A Hospital Authority dietician has reminded people to watch what they eat during the Lunar New Year holiday as festive favourites such as rice cakes, turnip cakes or poon choi are usually high in salt, sugar and fat.

Sandra Lai said people should remember the "three lows" and "one high" when indulging in the customary feasting during the Lunar New Year holiday period.

"During the Chinese New Year, the main principles of eating we try to follow are the three lows and one high, with the three lows being in sugar, fat and salt and the one high being in fibre," she said.

"A lot of the dishes contain ingredients that are high in saturated fats, for example, pork belly or even Chinese sausages.

"And usually during Chinese New Year, the dishes are usually lower in vegetable portions."

Lai noted that overeating festive dishes that had comparatively high levels of fat and salt increased obesity and cardiovascular disease risks, as well as blood fats and blood pressure.

For cooking festive dishes for reunion dinners, Lai suggested substitutions such as using skinless chicken, fish, tofu and vegetable broth, instead of pork belly, processed meat and high-fat sauces.

When making poon choi, Lai said vegetables should be cooked separately because they absorb the fatty and savoury sauce.

She said people should go with only a modicum few slices of rice and turnip cakes at the dining table and not treat them as a meal unto itself.

Even better, baking or steaming them are healthier than putting them in the frying pan to cut out the oil, she added.

Lai also recommended fresh fruits and unseasoned nuts as a substitute for the Chinese cakes, buttery cookies or pastries traditionally consumed as festive snacks.



Edited by Thomas McAlinden