There is an increasing number of people ordering “Poon Choi”to eat at home during Chinese Year-end and Chinese New Year. Restaurants offer a variety of Poon Choi to cater for different needs in the market. How should we eat enjoyably and healthily at the same time?
When ordering Poon Choi......
| Consume in a Smaller Portion |
Generally, the average Poon Choi portion for each person exceeds what he/ she should have in a meal. It is recommended to order in a smaller portion (e.g. 6 people order a 4-people portion), and consume meat, seafood, and beans related products in moderation. |
| Choose Ingredients Lower in Fat |
Poon Choi consists of a lot of ingredients. Preferably eat only those containing less fat, and free of deep-fried and faux meat items. Ingredients such as brisket, chicken with skin, goose feet, deep-fried tofu puff, deep-fried bean curd sticks and pork skin are usually high in fat. Dace fish ball, dried oyster, shrimp, sliced abalone, shitake mushroom are relatively lower in fat. If possible, substitute the high-fat ingredients with lean meat to reduce fat intake. |
| Separate Ingredients from Sauce |
A lot of seasoning is used when preparing Poon Choi, e.g. oyster sauce, red fermented bean curd, and Chu Hou sauce. To reduce salt intake when ordering Poon Choi, ask for the sauce to be separately served without ordering extra sauce or gravy. |
When eating Poon Choi......
| Add Grains and Vegetables |
Remember that we should mainly base our diets on grains and cereals, followed by vegetables and meat the least. Eat more grains and cereals (e.g. white or brown rice, udon, rice vermicelli), and blanched vegetables to avoid excessive meat intake. |
| Peel the Skin and Trim the Fat Off |
Avoid eating all visible fat from meat and poultry skin such as fatty meat, roast duck skin, and chicken skin. |
| Avoid Sauce |
The sauce of Poon Choi contains a lot of fat, salt and sugar. Do not serve rice with the sauce or heat up extra grains and vegetables in Poon Choi pot. |
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