It's unclear from which year and onwards, Western holidays imported from abroad have become all the rage in China, with Christmas being a prime example. When Chinese people celebrate Christmas, they tend to focus more on the grandeur and fanfare. Don't be fooled by the fact that we don't have a public holiday for Christmas; as soon as December arrives, the entire city is filled with a festive Christmas spirit.
During the festival period, families gather, friends visit, and lavish home banquets add to the joy and celebratory atmosphere. However, with changes in lifestyle, festive dining should also strive to be scientific, hygienic, and healthy. So, how can one arrange festive meals in a scientific, reasonable, and health-beneficial way?
1. Skillful Pairing of Varieties
When selecting dishes and planning festive meals, in addition to focusing on color, aroma, taste, and presentation, one should strive for clever pairings of meat and vegetables, cold and hot dishes, coarse and fine grains, and dry and wet foods. Pairing meat with vegetables can stimulate the appetite and maintain nutritional and acid-base balance. In terms of the flavors of cold and hot dishes, not only should sweet and salty flavors be well-balanced, but also numbing, spicy, sour, and bitter flavors should be cleverly combined to achieve a full spectrum of five flavors, which is the key to a good appetite. Pairing coarse and fine grains means appropriately eating coarse grains and high-fiber foods to aid digestion. Pairing dry and wet foods mainly refers to a variety of staple foods, such as rice, steamed buns, pancakes, steamed buns, dumplings, tangyuan, and rice cakes; porridge, soups, and sweet drinks should also have varied types and diverse flavors.
2. Skillful Supplementation of Lean and Fat
Festive meat dishes should be few in number but high in quality, with a focus on pairing lean and fatty meats, leaning towards the lean. The flavors should be light, and it's better to choose beef, dog meat, rabbit meat, pigeon meat, pork, chicken, duck, and goose feet, as well as seafood and fish, which are not commonly eaten on a daily basis. Fish and meat should be primarily prepared by steaming, with minimal use of deep-frying and grilling.
3. Skillful Regulation of Snacks
The three main meals during the festival are often rich and greasy, so snacks should be appetizing, regulating qi, relieving bloating, reducing internal heat, and relieving dryness. For example, about two hours after a meal, you can eat some apples, pears, or bananas to stimulate the appetite and promote bowel movements. Eat less of snacks like peanuts, melon seeds, candy, and chocolate. It's best to avoid tangerines and persimmons. Additionally, preserved plums, hawthorn slices, and mint candy can be enjoyed in moderation.
4. Skillful Separation of Smoking and Drinking
During joyous festivals, it's inevitable for friends and relatives to gather and drink to liven up the mood. Moderate drinking can promote blood circulation, relieve fatigue, and speed up metabolism. However, one must never drink excessively to the point of intoxication. Especially heavy drinking while smoking heavily is extremely damaging to the body. Therefore, during the festival, one should refrain from smoking at the dinner table, avoid drinking tea while smoking, and avoid smoking while drinking, to prevent the liver, stomach, and lungs from being simultaneously harmed.
5. Pay Attention to Nutritional Labels When Shopping
After you have decided on your menu, you can start shopping. Remember not to go on an empty stomach to avoid buying a bunch of food not on your menu. It's best to use fresh fruits and vegetables as the main ingredients and avoid buying snacks and fast foods. Be sure to carefully read the nutritional labels on the packaging, choosing foods where the fat and calories per serving are less than one-third of the total calories (one gram of fat equals nine calories). Avoid buying processed foods, as they are often high in fat. Try to choose low-fat foods instead of full-fat ones. This way, you can set the first barrier for your diet and keep excessive fat away from you!
6. Use Less Deep-Frying When Cooking
For cooking utensils, a non-stick pan is better as it can reduce the amount of cooking oil used. At the same time, avoid deep-frying or pan-frying; instead, use roasting or steaming to reduce the amount of oil consumed. Also, try to use less sauce and seasoning, and use spices as a substitute. For egg dishes, you can use two egg whites instead of a whole egg. Before cooking, remove the skin from meats, as the skin layer usually contains more fat. Finally, remember not to prepare more than needed, otherwise, after all the hard work of cooking, you'll have to eat it all!