Is it easy to eat and drink healthily during the Spring Festival? Just remember these few numbers →

During the Spring Festival, there are so many delicious foods and drinks. Who can resist the temptation? But if you are not careful, various health problems will come to you after the festival. In fact, as long as you remember a few numbers, you can protect your health while enjoying the food.

Follow 1 guideline

That is, the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)". This authoritative guideline clearly gives the recommended intake of various types of food. According to the guideline, food should be matched to ensure that each meal contains several major types of food, such as cereals, vegetables, fruits, meat, beans and dairy products , to achieve balanced nutrition. Don't just eat big fish and meat on the Spring Festival table. At least one-third of each meal should be vegetables, and then paired with fruits. This can not only ensure nutrient intake, but also promote gastrointestinal motility and help relieve constipation. In addition to common vegetables and fruits, there are many healthy foods suitable for the Spring Festival. For example, lotus root has a crisp taste and can be eaten cold or in soup. It is rich in dietary fiber, vitamin C and minerals, which helps promote intestinal health and enhance immunity.

Food pyramid (copyrighted image, reprinting may cause copyright disputes)

Remember " 7-8 " when eating

Eat only until you are 70% to 80% full. Don't be greedy when faced with a wide variety of delicious foods. Overeating will not only make your stomach uncomfortable, but may also cause diseases such as pancreatitis and cholecystitis . In addition to chewing slowly and using small tableware, there are many tips to control the amount of food you eat. For example, drink a glass of warm water or a bowl of light vegetable soup before a meal to occupy part of the stomach space in advance, increase satiety, and thus reduce the amount of food you eat at the main meal; eat high-fiber foods such as vegetables first when eating. These foods are slowly digested and absorbed, and can keep people full for a longer time, and then eat protein and carbohydrate foods; during the meal, put down the tableware every few minutes and pause for a moment to give your brain enough time to receive satiety signals and avoid eating too much without realizing it. When you feel 70% to 80% full, stop eating in time to leave some space for your stomach.

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Drinking should be controlled within 15-25

Control your drinking amount. Adult males should not drink more than 25 grams of alcohol a day, and adult females should not drink more than 15 grams of alcohol a day. This is equivalent to 750 ml of beer, 250 ml of wine, 75 grams of 38-degree liquor, or 50 grams of high-proof liquor for men; it is equivalent to 450 ml of beer, 150 ml of wine, 50 grams of 38-degree liquor, or 30 grams of high-proof liquor for women. Try to choose low-proof liquor and don't drink on an empty stomach. If you feel uncomfortable after drinking, you must seek medical attention in time.

Food storage time approaches "0"

Keep food storage time as close to zero as possible and avoid long-term storage. During the Spring Festival, each household purchases a large amount of food, and the food is stored for a long time, so it is easy to ignore safety issues. When purchasing food, choose a regular place and carefully check the production date and shelf life; when storing, separate raw and cooked food and refrigerate or freeze as required; processed food must be cooked thoroughly, especially meat and seafood; when dining out, choose a restaurant with qualified hygiene and eat less raw and cold food.

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Unhealthy snack intake approaches “0”

Try to eat less unhealthy snacks, and the frequency of intake should be close to zero. Although various delicious snacks are tempting, most of them are high in sugar, oil, and salt. Eating too much can easily make you fat, cause tooth decay, and may also cause high blood pressure. If you really want to eat snacks, choose relatively healthy ones such as fruits, yogurt, and plain nuts . However, nuts are high in calories, so you should eat them in moderation. Don't eat snacks within a short period of time before or after meals to avoid affecting your appetite for the main meal.

Finally, we must pay attention to the dietary needs of special groups. Different groups have different dietary arrangements:

Elderly: Digestive function is weak, so they should eat light and easily digestible food;

Children: Eat nutritious and easy-to-digest food, and avoid high-sugar snacks;

Pregnant women: Ensure balanced nutrition and stay away from raw, cold, spicy and pickled foods;

Patients with chronic diseases: Strictly control the intake of salt, sugar, and fat, take medication on time, and monitor indicators regularly.

For example, oatmeal is more suitable for most elderly people and patients with chronic diseases. It is rich in dietary fiber and β-glucan, which helps lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar. It can be eaten as breakfast. It should be noted that instant oatmeal raises blood sugar quickly, so try to choose whole-wheat oatmeal or products that do not contain added sugar .

The Spring Festival is a time for family reunion and a time to enjoy delicious food, but you must pay attention to eating healthy. Remember these few numbers and you will have a healthy holiday without worries! Hurry up and share this tip with your relatives and friends!

Author: Member of the China Science Writers Association

Reviewer: Wang Guoyi, Postdoctoral Fellow in Nutrition and Food Safety at China Agricultural University, Associate Professor at Beijing University of Technology, Chairman of the Elderly Food and Health Committee of Beijing Food Society

Produced by: Science Popularization China

References:

[1] China Food Composition Table

[2] Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)

[3] World Health Organization (WHO) research report on the relationship between overeating and digestive system diseases