused by eating too much, drinking too much, bacterial or viral infection, etc. Therefore, you should be careful not to overeat and drink during the Chinese New Year. It is recommended that you calculate the number of people when preparing New Year's Eve dinner and prepare an appropriate amount of food. This way you will not waste too much food leftovers, nor will you eat too much to avoid waste.

Dietary considerations for patients with chronic diseases during the Chinese New Year

 Diabetes

Diabetic patients should continue to adhere to the principle of "three lows and one high" during the Chinese New Year. In addition, they should also pay attention to the intake of carbohydrates that will directly affect blood sugar, such as vermicelli and root vegetables (sweet potatoes, taro, potatoes, pumpkin, yam, etc.). If you eat these foods, you will need to reduce your meal intake accordingly. Thickened foods and glutinous rice are high GI (high glycemic index) foods and should be avoided as much as possible.

 Hypertension

Patients with hypertension should be careful not to consume too much high-salt food, such as dishes cooked with a lot of sauces, marinades, pickles, etc. It is recommended to consume more fruits and vegetables. If you have diabetes, limit your fruit intake to 2 fists worth of fruit a day.

 Kidney disease**

Kidney patients should pay attention to the intake of protein and minerals. During the Chinese New Year, protein foods usually make up the majority and are heavily seasoned, so these foods can only be tasted lightly and the principle of a low-protein diet must still be followed. In addition, you should also avoid eating too much high-salt food such as marinades and pickles, as well as processed foods that contain more phosphorus.

Hyperlipidemia

Patients with hypercholesterolemia should reduce their intake of high-saturated fat foods, such as animal skins, fatty meats, lard, etc. In addition, baked foods and crispy foods should be avoided. Patients with high triglycerides should consume less fried foods, refined sugars, and alcohol. Nuts such as pistachios and cashews are high-fat foods, and it is best to limit your intake to 5-6 pieces a day.

 Gout

High oil, high protein, high purine and alcohol are all risk factors for acute gout, so gout patients should avoid fried foods and heavy meat and fish during the Chinese New Year. The most important thing is to avoid drinking alcohol, because it can easily cause the accumulation of uric acid and lead to acute gout. During the Chinese New Year, if you eat moderately, increase physical activity, go out more often and enjoy the scenery, you will feel refreshed and have a good year.