Party menus always include salads, soups, main dishes, dessert, as well as a wide selection of appetising snacks to satisfy your hunger. Party foods, however, are always high in fat and salt content. Tammie, a registered dietitian (USA), shares with you the way to eat healthily while enjoying the festival. Tammie said, “Many party snacks, like deep-fried spring rolls, fried chicken wings, fries and samosa, absorb lots of oil after getting deep fried, hence high in calories and fat.” She recommended eating foods cooked by healthier methods such as steaming, grilling and baking. For instance, there are 273 kcal of calories in 100g of fries (Table 1), which are 3 times as much in baked potatoes of the same weight. Moreover, fries contain 15.5g of fat per 100g (Table 1), which are 103 times higher than that contained in baked potatoes of the same weight (Table 2).  For the soups, Tammie said that onion soup and mixed vegetables soup are much preferable than cream soups as cream soups contains mainly water and fats. 100g of cream soup with puff pastry, for instance, contains 130 kcal of calories and 8.2g of fat (Table 1), while the same amount of minestrone just contains 34 kcal of calories and 1.04g of fat (Table 2). For food selection, Tammie recommends a menu plan which offers plenty of vegetables and less meats. Apart from vegetable-based green salads, cucumber sticks, cherry tomatoes and carrot sticks are also ideal party snack choices. 100g of baby carrots contain 35 kcal of calories and 0.13g of fats (Table 2). As to main courses, baked turkey breast, baked fish fillets and vegetable pizzas are healthier options because they contain less fat than fatty dishes like fried chicken wings, rib eye steak and beef ribs. Desserts, delightful in taste and appearance, are always a hit at parties. Tammie reminds us that desserts are usually high in calories, fat and sugar content. 100g of cheese cake (about a twelfth of a two pound cake) contains 320 kcal of calories, 19g of fats and 19g of sugar (Table 1). Tammie suggests to eat an appropriate amount of fresh fruits or low-fat yogurt. Tammie added that we should beware of the sugar contained in drinks served in parties. For example, 100 ml of iced lemon tea already contains 8g of sugar (Table 1). Tammie suggests to drink water, plain tea or homemade fresh fruit punch instead. Table 1: High Oil, Salt and Sugar Content Foods Foods | Quantity (g/ml) | Calories (kcal) | Fat (g) | Sugar (g) | Sodium (mg) |
|---|
Deep-fried spring roll | 100 | 234 | 9.8 | 4.3 | 780 | Cream soup with puff pastry | 100 | 130 | 8.2 | 1.5 | 350 | Fried chicken wing | 100 | 319 | 21.06 | 0 | 701 | Cured pork hock | 100 | 171 | 10.5 | 0 | 1050 | Fries | 100 | 273 | 15.5 | 0.1 | 165 | Pizza with pepperoni topping (thick crust) | 100 | 284 | 12.49 | 3.02 | 617 | Cheese cake | 100 | 320 | 19 | 19 | 210 | Iced lemon tea | 100 | 46 | 0.3 | 8 | 0 |
Source: Nutrient Information Inquiry System, Centre for Food Safety Table 2: Relatively Healthier Foods Foods | Quantity (g or ml) | Calories (kcal) | Fat (g) | Sugar (g) | Sodium (mg) |
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Baby carrots | 100 | 35 | 0.13 | 4.76 | 78 | Minestrone | 100 | 34 | 1.04 | NA | 378 | Turkey breast (baked, lean) | 100 | 156 | 4 | 0 | 210 | Fish (baked) | 100 | 230 | 14.5 | 0.7 | 397 | Baked potatoes | 100 | 94 | 0.15 | 1.39 | 7 | Pizza with meat and vegetables topping | 100 | 244 | 10.9 | 3.73 | 589 | Yogurt parfait with fruit and granola (low-fat) | 100 | 84 | 1.01 | 11.68 | 49 | Plain tea | 100 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Source: Nutrient Information Inquiry System, Centre for Food Safety |
