Lunar New Year is an important festival for the Chinese, and everyone prepares lots of special treats at home for their guests. Most traditional New Year treats, however, are rather greasy, it is recommended to adopt the following principles when buying or enjoying New Year snacks.
Things to consider when serving guests with New Year snacks
- Conventional items in the assorted snack box (chuen haap) are mostly high in sugar and fat. Examples include candies and sweetened lotus root (tong lin ngau). Chocolates and sweetened coconut shreds (tong ye si) are also high in sugar and fat. Excessive consumption of these snacks is unhealthy for both adults and children. Dried fruit without added sugar is a good alternative.
- Melon seeds and nuts such as cashews, walnuts and pistachios are also very popular items in the assorted snack box. However, nuts and seeds are relatively high in fat, and some of them have added salt or sugar. Dry‑roasted nuts and seeds without added salt or sugar are recommended as healthier options, provided they are consumed in moderation.
- In addition to the conventional items listed above, healthier options include rice crackers and non-deep fried vegetable chips without added salt and sugar. They are tasty and nutritious.
Things to consider when eating New Year puddings
- Never underestimate the energy content of New Year puddings. Sweetened festive cake (Nin go), coconut milk pudding (ye jap go), and water chestnut pudding (ma tai go) are often loaded with sugar. Turnip pudding and taro pudding are rich in carbohydrates and are usually made with high-fat ingredients, such as Chinese preserved sausages and preserved meat, which greatly increase the energy content of these Chinese puddings. Therefore, they should only be consumed as treats, and should not replace our main meals.
- Use healthier ingredients when you make turnip pudding and taro pudding yourself. Use lean pork, dried shrimps and dried shitake mushrooms instead of fatty cuts of meat and preserved meat.
- Reheat puddings using low-fat cooking methods, e.g. steaming, microwaving, baking or pan-frying with non-stick pan and small amount of oil, to reduce the amount of oil used and avoid pan-frying them with beaten eggs.
- Limit the use of condiments and seasonings when serving the pudding, e.g. chilli oil, chilli sauce and sesame sauce.
- To avoid excessive sugar intake, reduce consumption of high sugar drinks, such as soft drinks and sweetened fruit juices, and drink water or plain tea instead.
Things to consider when enjoying other New Year food
- Crispy pastry dumplings (yau gok), fried sesame balls (jin dui) and sesame cookies (siu hau jo) are traditional fried treats of the Lunar New Year. They are high in energy and fat, and over consumption can adversely affect health. It is advisable to choose crispy and relatively low-fat items such as rice crackers and crispy rice cakes as healthier alternatives.
- Sweetened glutinous rice balls are another traditional New Year food, and in general, those without fillings are the healthier choice. Most commonly used sweetened fillings, such as peanut paste and sesame paste, contain high amounts of sugar and oil.
- For New Year presents, choose healthier foods, such as fresh fruit, tea leaves, dried shitake mushrooms and dried scallops.
(Revised Dec 2024)