Dining Out Tips

The Food Consumption Study conducted in 1993 by the Ministry of Health reported that as much as 43% of Singaporeans eat out more than 7 times per week at hawker centres. In addition, 90% of you eat out at fast food outlets at least once a week.

So with so many of you eating out daily, what should you be looking out for the next time you go out to your favourite hawker centre or coffee shop? By following the tips given here, you can dine on hawker foods and still be health conscious.

Ask for less oil to be used in cooking items like roti prata, fried noodles, fried rice Ask for skin to be removed on chicken dishes such as chicken rice, chicken briyani or remove the skin before eating Leave behind the gravy, especially coconut based ones, in laksa and other curry gravies. This helps to reduce the saturated fat by as much as 50%. Ask for less or no gravy on rice. This could reduce the sodium on a plate of char siew rice by about 25%. Ask for less syrup on dessert items like ice kachang, this could cut down sugar significantly. Ask for less sugar or sweetened condensed milk in coffee and tea. Have a smaller portion or share with a friend high fat food such as char kway teow or oyster omelette. Fill up on lower fat item such a soup, plain rice and vegetables. Look for items that are roasted, grilled, steamed, boiled, stewed or poached. These items are prepared without excess fat Order a side dish of vegetables or select a serving of vegetables at rice stalls. This will help fill you up and add 35% more dietary fibre to the meal. Have smaller amounts of organ meats and have more lean meats and beancurd. This could help cut the cholesterol in a normal serving of kway chap by 30%. If you have a high fat or high calorie item, balance it off with lower fat/calorie items the rest of the day.

Check out the Local Food Guide to help you make informed choices about the calorie and nutrient levels of various hawker foods. Also take a look at Fast Food Facts for items served some of the fast food outlets. It is more difficult to control the amount of fat, sodium and sugar in the foods when eating out. Try to alternate eating out with home-cooked meals regularly.