As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, Taipei Veterans General Hospital Hsinchu Branch unveils a healthier mooncake alternative, addressing concerns over high calorie, sugar, and fat content in traditional treats, with tailored advice for vulnerable groups.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, dietitians at Taipei Veterans General Hospital Hsinchu Branch are urging families to enjoy mooncakes with care, warning that the seasonal treat can carry a heavy load of calories, sugar and fat. The hospital’s nutrition team has also developed a softer, more balanced alternative called yam and jujube paste cake, designed as a lighter option for people who still want a festive dessert without the same nutritional burden.
Hsu Chia-yu, head of the hospital’s nutrition department, said many commercially sold mooncakes are made rich and flaky by adding large amounts of oil and refined sugar. A traditional Cantonese double-yolk mooncake can contain 700 to 800 calories, she said, while even a single egg yolk pastry can approach 300 calories. She added that the fat content is often underestimated: pineapple cakes may contain about half a tablespoon of oil, egg yolk pastries roughly one tablespoon, and bean paste-and-pork or green bean pastries as much as two tablespoons. That makes portion control especially important for older adults and for people with diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
The hospital’s answer is a snack made from steamed yam and purple sweet potato, mashed into a smooth base and used instead of the flour-and-oil pastry shell found in conventional mooncakes. It is filled with natural jujube paste and shaped into single servings, making it easier to manage intake. The texture is soft and easy to swallow, which the hospital says makes it suitable not only for adults but also for young children and older people with weaker teeth.
Nutrition advice from elsewhere in the region points in the same direction. Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety has previously warned consumers to choose mooncakes lower in sugar, fat and sodium after testing found high sugar levels in both ice-skin and traditional varieties. Dietitians have also advised people not to treat mooncakes as an everyday snack; one Taipei-based dietitian last year recommended limiting consumption to no more than one mooncake a day and avoiding eating them daily. For those celebrating the holiday, the practical advice remains simple: keep portions small, pair sweets with unsweetened tea, and increase vegetables and fibre at barbecue gatherings to reduce the overall load on the body.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
