Navigating Post-CNY Food Indulgence: Insights from our dietitian

After Lunar New Year festivities, the abundance of traditional culinary delights, such as radish cakes, rice cakes, and fried pastries, often leaves us with feelings of satiety and heaviness. Our dietitian has some advice to alleviate the post-CNY food overload.

Mindful Cooking Techniques

It is likely that there are leftover New Year dishes even though the festival has passed, be mindful of the way you prepare these to prevent adding excessive calories and fat.

Tips for healthy eating post CNY:

• Use healthier ways to heat up New Year cakes, such as applying non-stick pans, steamer, air fryer, microwave oven
  
  • Reason: The way of cooking can  increase the calorie content of food intake. 
  • For instance, pan-fried turnip cakes have a calorie content of 130kcal, whereas steamed ones have a much lower calorie content of 87kcal. 
• Minimize the addition of condiments served with the main dishes
  
  • Examples: XO sauces, chili oil, chili sauce 

Hydration

Being well hydrated is essential in everyday life and especially so after large meals during the festival. Here are a few tips:

Staying hydrated:

• When mildly dehydrated, the body can mistake thirst for hunger, enticing excessive intake.
• Water is an ideal choice of beverage when feeling thirsty as it contains zero calories.

Tea:

• If you are not keen on drinking plain water, you can also choose tea as another option.
• Black and especially green tea are rich in antioxidants.  For non-caffeinated options, there are selections of floral and herbal teas such as peppermint, chamomile, rose, chrysanthemum. 

Alcohol consumption:

• Alcohol is a high-calorie beverage that can significantly add extra calories.  Over consumption can affect blood sugar control and increase the risk of fatty liver
• Moderation is key.  Try to limit intake to a maximum of 2 drinks for men and 1 drink for women per day. 
• Consider alternatives such as alcohol-free beer, sugar-free carbonated fruit-flavoured water, etc.

A Lighter Diet After the Holidays

A Lighter Diet After the Holidays

• Adapt to a lighter diet after the holidays  
• Eat more potassium-rich foods as these:
  • Reduce bloating
  • Aid in the removal of excess sodium 

Examples: Bananas, oranges, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, etc

• Eat more vegetables and fruits to:
  • Aid in digestion 
  • Breakdown protein. Examples include Kiwis, pineapples, papayas, which contain proteolytic enzymes/proteases that aid in protein breakdown
• Include probiotics (e.g. yoghurt) to help:
  
  • Speed up intestinal mobility
  • Eliminate waste from the body
  • Reduce flatulence
• Be more active to:
  • Burn off more calories

Dish recommendations for a more balanced diet

• Pot of Mushroom and Tofu
• Vegan Braised Tofu with Mushroom
• Steamed Red Snapper with Ginger and Spring Onions
• Garlic-Steamed Scallops and Clams
• Poached Chicken

New Year’s Gifts

Dealing with the copious New Year’s gifts received is a problem for most households after the festival, especially if these are cookies, chocolate, and food items with short expiry date.  Next time when you buy gifts for your friends, you can consider nutritious foods and ones with a longer shelf-life.

• Select healthy gift choices 
  
  • Try moving a few steps away from the confectioneries’ section, there are a wide variety of healthy gifts to choose from if you look closely at the shelves of department stores
  • Healthy gift choices: Tea leaves, fresh fruits, Hoi May(such as dried scallops, dried shrimps, dried mushroom, sea cucumbers, fish maw, and abalone), non-fried noodles (such as shrimp noodles, abalone noodles), dried fruits (such as dried longan, goji berries, red dates), snow fungus, shiitake mushrooms, unsalted nuts gift boxes, and many more
• Do not over-buy New Year’s food and gifts
  • Buy what is sufficient for the course of the Lunar New Year

In summary, managing post-CNY food overload involves making mindful choices about cooking methods, beverage selection, and meal planning. By incorporating these tips from our dietitian, you can transition smoothly into a lighter and healthier eating routine after the festive season.

Articles on this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Matilda International Hospital and Matilda Medical Centres will not be liable for any decisions the reader makes based on this material.