Celebrate the Year of the Ox! If you don’t want your waistline to get bigger, nutritionists will teach you 6 tips for healthy eating without any burden

The annual Lunar New Year is here, and it is a time for families to reunite happily. However, the New Year's Eve meals are inevitable. If you eat and drink too much without restraint, it may cause your weight to rise, your waistline to become thicker, and increase your health burden, which is not worth the loss. First of all, we need to grasp the following key points and let nutritionists advise everyone on how to eat healthily and without burden during the New Year holidays!

Eat a balanced diet and eat healthy, high-fiber fruits and vegetables are a good omen

When choosing New Year's dishes, people are advised to follow the principle of a balanced diet consisting of six major categories (whole grains, beans, fish, eggs, meat, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, oils, and nuts and seeds). As people tend to eat a lot of meat and fish during the New Year holidays, try to choose a variety of vegetables to go with the meal (such as long-term vegetables, radishes, bell peppers, broccoli, etc.) and whole-grain rice instead of white rice to increase dietary fiber intake.

Light taste without burden, less oil, less salt and less processing

New Year dishes are often high in oil, salt and thickened in order to be festive and delicious, which can lead to excessive intake of calories and fat without realizing it. Therefore, try to use steaming, braising, blanching, roasting, and cold mixing (such as steamed fish, blanched vegetables, roasted chicken, and cold cucumbers) instead of high-oil cooking methods such as frying (such as fried fish, pan-fried chicken, etc.), and try to use natural seasonings such as onions, ginger, and garlic to replace sauces (such as chili sauce, shacha sauce, and bean paste). When choosing food, focus on fresh original foods and try to avoid processed foods (such as bacon, mullet roe, sausage, ham, meatballs, etc.) to avoid excessive intake of salt and fat. Avoid choosing high-fat meats such as stewed meat and pig's feet to reduce calorie and fat intake. Eat less high-cholesterol foods such as offal (such as pig heart, chicken gizzards, kidneys) to avoid excessive intake and affecting blood lipids. Choose low-fat meat (such as chicken, fish, etc.), parts with less fat content (such as tenderloin, pork tendon, etc.) or partially replace meat with soy products such as dried tofu and tofu, so that you can eat healthily without burden.

Snacks are high in calories, choose carefully to have a good New Year

The most common thing to do during the New Year is to get together with family to watch TV, chat and eat snacks and candies. However, snacks (such as dried meat, biscuits, etc.), candied fruits, candies, etc. often contain high calories, high fat, high sugar and high sodium content. Therefore, it is recommended to choose natural fruits (such as oranges, apples, etc.), appropriate amounts of original nuts and seeds (about 7-10 grams per serving per day) such as peanuts, cashews, pistachios, etc., or homemade low-calorie snacks (such as wolfberry and white fungus soup, fruit jelly) instead. Table 1 is a table of calories per 100 grams of common snacks during the Chinese New Year. If you eat the following snacks, it is equivalent to eating about 1.5-2 bowls of rice. Be careful! It is recommended that you avoid buying large packages of snacks when purchasing snacks during the Chinese New Year. In addition to being prone to overeating, they may also be at risk of spoilage due to improper storage.

Hot pot is healthy, warm, diverse and happy

Compared to reunion table dishes with lots of fish and meat, hot pot is healthier and less burdensome, and is relatively easy and diverse to prepare. Vegetable apple soup can be used instead of chicken broth for hot pot soup, and vegetables can be used as the main ingredients to increase satiety and fiber intake, but whole grains (such as taro, pumpkin, sweet potato, corn, etc.) should be consumed in moderation to avoid excessive starch intake; low-fat fish and skinless chicken can be used to replace pork belly and beef slices; soy products should be selected as traditional tofu, tender tofu, dried tofu, etc., and high-fat ingredients such as 100-sheet tofu and fried bean skin should be avoided. Also, be careful to choose less processed food hot pot ingredients (such as meatballs, fish balls, fish cakes, tempura, etc.). In addition, it is also very important to choose the hot pot dipping sauce carefully, and try to use natural ingredients such as onions, ginger, garlic, etc. Many people like to dip shacha sauce, but although shacha sauce has a good flavor, don’t drink too much, otherwise you will easily consume too much fat and salt.

Drink alcohol in moderation, drink tea instead for good health

Do not drink excessively. It is recommended that men do not drink more than 2 alcohol equivalents a day and women do not drink more than 1 alcohol equivalent a day. 1 alcohol equivalent is equivalent to 375cc of beer, 150cc of fruit wine, 40cc of brandy and 30cc of sorghum wine. Try to choose boiled water, sugar-free tea (such as barley tea, green tea, etc.), freshly brewed unsweetened fruit juice (such as orange juice, apple juice, etc.) or light lemonade to replace sugary drinks (such as cola, plum juice, etc.) to avoid consuming too much refined sugar and causing fat accumulation.

Take a walk after the reunion dinner to help digestion and lose weight

Don’t stay at home all the time during the Chinese New Year. Try to go out to the suburbs to welcome the spring. Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Simple exercises (such as brisk walking, aerobic exercise) can burn calories and help control weight and maintain good health.

Final Reminder

I wish you all a happy New Year, good health and no worries. While you are together, don’t forget to eat a balanced diet with six major categories, less oil, less salt, and less processing. Be sure to eat more fruits and vegetables and exercise more, so that you can spend the New Year healthy and without burden!