DIET
what's
eating you? The Singaporean diet is rich in carbohydrates, fat and salt, but you can make smarter choices when dining out. By AUDRINA GAN
I
n time-‐starved Singapore, most of us opt for the convenience of eating out instead of sitting down to a home-‐cooked meal. Six out of 10 Singaporeans eat out at hawker centres at least four times a week, based on findings from the National Nutrition Survey 2010. The survey also showed that those who do so also consume about 10 per cent more than those who eat at home. “This might be one of the leading causes to the increase in obesity in Singapore,” says Ms Abbie Sim, a dietitian at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. According to the National Health Survey 2010, obesity is on the rise. Obesity rates among Singaporeans are currently at 10.8 per cent of the population, up from 6.9 per cent in 2004. The reason why the local diet is high in calories is because many of us opt to start our days with fat-‐laden foods such as kaya (coconut jam) toast, fried vermicelli noodles topped with other
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WELLNESS FOR ALL
fried items like fried egg or luncheon meat. For lunch and dinner, we tend to go for dishes like chicken rice or nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk). Another concern is the fact that we do not consume enough fibre. “Most people consume only one or two servings of fruits and vegetables while the recommendation is to eat two servings of each daily,” says Ms Angena Teo, a dietitian at Changi General Hospital. Ms Teo says that instead of complementing our meals with fruits and vegetables, we choose beverages high in sugar such as instant coffee, iced lemon tea or fizzy drinks instead. We also love snacks such as curry puff and
chips or sweet stuff like ice-‐cream and chocolate — all of which contribute to a less-‐than-‐ideal diet.
Salty facts A diet high in fat puts us at risk of obesity — but being overweight is only the tip of the iceberg. It can lead to other health complications such as hypertension and coronary heart disease. Obesity is also associated with osteoarthritis as well as breast and colon cancers. And obese individuals are twice as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Other than eating foods high in fat, Singaporeans also favour salty food.
Feel-good alternatives
THE AVERAGE SINGAPOREAN’S DAILY SALT INTAKE IS 8.3G, WHICH IS 60 PER CENT ABOVE THE RECOMMENDED LEVEL. According to the Health Promotion Board (HPB), eight in 10 Singaporeans exceed the daily recommended salt intake of less than 5g a day (equivalent to one teaspoon). HPB’s Salt Intake Study (conducted as part of the 2010 National Nutrition Survey) also showed that the average Singaporean’s daily salt intake is 8.3g, which is 60 per cent above the recommended level. Apart from table salt and sauces, most of us consume salt through processed food such as fishballs, fish cakes, bread and instant noodles. Studies by HPB have shown that a high salt diet increases blood pressure and significantly heightens the risk of stroke and heart disease.
Guiltless options It doesn’t mean however, that you have to give up tasty local dishes forever. Ms Sim says you can still indulge in your favourite foods if you limit the number of times you eat it to once every two months. Alternatively, you can visit hawkers who offer “healthier” dishes. To promote healthier eating, HPB has partnered three hawker centres around
Geylang Serai to use whole-‐grain noodles, brown rice bee hoon (vermicelli), healthier oil such as canola and olive oils, and less salt in the food they serve. An example would be healthier versions of Malay favourites such as mee siam (vermicelli cooked in tamarind sauce), mee rebus (yellow noodles with peanut sauce) and nasi lemak. The beverage stall at these centres also sell drinks with lower sugar content. HPB has also launched a healthier coffeeshop initiative at Food King Coffee House at Bukit Batok East. All eight stalls at this coffeeshop use brown rice, wholegrain noodles and healthier oil. For example, the chicken rice here is served with brown rice and the chicken is skinless. This means each serve of chicken rice comes up to 500 calories, as compared to 607 calories in a regular serving. The Botak Jones outlet also offers at least two dishes — the tuna salad and Caesar salad with grilled salmon — that comes up to below 500 calories each. Even if you are buying food from a stall that does not have the HPB Healthier Choice certification, National
EAT THIS, NOT THAT! Here’s how the calories add up, and what to order the next time you are at a hawker centre.
PHOTOS: Getty Images
IF YOU’RE CRAVING...
CALORIES
EAT THIS...
CALORIES
Roti prata, 2 pieces
424
Thosai, 2 pieces
190
Fried kway teow, 1 plate
744
Kway teow soup, 1 bowl
330
Fried Hokkien prawn noodles, 1 plate Nonya laksa, 1 bowl
615
Prawn noodle soup, 1 bowl
293
696
Penang laksa, 1 bowl
377
Curry puff, 1 piece
300
Vegetable pau, 1 piece
130
Chicken rice, 1 plate
607
Chicken porridge, 1 bowl
181
Wanton noodles, dry, 1 bowl
411
Wanton noodles, soup, 1 bowl
290
Chicken curry noodles, 1 bowl
695
Chicken macaroni soup, 1 bowl
189
SOURCE: HEALTH PROMOTION BOARD
Love local food but hate the calories that come with it? Here’s where to head to: FOOD KING COFFEE HOUSE 233 Bukit Batok Easte Avenue 5, Singapore 650233 EUNOS CRESCENT MARKET & FOOD CENTRE 4A Eunos Crescent, Singapore 402004 HAIG ROAD COOKED FOOD CENTRE 14 Haig Road, Singapore 430014 GEYLANG SERAI MARKET & FOOD CENTRE 1 Geylang Serai, Singapore 402001 For a full list of healthier hawkers, visit www.hpb.gov.sg/ HOPPortal
University Hospital’s dietitian Ms Phoebe Tay says that hawker food can be made healthier if you opt for simple modifications. “For example, you can choose soup-‐based dishes rather than fried dishes or avoid finishing any food that is laden with gravy,” Ms Tay says. At the same time, choose foods that are cooked using healthier methods such as grilling, steaming, roasting or baking. Where possible, ask the hawker to use less oil, salt and sugar and to add more vegetables into your dish.