Cheap Low-carb food in Singapore and my experience

Food that is both low-carb and cheap in Singapore is hard to find. Fortunately, the affordable hawker food can offer some low carb meal options. But first, what is with a low-carb diet and why go low-carb?

As you age, your metabolism will slow

I think a lot of my friends in their mid to late 20s are looking into the mirror more often and cannot help but notice the growing layers of fat accumulated around the lower belly. I am sure a lot of young adults in their 20s to 30s are beginning to realize that their metabolism has slowed, and they can’t continue to eat as much as they would like to without going out of shape.

It is a subsequently natural for health and figure-conscious people to seek solutions on how to keep in shape. They start to exercise more, eat less and may even turn to slimming treatments.

Don’t eat less, but eat right

Dieting is not advisable, as it might rob you of your energy for your daily work. Slimming treatments might get you there, but it is expensive and unnatural. Exercise more, yes definitely, but I myself am working out on alternate days but yet to see results. The answer, which really helps, is about eating right.

In Singapore, we eat a lot of rice and noodle (high carb) as it is our main staple and we are told that eating lots of rice will give us energy. Indeed, carbohydrates are our body’s main energy source, but it also the main culprit for our weight gain!

The benefits of a low-carb diet by people who have tried such a diet range from weight loss to improvement in cholesterol levels. I believe low-carb diet has worked for me, to a certain extent in weight loss. You can do some research on benefits of low-carb diets and will realize along the way that your usual meals are highly likely the main contributors for your belly fat.

It is important however, to know the risks of a low-carb diet and stop if your body feels unwell.

Low-carb suggestions in Singapore

Now given that most food in Singapore are high-carb, what are some low-carb options in Singapore which we can get conveniently and cheaply?

Look no further than your nearby hawker centres. Just try to avoid rice and noodles.

·         Sliced fish soup (no rice)

This is my personal favourite. The main problem is it is not filling for many. What I do is I’ll get a double portion of fish or buy 2 servings.

[UPDATE 27 April 2014: For fish soup, I actually recommend Wang Yuan Fish Soup at Blk 824 Coffeeshop, Tampines St 81. The vegetables are homegrown, and very tasty and crunchy. Let's support our local hawkers!]

·         Western food

Choose between chicken chop, pork chop, lamb chop  and beef steak. Cut down on the fries/ potato.

·         Yong Tau Foo (no noodles/rice)

YongTau Foo is a very healthy option in my opinion. The ngor hiang, fishballs are good sources of protein. Skip the sweet sauce for maximum effectiveness.

·         Mixed vegetables rice (Less/no rice)

Choose meat and egg dishes for high protein. The variety available makes it less boring. Similar to buying from chicken/roast pork rice stall.

·         Wanton mee/ dumpling soup

Some low-carb food for snacking you can get from NTUC

·         Peanut butter

·         Cheese

·         Edamame (look at the frozen food section)

My experience on low-carb diet and recommendation

·         For beginners, practice low-carb Dinners

When I first become conscious of my increasing waistline, I stepped up the intensity of exercise to alternating between weights and cardio. That had limited success as my appetite increased.

A friend later told me to skip dinner entirely. I tried that and I would say the results from skipping dinner can be seen in just one week. However, beside the hunger to endure, my instinct tells me that skipping dinners is probably bad for health.  

I discovered a better alternative to skipping dinners was to eat less or no rice for dinner. This worked for me, and I did not have to feel hungry for most of the night.

·         Reprogram your definition of food

What you have been eating – chicken rice, char kway teow, bakchor mee is not food. They consist of huge proportion of carbohydrates in the form of rice and noodles, and contribute to your belly fat. Tell yourself that real food is  protein-rich food like white meat, green leafy vegetables,etc. That should help steer you to cut down on most of your carbohydrates intake.

·         Do not cut down on what’s good for you

And by “what’s good for you” I mean food like fruits. There are some sources online which recommend low-carb diets and advise refraining from some types of fruits. Personally, I think taking fruits even at night is ok, fruits are generally good for health and you should not stop taking them. Just refrain from the starchy food like your rice and noodles.

Hope this was useful for you! If you have any medical condition or not sure of anything, please always consult a doctor before attempting to switch your diet.

EUFASS