8 Healthy Eating Tips for Chinese New Year by Dietitians

Lunar New Year is a time for family, visits and plenty of festive food. It’s easy to snack all day without realising it — especially when treats keep appearing on the table.

The good news: you don’t have to avoid your favourite goodies. With a few simple habits, you can enjoy the season while still taking care of your health.

Discover simple health tips endorsed by accredited dietitians on how to enjoy this festive season, especially if you have conditions like hypertension or diabetes, or other health needs.

1. Stay hydrated

Before heading out, drink a glass of water and continue sipping fluids throughout the day. During Chinese New Year, it’s easy to forget about hydration amid busy visiting schedules, long catch-ups, and moving from one gathering to another. If the weather is warm, you may also lose more fluids through sweat without realising it.

Mild dehydration can sometimes make it harder to recognise whether you’re feeling thirsty or just peckish. In these moments, you might find yourself reaching for “just one more” pineapple tart when what your body really needs could be fluids instead. While this doesn’t happen to everyone, staying well hydrated can make it easier to tune in to your body’s true hunger signals.

Follow these simple tips to make hydration effortless:

• Try drinking some water first, then see if you still feel like having a snack.
• Keep a water bottle with you when you’re out visiting.
• If plain water feels boring, add lemon slices, cucumber, or mint, or choose unsweetened tea instead.

This small habit can help you feel more comfortable throughout the day — and may also support more mindful eating.

2. Watch your portions

Instead of telling yourself, “I can’t eat any goodies,” set a limit that still allows you to enjoy them. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s to keep your day from turning into a nonstop snack marathon. Rather than agonising over a self-imposed total snack ban, try limiting yourself to just one or two pieces at a time.

Before reaching for food, take a moment to scan what’s available. Choose the items you truly want to enjoy instead of automatically taking a bit of everything. This helps you feel more satisfied and less likely to go back for repeated rounds of snacking.

When it comes to meals, opt for a smaller plate to help pace yourself and manage portion sizes. Larger plates tend to encourage bigger servings, and you definitely don’t want to overeat, especially if you have multiple meals or gatherings lined up. Eating slowly and mindfully can also make a big difference. Slowing down helps you savour festive treats and gives your body time to register fullness, making it easier to stop when you’re comfortably satisfied.

3. Snack less by not going on an empty stomach

Don’t skip meals earlier in the day to “save calories” for visiting. It may sound counter-intuitive, but arriving overly hungry often leads to overeating snacks. Regular and balanced meals help you stay more in control of your portions throughout the celebrations.

Eat a healthy snack, like fruit or a small handful of plain nuts before visiting. This helps to prevent overeating during your visit, as well as increases overall fibre intake to meet daily need.

While you snack, don't forget to keep a balanced diet of fibres, proteins and vitamins. These New Year goodies are not a good replacement of a proper meal so make sure to include enough vegetables in your meals!

4. Stay active

Don’t stop moving just because it’s Chinese New Year. Instead, opt for lighter activities. Staying active is important not only for weight management but also for your overall health.

Plan a workout schedule and try to stick to it. If you think you might not have the time (or motivation) to follow your usual exercise routine during the festive season, aim for a 30-minute walk on most days. Doing this first thing in the morning can help ensure that unexpected plans or distractions later in the day don’t derail your activity.

You can also build movement into your Chinese New Year routine. Take every opportunity to stay active — play with the kids, park your car a little farther from your destination, or suggest a post-dinner walk in the park with your family. Small bursts of activity throughout the day can add up and help you feel more energised during the celebrations.

5. Get enough sleep

Playing card games to the wee hours of the morning may be your yearly Chinese New Year ritual but inadequate amount of sleep can lead to bad food choices and cancelled workout plans. Research suggests that insufficient sleep may contribute to increased eating and obesity.

The occasional late night won't totally disrupt your health but be mindful not to have too many over the holiday period. Take advantage of any chance to have a break and stay hydrated.

6. Snack selectively

You don’t have to avoid CNY goodies — just be a little more selective about which ones you reach for most often. A simple rule: go for treats that give you more “real food” value (like nuts, seeds, or whole ingredients) and save the carbs-heavy, sugary pastries for the ones you truly love.

For individuals with diabetes or prediabetes, spacing out carbohydrate-rich treats and pairing them with fibre can help reduce blood sugar spikes.

Healthier picks to reach for more often:

• Plain nuts (e.g. almonds, walnuts, pistachios): filling and satisfying. Keep portions small because they’re easy to overeat.
• Mandarins and fresh fruit: naturally sweet, refreshing, and a great “reset” between heavier snacks.
• Roasted seeds like sunflower seeds: crunchy options that tends to feel more satisfying than cookies.
• Love letters (kueh kapit) in small portions: lighter-feeling than many buttery cookies, so they can be a better “pick one” when you want something crisp.

Treats to keep to smaller portions:

• Sticky sweets like nian gao: usually more sugary and easy to overeat because it’s dense.
• Buttery pastries/cookies like pineapple tarts, kueh lapis, salted egg cookies: delicious, but they add up quickly, so choose your favourite and savour it.
• Bak kwa: enjoyable, but it’s often higher in salt and can be easy to keep nibbling on.

Traditional Chinese New Year goodies are packed with sugars and fats, often containing very little nutritional value. If you’re visiting multiple homes, it also helps to have a “signature treat” plan — pick one must-have goodie per visit, and let the rest be optional. That way, you still feel festive without feeling weighed down by nonstop snacking.

7. Prepare a healthy reunion dinner

Homemade dinners are always the healthier option because you get to choose what actually goes into the dishes.

Here are some dietitian-approved tips to whip up a healthy yet delicious reunion dinner:

• Include a variety of colourful vegetables in your cooking to add nutrients and beneficial phytochemicals for the health of the family.
• As the Chinese phrase 年年有余 (nián nián yôu yú) goes, include a steam /bake fish dish for heart health.
• Choose lean meat and skinless poultry over fatty meat.
• Instead of white rice or bee hoon, use unpolished rice or brown rice bee hoon or wholegrain noodle as these whole-grains food have more nutrients and fibre.
• If you're having hotpot steamboat, prepare the soup base with soy bean and more vegetables, instead of instant or ready-made stock. This reduces salt intake and increase the soup's nutritional value for the whole family.
• When buying hotpot ingredients, choose more low calorie and nutritious plant based items such as assorted mushrooms like oyster mushroom, enoki, shiitake mushroom, black fungus, winter melon, pumpkin, tofu, non-fried beancurd skin or sticks, and tau kwa. Starting your reunion dinner with these high-fibre foods helps you feel comfortably full, so you can still enjoy the rest of the dishes without overeating.

8. Make simple “swaps” that still feel festive

You can keep the festive mood while nudging your choices in a healthier direction.

• Choose homemade iced lemon juice or chrysanthemum tea instead of sweetened packet or canned drinks.
• Put out a bowl of nuts so there’s at least more nourishing options on the table.
• Snack on fruits instead of carb-heavy tarts to keep yourself satiated and hydrated.
• Use sauces with the Healthier Choice symbol, as these are lower in salt or sugar.
• You can also prepare lighter homemade sauces. Try simple sauce combinations like:
  • Light soy sauce with lime or a ginger and spring onion mix with a small amount of soy sauce.
  • Fresh chopped garlic and chilli in black vinegar is another option that adds heat without feeling heavy.
  • You can also blend soft tofu with fresh tomato for a light, creamy dip that pairs well with vegetables and seafood.

These changes help you enjoy the celebration while keeping your nutrition habits healthier.

If you have conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol concerns, our dietitians can provide personalized strategies to help you enjoy festive Chinese New Year eating while managing your health safely.