People gather together to have a Spring Festival feast. (PHOTO:VCG)

By SHI Shi and BI Weizi

The end of the old Chinese Year of the Rabbit is fast approaching and Spring Festival is here. Along with gifts, decorations and the red envelope with gift money, the holiday season is synonymous with feasts. It is easy to get caught up in the festivities and the mouth-watering delicacies and abandon the regular, balanced meals and other healthy eating habits that serve us so well the rest of the year.

To help you stay on track during the holidays, check out these healthy holiday tips from Yu Kang, director of the clinical nutrition department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

1. Stick to a balanced diet

The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)" recommend that adults should consume more than 12 kinds of food every day and more than 25 kinds of food every week, and try to combine them sensibly into three meals.

It's important to eat three full meals with macronutrients (protein, fat and complex carbohydrates) throughout the year, and to prioritize foods rich in high-quality protein and fresh fruits and vegetables. A varied diet will help strengthen your immunity, especially when staying up late, which is common during Spring Festival.

2. Prioritize nutrition and real meals

Cookies and sweets are not meals. If you want to stay in control, don't let yourself get too hungry. There's no way you can make good food choices when you're starving. Make sure you eat your usual meals throughout the day and choose foods that promote better appetite control, such as fiber-rich foods, lean proteins and healthy fats. If you eat well-balanced meals, you will naturally have an easier time balancing out the sweets.

3. Drink plenty of water every day

Try to drink 1,500-2,000 ml of water per day. Go for boiled water, mineral water and light tea and try to avoid all kinds of sugary drinks.

4. Stick to a sleep routine

A consistent bedtime routine can improve both the quality and quantity of sleep. To avoid the "holiday syndrome" after a vacation, it is best to maintain your normal sleep pattern during the vacation. Try to reduce the use of cell phones and other electronic products before going to bed, and try to avoid playing games, binge-watching TV series, and other activities that can cause tension or excitement.