Food plays a central role in Singaporean life. From bonding over kaya toast and soft-boiled eggs in the morning to queuing for char kway teow at the hawker centre, it’s hard to imagine what it would be like if we didn’t have such a diverse food culture.
However, all this cuisine we can enjoy comes with a catch: it’s quite hard to stay in shape! But fear not. If you’re truly set on slimming down, there are a few steps you can take to eat healthier.
So in this guide, let’s discuss how you can make a healthy diet plan in Singapore — and when it’s time to consider joining a weight reduction program to help reach your goals.
The Challenges of Eating Healthy in Singapore
We mentioned earlier that our food culture makes it easy to gain weight. But what exactly makes it difficult to have a balanced diet here?
Hawker Fare Can Be High in Calories
As cheap and quick as it is to eat out at the local food centres, many of the dishes they serve can be loaded with calories. Even worse, they’re often high in sodium, sugar, and saturated fats.
Processed Foods Are Popular
Many Singaporeans have hectic lifestyles, so they tend to resort to eating processed foods when they’re not dining out. It saves more time than cooking from scratch. But convenient as they are, they don’t really offer that much nutritional value.
The Belief that Healthy Food is Expensive
Items like organic produce and imported health foods often come at a hefty cost in Singapore. So some locals use this as an excuse to keep eating unhealthy food since it’s cheaper to get. However, healthy food choices don’t have to burn through your wallet, as we’ll talk about in a bit.
How Do We Eat Healthier to Stay Fit?
Here’s how you can have a more wholesome diet plan in Singapore:
My Healthy Plate is a Good Starting Point
The Health Promotion Board has a guide called My Healthy Plate, which helps you portion your meals so they can have a balanced amount of nutrients. The basic structure of the plate involves:
- ½ fruits and vegetables
- ¼ Proteins and healthy fats
- ¼ Whole grains or wheat
Make Smart Choices at the Hawker Centre
Healthy eating doesn’t mean completely sacrificing your favourites at the food centre. You can simply tweak the menu such as by:
- Asking if they have brown rice instead of white rice
- Avoiding sugary drinks and washing your meals down with water or unsweetened beverages instead
- Requesting less oil and leaner cuts of meat
- Opting for more clear soup dishes
Learn to Read Labels
When shopping for food to stock your pantries with, do take the time to check the product’s nutritional information. It’s quite an eye-opener when you realise that some of your go-to food items are actually loaded with sugar, saturated fats, or sodium!
Snack Wisely
Love snacking? Skip those crisps, chocolate, and ice creams. Go for more wholesome alternatives instead, such as unsalted nuts, fresh fruit, and Greek yoghurt.
Should You Get Help From Weight Loss Programs?
It would be a good idea to join a weight loss program for a weight reduction plan if you still can’t see any visible results. They have experts like coaches and dietitians who can point out areas for improvement, develop a custom diet plan, and keep you motivated and accountable whenever you fall short of your goals.
Many of these programs take a holistic approach to weight loss and won’t just focus on what you eat or how fit you are. They’ll also help address behaviours that made you gain weight, like emotional eating.
Let’s Eat Towards a Healthier Future
Making a healthy diet plan in Singapore isn’t as impossible a task as you might think. Instead of making a drastic change, try starting small instead.
And if you’re ever in a bind, just remember that there are local weight loss experts who can help. Reach out to them any time, and they’ll guide you towards wiser food and life choices.
