Chinese New Year is right on our doorstep. For Chinese people around the world, it is the time of year for good company, reunion of relatives and friends, and delicious meals, cakes and delicacies.

Amid the festivities and feasting, it is easy to let down our hair and indulge in whatever is presented to us.

Here are 10 tips for enjoying the festive season without compromising your health:

1. Eat Plenty Of Fruit And Vegetables

Many vegetables that are used in Chinese New Year dishes have symbolic meanings. You can eat plenty of:

• Fatt Choy (black hair moss) – meaning prosperity. Although it has no nutritional value, it provides fiber.

• Spring onion – symbolizes everything is smooth sailing.

• Yu Sheng – Chinese New Year salad that is tossed high above to symbolize rising above yourself.

• Mandarin oranges – symbolize gold nuggets and good fortune.

• Lettuce wrap – for the Cantonese, the name sounds like rising fortune.

Most of these vegetable dishes are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and help in digestion.

2. Do Not Visit On An Empty Stomach

When you are hungry, you tend to overeat without thinking. Have a light meal or healthy snack of apple, banana or nuts before visiting or in between visits.

3. Be Selective

Limit your intake of meat – such as pork and chicken – and seafood, especially when they are deep-fried. They are high in saturated fat. Choose nuts and seeds over sugary pineapple tarts and bak kwa (barbecued pork).

4. Drink Plenty Of Water

Water keeps you from becoming dehydrated when you do home visits and helps to flush out the toxins accumulated from the feasting. Choose plain water over sugary drinks and alcohol.

5. Use A Small Plate

Big plates encourage you to pile on a bigger quantity of food.

6. Leave Some Room

Eat up to 70% of fullness and eat slowly. Eating slowly will give the brain time to register that you are full, so you will not overeat.

7. Ration Yourself

If you are moving from one house to another and eating everything that is offered in each house, you will definitely overeat. Ration yourself the amount you should eat per household. You should aim to eat a total of not more than 2000 calories in a day.

Below are examples of the calories of the common foods you will find:

• Bak Kwa – 1 piece, 37g, 228 kcal

• Mandarin orange, 1 fruit, 116g, 37 kcal

• Nian gao, 1 portion, 423g, 977 kcal

• Pineapple tarts, 1 piece, 5g, 23 kcal.

8. Stay Active

Do not forget your exercise regimens. The holiday season is no excuse to slack. Don’t forget that you will be eating more calories and if you do not burn them off with exercise, they will be stored as fat.

9. Provide Healthier Choices For Your Guests

If you are hosting, offer a variety of healthy nuts, salads and fruit in addition to the rich cakes and pastries. Make a jug of healthy ice lemon tea rather than serving sugary drinks.

10. Put Them Altogether

You can apply all these tips together and achieve a multi-prong approach to achieving healthy eating. There is always the possibility to succumb to temptation, but when applying all these tips together, each can reinforce the other and prevent you from overeating – yet allowing you to enjoy your holiday.

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