Diet and Nutrition

Choose and enjoy healthy snacks

Benefits of healthy snacks

• Replenish physical strength

• Replenish nutrients, e.g.

  - minerals

  - vitamins

  - protein

  - carbohydrates

Wisdom of eating snacks

• Eat regularly and between two meals
• Don't eat just before a main meal as it would affect the appetite
• Snacks should be light, don't eat frequently throughout the day

Options for healthy snacks

• When feeling thirsty, you can drink

  - clear soup

  - water

• When feeling a little hungry, you can eat
  

  - congee, noodles in soup, sandwiches, whole-wheat bread, nuts with no added sugar and salt, dried fruits with no added sugar, oatmeal, skimmed/low-fat milk, high calcium low sugar/no sugar soy milk, corns, fruits (apples, oranges, bananas, etc.), sushi

  - iodine-rich food including seaweed, eggs, milk and dairy products.

Snacks to be avoided

Food with high sugar content:

• soft-drinks
  
• candies
  
• ice-cream
  
• ice-lolly
  

Cause tooth decay and obesity easily

Food with high fat or high salt content:

• French fries
• onion rings
• sausages
• potato chips

Cause obesity easily. Increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes

Suggested menu for children's birthday parties

Relatively desirable snacks

Snacks to choose less

water no added sugar pure fruit juice high calcium low sugar/no sugar soy milk low-fat/ skimmed milk boiled potatoes/ sweet potatoes boiled chestnuts dried fruit chips (e.g. apple chips) no added sugar raisin boiled corn high dietary fibre biscuits assorted fruits platter bean curd dessert (less sugar) low-fat/ skimmed yoghurt fresh fruit salad (with minimal amount of salad dressing) cherry tomatoes tomato and egg sandwiches tuna fish sandwiches low fat cheese sandwiches vegetable salad (with minimal amount of salad dressing) nuts with no added sugar and salt sushi wheat bread plain steamed buns (man tau) iodine-rich food including seaweed, milk and dairy products.

soft drinks fruit drink (with added sugar) all sugary cartoned/ bottled beverages (including lemon tea) potato chips/ French fries prawn crackers/ prawn flavoured sticks fried cheese rings butter cookies/ cream-filled biscuits/ waffer candies/ chocolates ice-cream cream cake instant noodles, cup noodles, seasoned noodles preserved fruits deep-fired chicken drumstick/ wings sausages salted seaweeds curry fish balls spring rolls toasts with condensed milk and butter deep fried dumplings French toasts

(Revised in June 2023)

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