Recent figures from the Health Promotion Board (HPB) showed that the median number of times people have their meals outside their home each week is 8, up from 7 in 2004. That means half of those surveyed ate out 8 or more times a week. An earlier HPB check showed about 60% of Singaporeans ate out each week this year, up from 49% in 2004.
Given this growing trend, it is certainly hard to resist the mouthwatering temptations out there. Amidst the unhealthy junk foods, you can still choose to eat healthy snacks to complement your meals. Here are some healthy food choices available around Singapore, including a Healthy Hawker Centre!
Grabz
Grabz is a healthy, freeze-dried 100 % fruit snack recently launched in Singapore. They are a clever fuss-free and natural alternative to fresh fruits.
Grab a yummy freeze-dried fruit for a snack!
Grabz is especially suitable for toddlers and kids as the fruit crisp dissolves in the mouth, making it safe and fun for them. They fulfill the daily nutritional requirement and are easy to pop into the child’s school bag or lunch box.
Each bag contains approximately one and a half portion of fruit with no added preservative, artificial flavouring, food colouring and additives.
This fruit snack is also great for adults as well. Apart from being a quick energy booster, those on diets will benefit from its nutritious ingredients.
Grabz is currently available at most NTUC stores, Mustafa Centre and selected Econ Minimarts at $1.65 (inclusive of GST) each.
Soyato
Singaporeans can now enjoy a guilt-free dessert at Soyato, a Japanese frozen soy dessert concept. Soyato is a brand new category of frozen dessert as it does not contain any dairy milk, cream or eggs.
Frozen soy dessert – minus the guilt!
Ice cream is known to have high levels of fats and cholesterol, which has prompted consumers to seek out healthier alternatives such as frozen yoghurt. Using soy milk (frozen soy) as its base, Soyato has developed a frozen dessert which tastes like ice cream but is both healthy and yummy.
Soyato Nutrition Comparison:
|
|---|
| |
Soyato |
Ice Cream |
Gelato |
Yogurt |
| Calories (kcal) |
90 |
250 |
210 |
110 |
| Fat-Free (g) |
99 |
83 |
88 |
100 |
| Cholesterol (mg) |
0 |
105 |
45 |
5 |
Soyato’s premium frozen soy is a result of being made fresh at the store. This ensures the authentic flavours which consumers are able to indulge in without any guilt, as the frozen soy is low in fat with zero cholesterol.
Due to its unique composition, Soyato can be enjoyed by a wide audience as it is also suitable for vegetarians, vegans and people who are lactose intolerant. Soyato has won several competitions to date, such as Start-up@Singapore and SPRING Singapore’s YES! Startup Fund. Soyato opened its first store at Bugis Junction in 2011.
Air Fryer
The new Philips Air Fryer, launched with the support of the Singapore Heart Foundation, is a revolution in home cooking! It does not require additional oil in the cooking process, allowing you to fry a variety of great tasting dishes with air and ease.
Oil-free finger food with the Philips Air Fryer!
Replacing the need for oil with air, the AirFryer boasts a patented Rapid Air Technology, which combines fast-circulating hot air with a grill element to create great-tasting fried food that contains up to 80 percent less fat.
To top off the fat-reduced delicious meals, the Philips AirFryer comes complete with two recipe books containing up to 40 different recipes, some of which cater to the local palate. The recipe guide provides inspiration to spice up mealtimes at home together with culinary tricks and handy time-saving tips for best results with the appliance.
With the revolutionary AirFryer that uses air as the new oil, families can now indulge in their favourite fried food with lower fat and greater convenience without compromising on taste.
The Philips AirFryer is available at major department stores, leading electrical stores and selected authorised dealers.
Healthy Hawker Centre
The country’s first healthy hawker centre was launched in April 2011. (Source: todayonline.com)
HPB and the Southwest Community Development Council worked together to get half of the hawkers at Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre in Jurong East to offer healthier food alternatives.
HPB said these include brown rice, whole grain noodles and healthier oil. But Mr Kelvin Ng, a fish soup stall owner, said offering healthier alternatives like brown rice will increase costs by about 10 per cent.
He added that cooking brown rice, which is a more tedious process, would also mean customers have to wait longer for their food.
Fried brown rice, anyone?
But despite the increase in costs and labour, both hawkers said they will not be raising their prices as they felt that the healthier food would benefit their customers and also draw in more business.
PediaSure Complete Ready To Drink
A nutritious drink for picky eaters.
In a survey conducted among Singaporean parents, 1 in 2 parents claim that their children are picky when it comes to mealtimes. With this in mind, most parents tend to include various supplements in their child’s meal to ensure that the little ones get all the nutrients they need for the growing years.
One great way parents can do this is to pack a bottle of PediaSure Complete Ready to Drink into their child’s lunch box. This 8oz drink for kids ages 1 to 13 serves well as a nutritional supplement, as it is filled with essential nutrients for those growing years such as protein, vitamins and minerals. This handy drink can be taken between meals or on the go, and kids will love the smooth and creamy taste. With 2 great flavours to choose from, PediaSure Complete Ready to Drink is a great choice for parents who are looking for a nutritional source to supplement their kids’ regular diet.
