Three days left until the beginning of the year, everyone will definitely eat a lot of New Year’s cakes when they visit each other. Which type of cake has the highest calories? Is there a specific time to eat cakes? This time, we invited accredited nutritionist Hu Jiaqi to reveal the calories of different New Year’s cakes for us, and share some healthy tips for eating New Year’s cakes and two simple recipes, so everyone can enjoy eating cakes during the new year with peace of mind!
Calories in different Chinese New Year cakes and pastries
| 新年糕點 (1 件, 約 50 克) | 卡路里 (Kcal) |
| 黃金糕 | 141 |
| 椰汁年糕 | 136.5 |
| 年糕 | 78 |
| 芋頭糕 (煎) | 80 |
| 馬蹄糕 | 80 |
| 蘿蔔糕(煎) | 65 |
| 蘿蔔糕(蒸) | 43.5 |
| 紅棗糕 | 95 |
| 奶皇糕 | 155 |
Which pastries have higher sugar content and why are they easy to gain weight?
Among the many common Chinese New Year cakes and pastries, the highest in calories is the golden cake, followed by the coconut milk cake. A piece of golden cake or coconut milk cake weighing about 50 grams is equivalent in calories to about half a bowl of white rice. In the process of making golden cake and coconut milk cake, a large amount of sugar, glutinous rice flour, sticky rice flour, and coconut milk (or coconut cream) are usually used, so their calorie, sugar, and fat content are quite high. Eating a large amount of these cakes can increase the risk of obesity.
In addition, red dates themselves contain natural fruit sugar, but in order to enhance the taste of red date cake, a large amount of sugar is generally added during the production process, so its sugar content is also very high. In addition, egg custard cake is made from salted egg yolks, coconut milk, sugar, and other ingredients, so its calorie, fat content, and sugar content should not be ignored.
Is there a specific time to eat cake?
Actually, you can eat New Year’s rice cakes at any time, but if you want to give your stomach enough time to digest, it is recommended to eat them in the morning or at noon.
Tips for Eating Healthy Chinese New Year Cakes and Pastries
If you want to eat healthier, it is recommended to use relatively healthier cooking methods to prepare Chinese New Year cakes, such as using a microwave or steaming, or frying with less oil in a non-stick pan, or lining the pan with parchment paper to fry, all of which help reduce the amount of oil used. In addition, when eating cakes, you can use low-calorie condiments such as soy sauce and fresh chili instead of sweet sauce, chili sauce, XO sauce, and other high-calorie sauces.
Additionally, if you feel bloated due to eating too many pastries, it is recommended that you adjust the amount of food in the first one or two meals after the indulgence, such as reducing the portion of rice to lighten the digestive load on the stomach.
Nutritionist Recommended Homemade Healthy Dessert Recipes
| 食譜 (一底份量) | 材料 | 做法 |
| 自製健康蘿蔔糕 | 白蘿蔔 1條 澄麵 4湯匙 粘米粉 170克 瘦臘腸 1條 瘦臘肉 1/4條 蝦米 4湯匙 清水 300毫升 冰糖 1粒 鹽 少許 黑胡椒 少許 | 1. 蝦米以熱水浸軟; 蘿蔔去皮並刨粗絲。 2. 浸軟瘦臘腸、蒸熟、切粒; 臘肉切粒。 3. 燒熱鑊，加入蝦米，臘腸及臘肉，炒香。 4. 加入蘿蔔絲及水，並加入冰糖，鹽及黑胡椒，煮大約5分鐘，關火。 5. 混合澄麵及粘米粉，並慢慢逐少加入蘿蔔絲中，拌勻成粉漿。 6. 把粉漿倒入錫紙兜中，用大火隔水蒸 30-45 分鐘，即成。 |
| 低脂芋頭糕 | 芋頭 600克 粘米粉 180克 瘦臘腸 1條 瘦臘肉 1/4條 蝦米 2湯匙 清水 750毫升 鹽 少許 糖 少許 | 1. 芋頭去皮，切粒。 2. 浸軟瘦臘腸、蒸熟、切粒; 臘肉切粒。 3. 燒熱鑊，加入蝦米，臘腸及臘肉，炒香。 4. 加入芋頭，略煮。 5. 加入水(份量蓋過芋頭就可以)，鹽及糖，煮大約3-5分鐘，關火，備用。 6. 將大約400毫升水加入粘米粉，拌勻成粉漿。 7. 將粘米粉漿逐少加入芋頭粉漿內，拌勻至濃稠便可。 8. 把粉漿倒入錫紙兜中，用大火隔水蒸1小時，即成。 |
Learn more: Kayla Ho – Accredited Nutritionist (Hong Kong Nutritionist Association)
“Home Nutrition Center” nutritionist, Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition from the University of Northumbria, UK. Specializes in designing simple and diverse menus based on each person’s lifestyle habits.
