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Whole moon cake can be fattening, health officials say

The Department of Health yesterday launched an outdoors event to educate the public on the importance of nutritious eating. Imparting warnings and wisdom, the department prepared the Taipei community for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and has plans to spread the word throughout the nation.

"Even though it is a tradition to eat moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is important to remember that even a small moon cake is the equivalent of a bowl of rice," Nutritionist Chen Pei-jung (陳珮蓉) for the health department said.

The health department reported that egg yolk pastries contain about 250 calories each while traditional moon cakes have up to 560 calories each. Chen suggested eating no more than a quarter of a moon cake in one sitting, explaining that the pastries are loaded with oil and sugar. She said that an average male's caloric intake should be around 2,000 calories and a female's 1,600 calories per day.

Chen also commented on the barbecues that many families hold to celebrate the holiday. She stressed that for dinner, one should not eat more than one helping of meat, gesturing that one helping approximated the size of one's palm. Chen noted that most people eat more meat than is healthy.

To attract passersby, the department arranged for Cheng Yen-chi (鄭衍基), a chef at the Ambassador Hotel, to demonstrate tactics for cooking nutritious meals. He gave step-by-step instructions on cooking sea cucumber, which Chen said has no calories.

A nutritionist from the National Taiwan University Hospital prepared a week of healthy recipes as an alternative to eating out every day. The recipes were given out to participants. Chen suggested that fruits and vegetables be eaten for breakfast and lunch, saying that it was a nutritious way to boost energy during the day.

The nation's health body plans to hold similar events in Taichung, Kaohsiung, and Ilan.
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