How many calories are in your favourite CNY snacks?

Peanuts have good amounts of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, but they are also high in calories. Compared to most other Chinese New Year snacks, peanuts are healthy as they contain protein and some vitamins, but eating too many can make you pack on the pounds. It’s best to eat no more than a small handful.

Breakdown (20g portion):

Calories – 113
Fat – 10g
Sugar – 0.8g

This crisp, rolled cookie is made with coconut milk, flour, sugar and eggs. Because love letters are so light tasting and melt in your mouth in seconds, it’s easy to assume that they’re low in calories, but surprise, they are actually calorie bombs.

Breakdown (2 rolls):

Calories – 112
Fat – 2.1g
Sugar – 9.9g

Made from minced pork blended with salt, soya sauce, sugar and honey, this barbecued pork jerky is sticky, chewy and oh-so moreish. It’s impossible to stop at one slice, but you should, because this treat is high in saturated fat and sugar. Here’s a shocking fact: Just two slices of bak kwa have almost the same number of calories as a plate of chicken rice!

Breakdown (one square slice):

Calories – 229
Fat – 7.8g
Sugar – 24.5g

(Here are “9 Unusual Bak Kwa Flavours To Try This CNY“)

Also known as kok chai, these fried snacks are Cantonese in origin. The pastry is made with flour, eggs and fat (butter, margarine or lard), and the filling contains peanuts, sesame seeds, sugar and oil. Commercial peanut puffs are usually deep-fried in palm oil.

Breakdown (four puffs):

Calories – 156

The pineapple filling is high in sugar, while the pastry, which contains flour, butter and eggs, is high in fat. Don’t be deceived by their small size – too many of these fruity, buttery treats can lead to weight gain. If you make your own tarts, you can control the amount of sugar in the filling. Local bakery, Delcie’s Desserts and Cakes (www.delcies.com) makes eggless pineapple tarts as well eggless and low-sugar pineapple balls.

Breakdown (one 20g tart):

Calories – 82
Fat – 4g
Sugar – 6g

These tiny, spring roll-like snacks are made with dried prawns, chillies, garlic, oil, salt and sugar. Unless they are homemade, they are likely to have been deep-fried in palm oil, which, due to its high saturated fat content, can increase one’s risk of heart disease. The high sodium content can also contribute to that risk.

Breakdown (45g portion or 10 rolls):

Calories – 228
Fat – 14g
Sugar – 2g

Like love letters, these traditional cookies melt instantly on the tongue and are easy to eat. The main ingredients in kueh bangkit are coconut cream, sugar, tapioca starch and flour.

Breakdown (two cookies, about 6g each):

Calories – 46
Fat – 2g
Sugar – 2g

These bite-size cookies contain butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and of course, cashew nuts, making them high in fat and sugar. Tip: You’re better off satisfying your cashew craving with a small handful of dry roasted, unsalted cashew nuts.

Breakdown (one cookie):

Calories – 62

Slices of raw fish, salad vegetables, spices, sesame seeds… It all sounds healthy, but add the plum sauce, oil and “golden pillow” crackers, and you’ve got one high-fat, high-sugar appetiser on your hands. Fortunately, you can control the nutritional value of this popular dish by reducing the amount of oil and plum sauce used, using less pickles, adding more veggies, and replacing half or all of the crunchy crackers with unsalted nuts. Get chef-recommended tips to make a healthier yu sheng here.

Breakdown (one 385g portion):

Calories – 560
Fat – 42g
Sugar – 15g

This Chinese sticky cake is made with glutinous rice flour, sugar and oil. It can be eaten steamed, which is of course the healthier option, but it is typically served pan-fried (after being dipped in egg).

Breakdown (one 20g steamed slice):

Calories – 46
Fat – 0.1g
Sugar – 7g

These are by far the healthiest of all the Chinese New Year treats, as they are unprocessed, low in fat, and contain vitamins and minerals. But, as they are high in natural sugar (fructose), you should avoid going overboard.

Breakdown (one whole orange):

Calories – 50
Fat – 0.3g
Sugar – 10.6g

These are deep-fried before being coated with honey or sugar syrup, making them high in fat and sugar calories.

Breakdown (100g portion):

Calories – 510
Fat – 14.9g

They are small and minimally processed, so they can’t be that bad, right? Unfortunately, like other seeds and nuts, melon seeds are fattening if consumed in large quantities – and they usually are, so try not to eat the whole bag.

Breakdown (100g portion):

Calories – 258

The average person requires about 1,500 to 1,800 calories a day, depending on his or her activity level. Munching on festive goodies all day long can easily cause you to exceed this limit, so be mindful about your snack selections and portion sizes.

According to the Health Promotion Board, a 60kg person would have to jog for about 21 minutes to burn off the calories in just three love letters, 31 minutes to burn off the calories in three pineapple tarts, and 47 minutes to burn off the calories in a 94g slice of bak kwa. That’s a fair bit of exercise to negate the calories from those easy-to-eat snacks!

Do not show up at someone’s house on an empty stomach. You’ll just be setting yourself up for a day of binge eating. Before you head out to visit family and friends, or in-between visits, fill your tummy with something healthy, like a banana, a bowl of high-fibre cereal, an omelette, or a yogurt smoothie.

This will help you manage your portion sizes better.

Your brain takes about 20 minutes to register that your stomach is full, so the longer you take to eat, the less you will eat.

A few glasses or beer or wine can push your calorie intake over the limit. Stick to sparkling water, diet soft drinks, or plain tea or coffee. If you really must have a glass of alcohol, sip on it slowly to make it last.

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