CNY (Chinese New Year) calorie survival guide

The following is from Mind Your Body of the Straits times dated 3 Feb 2011, Thu.
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Note: The 3rd and 4th of February 2011 are the official public holidays for Singaporen Chinese to celebrate Chinese New Year.

CNY calorie survival guide

Chopsticks are poised. Appetites are at the ready for those traditional Chinese New Year delicacies everyone waits to dig into at this time of the year.

Yusheng, nian gao, kueh bangkit, shrimp rolls, love letters, pineapple tarts and bak kwa are perennial favourites.

What is the harm, you think, as you help yourself to yet another slice of bak kwa. This is the time of the year to indulge without guilt.

While there is no need to be a worrywart, consider this when you nibble on your next slice of bak kwa.

If you weigh 60kg, you would need to jog 30 minutes to burn the calories from that single slice of barbecued meat, according to figures from the Health Promotion Board.

The same goes for other traditional festive foods.

Here is a list of favourite Chinese New Year delicacies with feedback from dietitians on their nutritional value - to help you know just how much gourmandising you can do and when you should stop.

MANDARIN ORANGES
This fruit is low in calories and rich in vitamin C and fibre.
So eat your fill.
ONE ORANGE (116g)
Fat: 0.3g
Sugar: 10.6g
Calories: 51

PEANUTS
The thing about peanuts is that once you get going, you cannot stop. You usually do not realise how many you have eaten. Instead of eating fistfuls of these, dietitians recommend a mix of almonds, raw cashew nuts and groundnuts.
Peanuts are high in monounsaturated fat.
A HANDFUL (20g)
Fat: 10g
Sugar: 0.8g
Calories: 113

YUSHENG
This appetiser looks healthy as it is made up of slices of pomelo, red pickled ginger, cucumber, carrot, white radish, plum sauce, peanuts as well as Chinese spice powder, ground cinnamon, toasted sesame, crackers and fish slices.

However, the crackers and sauce contain quite a few calories. These can be replaced with unsalted peanuts. Add more fresh vegetables, less oil, less plum sauce, less pickles and less crisps to reduce the calories, sugar and fat consumed.

ONE SERVING (387g)
Fat: 42.6g
Sugar: 15.5g
Calories: 561

LOVE LETTERS
This traditional Peranakan treat is also known as kueh kapek or kuih belandah. Made of flour, coconut milk, sugar and egg, love letters are high in calories, fat, saturated fat and sugar, and can contribute to the risk of cardiovascular diseases and weight gain.

TWO PIECES (26g)
Fat: 2.1g
Sugar: 9.9g
Calories: 112

SHRIMP ROLLS
They are made of dried shrimps, dried chillies, shallots, garlic, oil, salt, sugar, spring roll skins and eggs. Commercially prepared shrimp rolls are typically deep fried in palm oil, which is high in saturated fat.

Eat them sparingly because they are high in calories, sodium and saturated fat.

ONE PACKET (45g)
Fat: 14g
Sugar: 2g
Calories: 228

KUEH BANGKIT
It contains a lot of sugar and coconut milk. The recommended daily serving is two to three pieces.

TWO PIECES (12g)
Fat: 2g
Sugar: 2g
Calories: 46

PINEAPPLE TARTS
Its ingredients include pineapple paste, eggs and sugar. This tasty pastry contains a lot of butter (fat). Consuming tarts in excess will lead to weight gain.

You can choose tarts with less sugar and which are trans fat free.

TWO PIECES (40g)
Fat: 8g
Sugar: 12g
Calories: 164

BAK KWA
It is made of minced pork marinated in fish sauce, dark and light soya sauce, rice wine, sugar and honey.

It is high in calories, sodium and sugar. Too much of it can contribute to weight gain and increase your risk of hypertension.

Bak kwa is considered a 'heaty" food in traditional Chinese medicine, so consuming too much may result in coughs, sore throats and ulcers.

ONE SLICE (57g)
Fat: 7.8g
Sugar: 24.5g
Calories: 229

NIAN GAO
This high-caloried treat contains glutinous rice flour, brown sugar and oil. Enough said.
ONE SLICE (20g)

Fat: 0.1g
Sugar: 7g
Calories: 46

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MONOUNSATURATED FAT lowers the risk of heart disease by reducing the total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol levels. Found in: Olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.

SATURATED FAT increases the risk of heart disease by increasing your total and bad cholesterol. Found in: Animal products (such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products and lard), and coconut, palm and other tropical oils.

TRANS FAT raises low-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol levels and lowers (good) high-density lipoprotein levels. Found in: Commercially baked goods (such as crackers, cookies and cakes).
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