How Many Calories Are In Your CNY Snacks?
You may be surprised by some of them
By The Weekly team -
Lunar New Year usually heralds a time of feasting for most of us. Pineapple tarts. Bak kwa. Love letters. Kueh lapis. While these yearly treats are very much welcomed by our taste buds, they are also laden with a disproportionately high amount of fat, sugar and calories. There's a reason why they are so addictive, right?
The trick is to eat selectively and in moderation, to avoid unwanted weight gain. Also, try to keep up with your exercise regime, adopting the anything-is-better-than-nothing mindset.
No time to hit the gym? Try walking off the calories. Here, we've listed the calorie count of 10 popular Chinese New Year snacks, plus how long you'll need to walk to burn off those extra calories.
Nutrient info is from the Health Promotion Board. Calorie calculations are based on a 60kg woman walking at a moderate pace of 4.8km/h, via MyFitnessPal.
What’s Chinese New Year without some tasty, buttery pineapple tarts? Savour every bite of these though, because just four pieces of pineapple tarts already contain more calories than a bowl of rice.
You need to walk for 28 minutes to burn off the calories.
These slices of barbequed pork jerky are sticky, chewy and oh-so-tasty, but bak kwa is really one of the biggest calorie bombs during CNY. Eating just two slices already packs more calories than a plate of chicken rice or a bowl of laksa.
You need to walk for 1 hour 52 minutes to burn off the calories.
Alternative: The best way to lessen the impact is to cut up the slice into smaller pieces and distribute! Or if you’re a pro in the kitchen, make a honey baked chicken version instead.
This tasty layered cake is actually made with copious amounts of butter and sugar. Share a slice with someone if you really can’t resist.
You need to walk for 1 hour 12 minutes to burn off the calories.
These mini sponge cakes are a lower-calorie alternative if you want to nibble on something sweet.
You need to walk for 10 minutes to burn off the calories.
Affectionately known as hae bee hiam, these tiny shrimp rolls are insanely addictive. The bad news? Each piece is deep fried and high in saturated fat – bummer for your waistline and your heart.
You need to walk for 7 minutes to burn off the calories.
Alternative: Halt the snack attack with some melon seeds instead. The effort needed to crack them open slows the snacking and even if you go through two handfuls, that’s only half the calories at 40.
They soak up all the moisture in your mouth as the chalky cookie crumbles away. These flower-shaped treats are made from tapioca flour and coconut milk for that creamy mouthfeel, but don’t be fooled by the pretty appearance. At 15 calories a piece, they don’t offend as much as the rest, but we all know no one stops at one, or two… or three!
You need to walk for 5 minutes to burn off the calories.
Alternative: You can divert the addictive eating to some groundnuts instead. Although two handfuls contain about 90 calories, it’s mainly healthy monounsaturated fats, fibre and protein that will make you feel full faster.
When it comes to perfectly fried prawn crackers, each piece leaves you wanting more. These savoury snacks may feel very light but are full of fat and cholesterol.
You need to walk for 5 minutes to burn off the calories.
These thin and airy egg wafer rolls crumble at the slightest bite, and melt quickly in the mouth. We wish the same disappearing act applies to the 56 calories and almost 5g of sugar that each roll has, no thanks to the amount of sugar, coconut milk, eggs and flour in the recipe.
You need to walk for 17 minutes to burn off the calories.
This butter cookie is easily identified by the cashew nut on top of it. But don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s healthy just because it contains nuts – each piece still packs high amounts of fat and cholesterol.
You need to walk for 19 minutes to burn off the calories.
A crunchy skin, a tacky, sweet inside — what’s not to like? This glutinous cake called nian gao (“higher year” in Chinese) goes down easy. Bad news — it also goes straight to the tummy. One piece alone hits 190 calories and 55g of fat.
You need to walk for 58 minutes to burn off the calories.
Alternative: Instead of frying, steam them. Changing the preparation method cuts about half the calories and a quarter of the fat.
This article was first published on January 28, 2019. It was last updated on January 28, 2025.