Not a myth – Healthy hawker foods
By Elizabeth Tong - Monday, Dec 12, 2011
Oily, unhealthy, but taste so good – that is what we usually describe hawker fare. But some dishes can be nutritious and healthy too. It’s just about knowing what to (or not to) order at the hawker centres.
As we near this festive season – when big celebration and calorie-ridden feasts are common – many may opt to have less “heavy” and healthier meals when they dine out at hawker centres.
“Hawker food is extremely variable with lots of options. When looking for healthier options at hawker centres, choose items with fruits or vegetables and limited sauces and processing. Choose whole grain options if they are available (whole wheat noodles and brown rice),” says Shalyn Yamanaka, a dietitian at Simply Nutrition.
Since Singapore’s Healthier Hawker Programme kicked off in April at Yuhua Hawker Centre, demand and sales of dishes made with brown rice and whole grain noodles have been increasing rapidly. Other than using whole grain ingredients, the hawkers there also cook with less saturated fat and oil.
We list five healthy hawker dishes.
Thunder tea rice
Thunder tea rice (léi cháfàn) is a Hakka dish that may be one of the healthier choices on hawker centre menus. Ingredients such as vegetables, tofu and anchovies are chopped and served on either brown or white rice, with a side dish of green, thunder tea soup (which is a broth made up of green or oolong tea leaves, herbs such as coriander and mint, ginger, grains, sesame seeds and peanuts) that can be poured over the dish and mixed together. This dish is rich in fibre, with green, leafy vegetables and the option of having brown rice makes this meal nutritious and low fat.
Popiah
Popiah are Hokkien-style fresh spring rolls with julienned turnips and carrots, prawns, egg, bean sprouts and ground peanuts with a thin brush of sweet soy sauce and garlic paste on the skin. Different sellers may add ingredients such as tofu, shallots, lettuce, cucumber or Chinese sausage. The vegetables in the dish offers high fibre, but go easy on the sweet sauce and all those extra ingredients you might be tempted to add.
Yong Tau Foo
Yong Tau Foo stands are one of the most common food stalls at hawker centres and they can also offer a healthier dining option. You can have your pick from a vast array of fresh vegetables, tofu, fish, beef and other meat items. You can have it either in dry, soup and (sometimes) curry style, but the healthier option would be the soup, as less oil is used. And depending on which ingredient you choose (best not to have deep-fried items), the serving can be full of proteins, fibre and vitamins. If you are cutting down on your carbohydrates, opt to have half a portion of rice or noodles, or none at all. Stick to the soup version and minus any starch for better effect.
Fish Soup
Fish soup comes with thinly sliced pieces of fresh or fried fish, leafy green vegetables and anchovies in either a clear or milky broth, served with rice, noodles or none at all. The healthier version would be the clear broth option. This is a good high protein, low calorie and low fat meal that is served at most hawker centres. Instead of getting the fried fish version, opt for the boiled, sliced version. The evaporated milk in the milky broth and fried fish pieces will drive the fat and calorie count up, so just stick to the clear, clean tasting version.
Teochew Muay
Teochew muay is porridge cooked in the Teochew style – where the rice grains are served whole and unbroken in a clear broth. There are many accompanying ingredients to choose from, including fried and steamed dishes. The fried accompaniments can be very salty, so go for other dishes such as quick stir fried or boiled vegetables (to increase the nutritional value), braised meat dishes or the popular steamed rabbit fish. As with yong tau foo, depending on the ingredients, your servings can be a good, light source of fibre and proteins that are great complements to the plain and refreshing porridge.
