Taiwan warns against overeating during Mid-Autumn Festival — Taipei Times
In Taiwan, the Health Promotion Administration urged residents to monitor portion sizes and food choices during the Mid-Autumn Festival, when traditional feasts featuring mooncakes, barbecue, drinks and snacks can lead to excessive calorie consumption. This was reported by Taipei Times.
The agency’s director-general, Shen Ching-fen, advised adding vegetables, fruit and whole grains to the diet to maintain balanced nutrition and a healthy weight. According to the administration, a traditional 180-gram mooncake with lotus seed paste and pine nuts contains about 720 calories — roughly equivalent to two and a half bowls of white rice.
Advice on mooncakes and barbecue
The agency recommended checking mooncake labels and comparing their calorie, sugar and fat content before buying them. Mooncakes are also advised to be divided into smaller portions and shared with family or friends. Water or unsweetened tea is recommended instead of sugary drinks.
For festive barbecues, the administration outlined three principles: reduce the calorie content of dishes, do not eat charred food, and minimize exposure to smoke. High-temperature cooking can produce heterocyclic amines, while fat, meat juices or sauces dripping into open flames can produce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
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Food is recommended not to be kept directly over the fire, to be turned regularly, and to have burnt parts removed. It is also advised to increase the proportion of vegetables, mushrooms and baby corn, while choosing moderate portions of fish or chicken. Sausages, bacon and meatballs should be limited, and barbecue sauce should be used in moderation due to its sugar and sodium content.
Smoke and gallstones
The administration also drew attention to barbecue smoke, which can increase concentrations of air pollutants, including PM2.5, and irritate the eyes and respiratory tract. Well-ventilated outdoor areas are recommended for grilling, with the grilling area separated from the seating area and avoiding prolonged stays downwind. People cooking on the grill are advised to take regular breaks, while vulnerable groups should be especially cautious.
Yang Chien-hua, director of the ultrasound diagnostics department at the Lian An Health Center, separately warned people with gallstones against consuming large amounts of fatty food in a short period. According to him, fatty foods can cause the gallbladder to contract, stones to move and bile ducts to become blocked. At the same time, he stressed that meals should not be skipped either: prolonged fasting can increase the risk of gallstone formation.
