A Hospital Authority dietician on Wednesday called on people to pay more attention to what they eat over Lunar New Year, saying people tend to gain weight or suffer health complications after indulging in various traditional delights.

Grace Lui, dietician in-charge at North District Hospital, said it is not uncommon to find a spike in people's blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels after the holidays.

"This is probably due to increased dining out at restaurants because the foods served at restaurants tend to be higher in fat, sugar, and sodium content, as well as overeating at get-togethers and gatherings, especially at family reunion dinners and new year feasts, as the dishes often contain lots of meat with little vegetables, or just in general eating a lot of high-calorie Chinese New Year cakes, puddings, and snacks," she said.

Lui added that people should enjoy their new year dishes and snacks in moderation, adding that those with high blood sugar, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, need to be especially mindful of what they eat.

"Now each piece of these cakes or snacks contain roughly about 100 to 150 kilocalories, which is roughly equal to about half a bowl of rice. So if you eat about two to three pieces in one go, that would equate to about eating an extra bowl of rice. And if we continuously eat them every day for about a week, then we would easily gain around one pound per week already," she said.

"That's why for these snacks, portion control is really important. We would recommend to have not more than one to two pieces per day."

Lui also recommends low-fat cooking methods, such as boiling or blanching, as well as including more leafy vegetables and natural seasonings and condiments when cooking.