Chinese New Year (often interchangeably called Lunar New Year or Spring Festival) is around the corner. What is CNY (or a vacation) without a big feast? Wherever you are and however you are celebrating this coming holiday, here are some tips for a healthier and thinner you:
- Eat the vegetables first. Always fill your bowl or plate with vegetables before eating other dishes. Enjoying vegetarian dishes such as Buddha’s Delight (with 18 different kinds of plant-based ingredients) is a delicious and healthy way to balance out the rich foods we typically eat during these celebrations.
- With anything high in sugar or calories, always start with mini “tasting” portions first. If something is divinely delicious, then have a second larger portion, but limit the bigger portion to a palm size for savoury dishes and 1/2 a palm size for desserts or sweets.
- Foods that are deep fried, batter-coated, starchy or drenched in a sauces should be avoided. Not only do these foods fill you up quicker but they are also packed with calories. Foods that are deep fried or with a crispy batter contain trans fats, which are detrimental to your health.
- Choose leaner cuts of meat instead of roast pork and remove all visible fats of roast duck or chicken.
- Avoid added salt or foods that contain sodium (found in savoury/ processed snacks). Too much salt or sodium can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
- An ideal CNY holiday plate would be around 50% vegetables, 25% protein and 25% carbs. If you decide to have an extra serving of dessert, skip the carbs (25% mentioned above) altogether.
Follow these healthy eating tips and let your fortunes prosper in the new year, not your waistline. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year!
Dr. Ardyce Yik ND 