Nutrition Information

Hello fellow foodies!

I know, I know. 2 posts in a day? I figured since I stumbled upon a very interesting piece of information I wanted to share it with all us foodies out there.

Chinese New Year is fast approaching. This also means the expanding of our stomachs for the inner sweet tooth in us. Pineapple tarts, kueh bangkit, love letters, cookies... Practically every household is BOUND to have a jar of CNY-related goodie on their table!

But before you gobble up 5 whole pieces of Godsent pineapple tarts (Especially the ones from SunnyHills Taiwan -insert extremely greedy emoticon here-), 10 love letters and 5 slices of fat-induced but OH SO HEAVENLY bak kwa, and hop onto a weighing scale a few days later only to scream in horror "How is it I've gained 1kg?!" I think we should all know what goes into our bellies and what doesn't really come out.

 Ready?

Culprit #1: Pineapple Tarts

We love them, admit it. We Singaporeans are suckers for buttery, flaky, sweet chewy goodness. If and when well done, the sweetness of the pineapple paste and the texture of the tart complement each other like peanut butter and jelly. Each mouthful screams more, more!

Calorie Count: 100g of buttery, chewy goodness (6 tarts) = 410 calories

Culprit #2: Bak Kwa

Bak Kwa; made of minced pork marinated in fish sauce, dark and light soya sauce, rice wine, sugar and honey. I happened to witness the grilling of these lovely fatty pieces of pork this morning whilst strolling in Parkway. How can you not love them? Better yet, how can you stop eating them?

Unfortunately, bak kwa is high in calories, sodium and sugar. It has no health benefits whatsoever (Unless you psycho yourself into saying honey has benefits) and is considered a type of heaty food in Singapore.

Calorie Count: 57g, 1 slice = 227 calories

Culprit #3: Prawn Rolls

As a kid, I never really loved prawn rolls. However as I grew older I began to appreciate the saltiness of the snack and at the same time, how the crunchiness actually added a distinct feature about it. But as much as prawn rolls look harmless, they are actually made of dried shrimps, dried chillies, shallots, garlic, oil, salt, sugar, spring roll skins and eggs. Sounds a lil healthier than bak kwa? Not really. They're deep fried in palm oil which is high in saturated fats and contain a high amount of sodium :(

Calorie count: 45g, 1 packet = 228 calories

Culprit #4: Kueh Bangkit

Eat too many of these and you'd probably be rushing for a cup of water thereafter. Nonetheless, these tapioca flour biscuits are a delight. Powdery but sweet, it's pretty amazing how one managed to come up with such a snack. However they're loaded with sugar and coconut milk, so watch out!

Calorie Count: 12g, 2 pieces = 46 calories

Culprit #5: Love Letters

Now this is something one would be able to eat 10 at a time without feeling so guilty. Your first thoughts would be Hey, it's not filled with any form of filling, it's simply a thin crust formed into a circular shape. So it shouldn't kill my diet!

Not really. Made of flour, coconut milk, sugar and egg, love letters are extremely high in calories, fat, saturated fat and sugar :( They're a littttttle bit better than the rest cos you're allowed to indulge in a tad more than 2 pathetic pieces of bak kwa, but you've been warned.

Calorie Count: 100g, 27 pieces = 410 calories

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So verdict? They're all okay. I don't believe in cutting any form of foods in our lifestyle. I've done that before and sure I was skinny but I wasn't happy. I stuck to salads and soups most of the time and I lost a whole lot of weight (Which made me unhealthy) but after a while I realised that we all need moderation in our lives. Have a cheat day once a week, or eat half a slice of that cake instead of a whole one to feel less guilty! Don't forget your fruits, veggies and meats of course. They're fundamentals into building a good body.

So there you have it guys, a mini guide what goes into your tummy. Have a great Monday!

PS: All images have been credited to their rightful owners.

Xoxo

Thehungryunicorn