Healthy Eating In Singapore

Singapore is known as a food paradise. We love our food and want them to be flavorful. Traditionally, this meant liberal use of salts and seasonings, fatty meats, lard, etc. But this does not mean that healthy eating in Singapore is an impossibility. In this article, we look at ways we can make our meals healthy, especially for the heart. In essence, how can we eat “to our heart’s delight”.

Why Healthy Eating Is Important

We know that healthy eating is good and important for our life. Not only that it will affect how we look, but more importantly, it will also affect our health, including our heart health. The reason why we should eat heart-healthy food is because our heart is one of the most vital organs that keeps us alive. Our heart pumps blood throughout the body to supply oxygen and important nutrients to our organs and tissues, so it is vital that we keep heart diseases at bay.

Eating foods that are healthy for your heart will bring many benefits to our body. For instance, consuming healthy diets in our daily life can help to lower our cholesterol level. Having a high level of cholesterol can increase the risk of getting your arteries to clog and this can lead to health problems such as heart attacks.

What Types Of Foods Allow For Healthy Eating?

Eating healthy does not mean you have to eat plain and tasteless foods, many delicious and filling foods have lots of benefits for your heart.

Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits and Vegetables are high in dietary nitrates which help to reduce blood pressure, decrease arterial stiffness, and also help to increase the function of cells lining the blood vessels. A few studies have also found that increasing the intake of your greens can help to decrease the chances of any heart disease. Vegetables and fruits like kale, cabbage, apples, and oranges can be increased in your daily meal intake.

Oily Fish

Oily fish like tuna, salmon, cod, and mackerel are the type of fish that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids contain high anti-inflammatory and help to improve your cardiovascular health. Omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish may serve as a preventive factor against the development of heart disease and may even somewhat lower the risk of CVD events and arrhythmias.

Wholegrain / Wholemeal

Ingredients like whole wheat, brown rice, oats, and quinoa are good example of foods that have a rich amount of dietary fiber, which help to lower blood cholesterol. For example, beta-glucan is a type of soluble fiber that can be found in oats, and this fiber help to lower your blood cholesterol.

During Your Grocery Run

When doing your weekly grocery run, you should check on a few of these to ensure that you choose the best ingredients for your body.

1. Read your nutrition facts.
2. Choose products that have lower sugar, saturated fat, and salt
3. Opt for products that have higher fibre and calcium.
4. Instead of full-fat, go for something low-fat or fat-free.

Tips On Preparation Of Meals For Healthy Eating

How we prepare our meals for healthy eating is just as important as choosing ingredients when preparing meals. Here are some tips you can follow to improve how you prepare your meals and make them healthier.

Plan Your Meals In Advance

Planning ahead for your meal or meal prep can be a great way to create a better and healthier home meal. This is because you can actually take a minute to think about what ingredients you want to include in your meals to make them both healthy and delicious.

Reduce The Use Of Salt

Adding too much salt during cooking can make the meal less healthy, leading to negative effects such as high blood pressure. Use less salt when cooking, or switch to salts that are lower in sodium, or both. If you need to add more flavour to your foods, consider instead using herbs and natural ingredients like citrus fruits.

Choose Healthier Cooking Methods

Choose healthier cooking methods when preparing your meals. You can steam your veggies, fish or chicken, or trying stir-frying, grilling or braising. Avoid deep-frying foods as that will load them with calories and trans-fats.

Further Reading On Healthy Eating