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How much Fats in CNY Goodies?

Fat is necessary in our diet. Besides being an energy source, it is a carrier for the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, protects vital organs and provides essential fatty acids which cannot be made in the body, like omega 3.

Of course, while we need fat, too much of it harms our health. One of the main problems is that fat is a concentrated source of energy. Each gram of fat gives 9 calories, more than double what each gram of protein or carbohydrates gives (4 calories). And that is a key reason why even foods marked "low-fat" may be bad for one's diet.

A diet high in fat is likely to cause one to consume excess calories. According to the Health Promotion Board, the recommended total fat intake is between 25 per cent to 30 per cent of the total energy intake. Based on a 2000 kcal diet, the total fat allowance is about 55g to 65g per day.

So while it is all right to treat yourself to the New Year goodies - after all, it comes but once a year - do watch how much you eat. To give you an idea how insidious the damage can be, just note: five pineapple tarts will already give you about 20 g of fat (of which 11.5 g is saturated fat) - nearly 30 per cent of the average Singaporean male's daily allowance.

Information above provided by the Health Promotion Board

Mochi (with red bean paste)

Description: Japanese rice cake

Serving size: 75 g

Energy: 145 kcal; Protein: 3 g; Total fat: nil; Saturated fat: nil; Dietary fibre: 1.7 g; Carbohydrate: 33 g; Cholesterol: nil; Sodium: 91 mg

Peanut and sesame candy

Description: Hard candy made with maltose, rock sugar and peanut, coated with sesame seed

Serving size: 43 g

Energy: 218 kcal; Protein: 7g; Total fat: 14 g; Saturated fat: 2.6 g Dietary fibre: 1.9 g; Carbohydrate 17g; Cholesterol: nil; Sodium: 27mg

Bak kua (chicken)

Description: Sliced BBQ chicken meat

Serving size: 33 g

Energy: 124 kcal; Protein: 8 g; Total fat: 5g; Saturated fat: 1.7g; Dietary fibre: nil; Carbohydrate: 12 g; Cholesterol: 25 mg; Sodium: 444 mg

Love letter

Description: Thin layered baked cookies made of flour, egg, coconut milk and sugar

Serving size: 13 g

Energy: 56 g; Protein 1 g; Total fat: 1 g; Saturated fat: 0.9 g; Dietary fibre: 0.3 g; Carbohydrate: 9 g; Cholesterol: 5 mg; Sodium: 4 mg

Pineapple tart

Description: Round-shaped baked pastry filled with sweetened pineapple paste

Serving size: 20 g

Energy: 82 kcal; Protein: 1 g; Total fat: 4 g; Saturated fat: 2.3 g; Dietary fibre: 0.5 g; Carbohydrate: 11 g; Cholesterol: 14 mg; Sodium: 58 mg

(Taken from AsiaOne Singapore)