Preparing for pregnancy with New Year’s Eve dinner, avoid cold dishes and lettuce when pregnant! Nutritionist shares "Refreshing Fireside Menu" for healthy eating

The Lunar New Year is here, and every household is welcoming the Year of the Snake. Families gather around the stove to eat New Year's Eve dinner. It is a time for Taiwanese people to enjoy delicious food. However, if there are women in the family who are "preparing for pregnancy" or "in the early stages of pregnancy", they need to be extra careful about their diet. Nutritionist Tang Wei reminds that women who are preparing for pregnancy or in the early stages of pregnancy should avoid cold cuts and raw vegetables to reduce inflammatory responses caused by bacterial infections. At the same time, a "refreshing version of the fireside menu" is provided. Through healthy cooking methods, not only the whole family can eat healthily, but pregnant women can also eat with peace of mind.

Avoid cold dishes when preparing for pregnancy or during early pregnancy

The New Year’s Eve dinner table is rich, but if there are cold dishes and lettuce, you should eat them with caution, especially if you are pregnant. TFC nutritionist Tang Wei reminds women who are preparing for pregnancy or in the early stages of pregnancy to be especially careful with raw and cold foods, as lettuce may contain E. coli. Raw vegetables, especially cucumbers, are easily contaminated during the harvesting process and cannot be completely sterilized even if they are rinsed with clean water. If you want to eat it, you should choose restaurants and products with good hygiene conditions to avoid the possible presence of E. coli or other bacteria.

Eating unpasteurized food during early pregnancy may increase the risk of uterine and gastrointestinal infections and inflammation, affect implantation rates, and even lead to premature birth. Therefore, nutritionist Tang Wei recommends that pregnant women try to avoid eating raw vegetables and choose vegetables that have been blanched, such as broccoli, which can not only retain the nutritional value but also help promote gastrointestinal motility.

Eating order tips

Not only pregnant women need to pay attention to their diet, but eating a lot of meat and fish during the Chinese New Year will cause a burden on the body. Nutritionist Tang Wei recommends that everyone master the following "eating order" skills:

 Vegetables first: Eat vegetables 15 minutes before a meal. For example, blanching broccoli will increase the volume of the food, which can increase the feeling of fullness and help control the intake of starch.

Recommended order: first vegetables, second protein (white meat first), third starch (high-quality starch first), to allow blood sugar to rise slowly and avoid blood sugar fluctuations.

Control the portion: Whether it is the main course, starch or dessert, you should eat it in moderation to avoid eating too much food and worrying about leftovers, which will increase the burden on the stomach and have the opposite effect.

Pregnant women should try to avoid eating raw vegetables and choose vegetables that have been blanched, such as broccoli, which can not only retain the nutritional value but also help promote gastrointestinal motility.

Prioritize high-quality starch and then reduce sugar

The refined processed starches that are common on the Chinese New Year’s table, such as oily rice, rice noodles, and rice cakes, are high in calories and low in fiber. Nutritionist Tang Wei recommends:

•Choose high-quality starch: such as sweet potato, lotus root, taro, yam, etc.

•Rice mix and match: If you eat white rice, you can add purple rice which is rich in anthocyanins to increase the intake of natural plant nutrients.

•Reduced-sugar desserts: Sweet soups such as red bean glutinous rice balls, red dates and white fungus soup, can reduce sugar by 50%, making them non-greasy and healthy.

•Choose refreshing drinks: Replace high-sugar drinks with sugar-free tea or sparkling water to avoid unnecessary sugar and calorie intake.

Refreshing fireside menu

In order to welcome the Year of the Snake in a healthy way, nutritionist Tang Wei has specially designed a "refreshing menu" and recommended 6 healthy New Year dishes so that everyone can enjoy a burden-free New Year's Eve dinner with their family:

1. Steamed sea bass or cod

2. Stewed three fresh delicacies (without thickening): stir-fried shrimp with peas, yam, and carrot, or add blanched squid and cuttlefish.

3.Chestnut stewed pig's feet with Sichuan blanched cauliflower

4. Scallops and loofah (without thickening)

5. Mushroom and Vegetable Stewed Chicken Soup

6. Red dates and white fungus soup (reduced sugar by 50%)

Nutritionist Tang Wei reminds that pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant can enjoy their New Year's Eve dinner with peace of mind as long as they pay attention to their dietary choices, pay attention to the source and hygiene, and avoid foods high in oil and sugar. During the Chinese New Year, you may want to refer to the "Refreshing Fireside Menu" and the above dietary tips, so that the whole family can eat safely and healthily together to welcome the Year of the Snake and the new life!