Healthy Meals with My Healthy Plate

Making Healthy Food Choices When Dining Out

At hawker centres or food courts, many familiar dishes have carbs the main component with some protein and vegetables.

For example, char kway teow is mostly carbs. It is kway teow fried with a handful of protein like hum and lup cheong, and a few leaves of chye sim.

Another local favourite, chicken rice, comprises of chicken (protein), oily rice (carbs) and a few slices of cucumber (greens). This dish is skewed towards proteins and carbs.

What can we do to turn these dishes into healthy meals?

Related: Eating Light At A Hawker Centre Is Possible

Use My Healthy Plate for Balanced, Healthy Meals

Here’s where My Healthy Plate comes in; it’s a simple visual guide to remind us to eat healthy meals.

Make your plate healthy and balanced in three steps:

1. Fill half your plate with fruit and vegetables
2. Fill a quarter with wholegrains
3. Fill a quarter with meat and other lean proteins

Related: My Healthy Plate

Now let’s put this tool to the test with real-world examples.

Ask for a Side Order of Greens

Mixed Vegetable Rice

• It’s easy to build a healthy meal if you’re ordering mixed vegetable rice (2 veg + 1 meat + brown rice). Quarter plate of wholegrains: Brown rice, if available
• Half a plate of fruit and vegetables: Stir-fried long beans, stir-fried kang kong
• Quarter plate of meat and other proteins: Steamed egg with minced meat

Chicken Rice

But let’s say you order chicken rice. With My Healthy Plate in mind, you notice a lack of greens. One solution is to add a side order of kai lan.

Wanton Mee or Sliced Fish Bee Hoon

Similarly, when ordering wanton mee or sliced fish bee hoon, ask for extra vegetables (e.g. chye sim). Grab a fruit to complete your meal.

Eat More Wholegrains

Ask the stall owner if he serves brown rice or brown rice bee hoon. Another way is to look for the "Wholegrain options available here" decal.

And expand your choices! Pick soba (made from buckwheat) over ramen or chapatti (made from whole-wheat flour) over prata.

Indian Food

• Quarter plate of wholegrains: 2 chapattis or 1 whole wheat thosai
• Half a plate of fruit and vegetables: Tandoori gobi (cauliflower), 1 slice of pineapple
• Quarter plate of meat and other lean proteins: Chicken tikka

Go for Quality Over Quantity

We also want to focus on food quality and preparation methods: choose fresh and light over-processed and heavy — lean protein over luncheon meat; grilled, stir-fried, steamed, or roasted dishes over deep-fried food or gravies.

Remember, My Healthy Plate is flexible. Missed something during lunch? Make up for it at dinner!

For more meal ideas, check out Plan Your Meals with My Healthy Plate.

Download the HealthHub app on Google Play or Apple Store to access more health and wellness advice at your fingertips.

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• My Healthy Plate: One-Quarter Protein and Calcium-Rich Foods
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• Turkey, One of The Healthier Sources of Protein