Healthy eating habits during Tet (Lunar New Year)

For children at risk of weight gain, parents should limit their intake of sweets and candies, replacing them with less sweet ripe fruits like grapefruit, oranges, and watermelon. At the same time, encourage children to eat more boiled green vegetables such as kohlrabi, cabbage, and chayote.

According to Dr. Le Thi Hai, Director of the Center for Nutritional Examination and Counseling at the National Institute of Nutrition, Tet (Lunar New Year) is a time for people to celebrate and socialize, but it also comes with endless parties. These can make you feel tired, gain weight, and even develop health problems...

Tet holiday meals are often excessively rich in nutrients. (Illustrative image)

Below, Dr. Hai offers some advice on suitable diets for each group:

1. Children

Daily diet is extremely important for children, affecting their mental and physical development. This is especially crucial during the Lunar New Year holiday, as children's eating habits are often disrupted.

Some children who are picky eaters or have poor appetites due to irregular eating habits may lose weight and become malnourished after Tet (Lunar New Year), or even experience digestive disorders due to overeating or consuming spoiled food. Conversely, some children gain excessive weight, leading to overweight and obesity. These children often consume too many sweets, sugary foods, and dishes high in fat and protein. Therefore, the number of children seeking medical attention for picky eating or overweight issues often increases after Tet.

To avoid this situation, parents need to pay attention to the following:

- For children who are still eating porridge or gruel, try to stick to their usual meal schedule. Avoid giving them sweets, jams, or sugary drinks before meals. This will make them feel full and unable to eat the main dishes, leading to picky eating and malnutrition.

- Children at risk of weight gain and obesity require special attention. Even during Tet (Lunar New Year), it's advisable to limit the purchase of sweets and candies. Simultaneously, children should eat plenty of boiled vegetables, as Tet already involves a lot of fatty and protein-rich foods.

2. Adults

To avoid gaining weight during this time, women should follow the motto "better to waste than to become obese." This means not overeating when you're already full. To avoid waste, buy only moderate amounts of food, cook fewer dishes in moderate quantities, and choose low-fat options.

In addition, avoid high-energy foods such as pork head cheese, fatty pork sausage, and jellied meat, and replace them with pork sausage or cinnamon-flavored pork sausage. Increase your consumption of fish dishes: steamed fish, fish stew with pickled vegetables, and replace battered fried shrimp with boiled or steamed shrimp.

Limit your consumption of sticky rice cakes (bánh chưng), especially fried ones. If you do eat them, opt for boiled or steamed sticky rice cakes to reheat them. After eating sticky rice cakes, avoid eating rice or other starchy foods. Avoid fried rice and limit your consumption of fried spring rolls, replacing them with fresh spring rolls or pho rolls that don't use oil. Eat plenty of boiled green vegetables such as kohlrabi, cabbage, zucchini, and chayote.

3. People with chronic diseases

People with nutrition-related diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, gout, etc., need to pay even more attention to their diet during Tet (Lunar New Year). This includes adhering to dietary restrictions, limiting alcohol and tobacco, avoiding sweets and candies, limiting fatty foods, and refraining from drinking coffee and strong tea.

In addition, you should drink freshly squeezed fruit juices: unsweetened orange and grapefruit juice, and vegetable broth. For overweight or obese individuals, those with diabetes or high blood pressure, it's recommended to drink juices from vegetables such as cucumber, jicama, carrots, and tomatoes. The simplest option is to drink warm boiled water or green tea.

According to VnExpress