8 Helpful Tips for Celebrating Chinese New Year - 健康新一年

With all the festive foods around, how do we stay controlled and still be a healthy-eater? Here are 8 helpful tips (8 is always a lucky number and it's symbolize for wealth):
1. Look for healthy alternatives: replace some of the high fat and sugary (empty calorie) items from your "Tray of Togetherness" with some healthy snacks choices such as: rice crackers, dried fruits such as apricots, wolfberries, cranberries, dates, blueberries; UNSALTED nuts such as almonds, walnuts, etc., which will provide more fiber, calcium, DHA.

2. Portion Control: since dried fruits still are concentrated in sugar and all nuts and seeds are high in fat, for those who have high blood sugar and needs to control their weight, portion control is utmost important. For example, limit yourself to only one to two tablespoon of melon seeds or nuts a day.

3. Modify food preparations: when preparing the turnip cake, try to replace the traditional preserved meat and sausage with Chinese mushroom, dried scallops and dried baby shrimps to lower the saturated fat content. Try steaming the turnip cake instead of pan-frying. For "nian gow", use microwave to first warm it up and then use non-stick pan to panfry with just 1 teaspoon of oil. Baking is also a good option.

4. Compensation: when eating the sticky rice cakes and turnip cakes in between meals as snacks, try to reduce the portions of grains and oil in the next meal.

5. Go for high Fiber foods: use more high fiber ingredients in the meaty dishes. Ingredients like black fungus, different types of mushrooms, and vegetables. Always start with vegetables.

6. Avoid overeating: before a big festive meal, always drink enough water, and try to have a fruit before you go to avoid overeating at the meal.

7. Save some room: Always eat up to only 70% of fullness.

8. 100 kcal rule: If you're watching your weight, try not to exceed 100 kcal from snacks (candies, sweets, cookies, nuts, seeds, etc) a day.

Interested in learning about weight goal and nutrition needs?

Schedule a free body weight and fat% analysis with Hazel at 626-283-5128 or email to hazel@smarteater.net.

健康新一年
新年期间有不少精致及传统的节日美食吸引我们的食慾。要在中国新年时节的饮食上轻松过关就要稍作筹谋了。以下有8个小秘诀，助你能在新春期间也能维持健康：

选择健康的小吃: 以低脂﹑低糖和低盐的健康小吃代替高脂肪及高糖份(糖份只含热量，并不含任何营养价值)，例如乾果、杏脯、无盐坚果，如：杏仁，核桃等，这些小吃都含有较高纤维素、钙质及DHA。

控制份量: 由於乾果含有糖份，而坚果类食物则含有脂肪，所以份量也需要控制，特别高血糖和控制体重的人。每天将乾果或坚果食物的份量控制於1-2 汤匙。

改良煮食方式: 减少食物中的脂肪含量，如於萝卜糕中加入冬菇、乾贝和虾乾，以代替高脂肪的腊肉或腊肠;以蒸煮的方法代替煎或油炸。年糕则可先用微波炉或烤箱加热，然后用1茶匙的油以不粘锅煎熟，也可以用烤焗的方法。

拉上补下: 吃完年糕或萝卜糕后，主餐应减少摄入谷类和油类的份量。

多吃高纤维食物: 菜肴内多放蔬菜﹐用膳时多吃蔬菜。蔬菜纤维成份高﹐不但容易有饱足感﹐对大肠也有清扫的作用，如加入多种菇类和蔬菜。主餐应先吃蔬菜以增加饱肚感。

避免吃得太多: 七分饱应该是每一餐的标准。

不要吸收超过 100 卡路里 - 要减重的朋友要紧记每天小吃(糖果、甜品、坚果等)的摄取量不要超过 100 卡路里。

想学习如何制订适合的营养减肥计划吗?请致电626-283-5128与吴希素注册营养师预约免费体重分析及订立减重目标，或电邮至hazel@smarteater.net