7 low fat CNY snacks for the weight watcher

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It’s going to be that time of the year again when we lose sight of our New Year’s Resolutions of shedding those extra pounds. Chinese New Year snacks are pretty high in the calorie count, so we’ve compiled a list of snacks that would help us be cautious waist watchers in this season of food and ang baos.

1. Turkey bak kwa

Chinese New Year without bak kwa is never the same. It’s lower in fat compared to the other kinds of bak kwa, gluten free and most importantly, as tasty as the average bak kwa.

2. Yu sheng, with less oil and plum sauce

If you sprinkle the oil and plum sauce sparingly, the Yu Sheng can be one of the healthiest things you can eat during CNY - especially when an average person has about two to three yu shengs each season. Salmon, varieties of vegetables and light crackers makes for a perfect salad alternative for the waist watcher during this season of feasting.

3. Mandarin oranges

You can never go wrong with fruits. Mandarin oranges are high in Vitamin C, low in calories and contain not even one gram of fat. If you've the irresistible urge to chomp on something, we recommend you putting mandarins nearest to you for the best waist-watching snack during CNY.

4. Baked fish strips with seaweed

These seem to be relatively new. They're dried fish cod strips, so think protein! The problem is that this snack is so addictive that we eat non-stop, only to have developed a severe case of dehydration. Dried fish cods can easily absorb water content from inside your stomach, so eat it sparingly, accompanied by the occasional drinking of water or any other form of liquid.

5. Sunflower seeds instead of melon seeds

Also known as the world's healthiest seeds! Try to opt for sunflower seeds as they're generally lower in saturated fat and sodium. They also beat peanuts and almonds in the low fat nutty category. Granted, the sunflower seeds may not be as tasty as the melon seeds, but they make for a much better substitution in terms of keeping your size in check.

6. Dried cuttlefish

These are great to nibble on to pass time during awkward silences between distant relatives. Opt out of the sugary ones. If you're in a home where you don't have the option of moving around much, so it’s quite a safe snack to be left alone with.

7. Kueh bangkit cookies

This definitely isn't one of the first to come to mind (actually, it doesn't come to mind at all). But the bangkit cookies are quite low in the calorie list. Surprisingly low. Even though they contain ingredients like coconut, flour, milk and eggs but it’s still safe to pop a couple a day!