Your Asian Favorites...

Your Asian Favorites... 
Weighed In! 

The verdict’s out and it’s not to be taken lightly: Chowing down on your favorite local dishes can wreak just as much health havoc as fast food does.

* Are you really making a healthier choice when you choose local favorites such as nasi lemak, char kuey teow and mutton curry over fast food? For nutritional insight, we’ve asked Asia-based nutritionist to do the math and weight in on 8 Singapore favourites, and compare them to fast food. Here’s what she found.

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is high in carbohydrates and contains a large amount of coconut milk, which is highly saturated in coconut fat.Your body stores excess carbs as fat, so not only are you putting yourself at higher risk for atherogenicity and arterial thrombosis, you're also susceptible to developing lifestyle-induced health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Char Kuey Teow

The cooking method for char kuey teow involves stir-frying flat rice noodles over very high heat with light and dark soy sauce, egg, whole prawns, cockles, bean sprouts and Chinese chives. This popular dish at hawker centres has earned an unhealthy reputation as it is high in saturated fat, which can cause health problems such as high cholesterol, heart disease and obesity.

Oyster Omeletter

The popular oyster omelette is higher in fat than a standard omelette. Don’t forget the number of egg yolks and the amount of oil that goes into preparing the dish! Most types of shellfish, including oysters, also contain cholesterol. But here’s the good news: Oysters are also a source of protein and zinc, so indulging in this shellfish once or twice a month and in proper portions will not be enough to cause a significant increase in your body’s store of cholesterol. However, one oyster omelette contains many oysters, which means that eating them all in one go will trigger an increase in your body’s level of blood cholesterol, which can cause a blockage in the veins and arteries that control blood flow to and from your heart, increasing your risk for coronary artery disease.

Mutton Curry

Coconut gravy and mutton are loaded with calories, as well as saturated fat within the gravy itself. Consuming red meat such as mutton also puts you at risk for developing colon and rectal cancers, and cardiovascular disease as red meat naturally contains more fat including saturated fat and cholesterol than any other type of food. Excess lipids in the body can also cause numerous cardiovascular ailments including coronary heart disease and high blood pressure.

Curry Laksa

Curry laksa is high in calories, most of which comes from the thick coconut gravy that the noodles are served in. One cup of coconut milk contains around 50g of saturated fat and 3g of unsaturated fat, which is considered acceptable for an occasional treat provided you do not already have high cholesterol. Cholesterol (LDL and Triglycerides) tends to clump together in your blood stream, restricting blood flow and increasing your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and other circulatory-related ailments.

Chicken Murtabak

Chicken murtabak contains high amounts of saturated fat and carbohydrates. Weight gain, fatigue and health conditions such as high cholesterol, heart disease and obesity can be attributed to an excess of saturated fat and carbohydrates in our body.