Healthy Mooncakes

While it may not seem that mooncakes are particularly healthy, you can still make smart choices as you enjoy these delicious desserts. Consider that one mooncake can have 800 calories or more. For instance, one white lotus seed paste mooncake may include 250 calories, 4 grams of protein, and 12 grams of fat. Not to mention that it also contains sugar and sodium. Still, mooncakes have been part of the Mid-Autumn tradition for centuries.

Things have changed a lot over the years, and great strides have been taken to ensure health and wellbeing. When mooncakes were first created, food was not as plentiful. These cakes were packed with calories so that they could fill up hungry stomachs.

Unfortunately, many mooncakes simply are not healthy. Finding a mooncake with a healthy crust and center can be difficult, but you definitely have choices. Whether you make your own mooncakes with healthy ingredients or you opt for portion control, you are not stuck without something delicious to eat during the festivities.

Tips for Eating Healthy Mooncakes

First of all, you should check out the ingredients of the mooncake you are about to eat. You should also look at the expiration date. The more fats, sugars, and unhealthy preservatives found in your mooncake, the longer it will last. This means that the healthier options are actually those that do not last as long as others.

You can easily minimize the calories you consume when you check items for sugar. Plenty of modern mooncakes are designed to include less or no sugar. Eating less sugar decreases your caloric intake, allowing you to eat other healthy and delicious items.

You might be looking for ways to cut salt out of your diet because you are coping with diabetes or high cholesterol. You can cut sodium out of your diet by skipping mooncakes made with salted egg yolks. Other options include fillings with much less salt content, allowing you to indulge a bit.

Portion control is also important for staying healthy during the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is perfectly fine to eat a small slice of the cake, sharing the rest as part of your celebration. An eighth of a mooncake could include about 100 calories, so it is important to be careful. Eating small amounts is a good way to enjoy a treat while still watching your diet.

You also have the option to make your own mooncakes, adding healthy spins as you see fit. One way you can do this is by reducing the refined white sugar you use. If you want to naturally sweeten your mooncake, consider fruit. You can also add nuts and seeds to give your mooncake a nutritional advantage.

Whether you choose to make your own mooncakes or shop around, healthy options do exist. It may not always seem like there are better options, but you can find one that it is both tasty and low in unhealthy ingredients.

Healthier Mooncake Choices

When it comes to purchasing a mooncake in the store, certain types are relatively healthy in comparison to others. You are sure to find a variety of choices, especially when you are willing to shop around. Reading packaging labels is the best way to start making healthy choices.

Snow skin mooncakes are often more nutritious than traditional options, depending on the brand you purchase or the ingredients you use. Some snow skin mooncakes may offer fewer calories, less protein, fewer carbohydrates, and less fat based on the crust alone.

Five kernel mooncakes are also more nutritious than some of the other options available. These options tend to have more fibre and nutrients from nuts used in the filling, including walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, almonds, and watermelon seeds. Nuts are high in monounsaturated fat, which is actually not bad for you in small doses. In fact, these nuts can even lower bad cholesterol.

Ultimately, low-sugar mooncakes are a great choice. Lower amounts of sugar indicate fewer calories. Consuming fewer calories in your mooncake is the goal, after all. Plus, your teeth will benefit from the lack of sugar invading your mouth and potentially causing cavities.

It may seem difficult to find a healthy treat to enjoy during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but it does not have to be. If you do not have a shop with healthy choices near you, you can always order mooncakes online or purchase the ingredients and make a lovely treat on your own!