A Guy’s Guide to Healthy Eating and Looking Good

Can meaty meals, fried food or hawker fare be part of a healthy diet? Pick up these healthy eating tips to include more balanced meals in your healthy diet.

A Healthy Diet for Men’s Health

Everyone has a personal eating style. You may like tucking into a hearty meal full of red meat while your friends enjoy local favourites or fast food. Eating styles can just be a fad lasting a few weeks or months. What you eat each day impacts how you look and feel. Read on to find out more about the different types of meal options and pick up tips on maintaining a healthy diet.

Healthy Eating for Meat Lovers

Red meat is a good source of protein.

Nothing satisfies you but a plate full of meat! You probably have heard of bodybuilders indulging in high-protein diets made up of various protein foods such as red meat, chicken, and eggs. You may think that the more meat you eat, the more muscles you build!

Pros

Protein is a great nutrient. It helps build and repair muscles and other body tissues. You need a tad more intake of protein as you are growing muscles. Red meat and chicken are good sources of many vitamins and minerals, including iron and B12.

Cons

Bigger muscles are built when you work your muscles. Go ahead and pump iron.

Meat and poultry contain saturated fat. Eating too much animal fat can increase your risk of health conditions such as high blood cholesterol. It will also displace other valuable food like wholegrains, fruit and vegetables from your diet.

Best Way Forward

Meat and chicken have to be part of a healthy and well-balanced meal plan. Keep to about one palm-size of lean protein for lunch and dinner. Make sure you have a balanced meal consisting of wholegrains, vegetables and fruit.

Related: My Healthy Plate

Maintaining Healthy Diets for Fried Foodies

To maintain a healthy diet, limit your intake of fried food

You love the crunch and flavour of fried food! Given a choice, only golden brown, crispy items will find their place on your plate.

Pros

Fried food tastes great as there is incredible enjoyment of eating fried food. Little did you know, fat is a needed nutrient. It is needed for many vital functions in the body. Fat also helps your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E and K. Some essential fats are vital for proper growth, good skin, vision and memory.

Cons

Fried food contains lots of fat. Fat is the most concentrated source of calories. Eating lots of fat puts you at risk of gaining excess weight. Even young people can have high blood cholesterol when they eat too much food high in fat content, and this increases your risk of getting a heart attack or stroke!

Best Way Forward

Set your quota! Eat fried food no more than twice a week. When you do eat fried food, limit the portion at each sitting to no more than one serving. Keep the serving size small at each sitting such as 1 spring roll, 2 small samosas, 1 curry puff, or 1 chicken wing.

When you do eat fried food, make an effort to pick lower-fat food for the rest of that meal or the rest of the day. For example, if you are going to eat chicken wings accompany it with brown rice and steamed vegetables.

Related: Getting the Fats Right!

Balanced Meals for Local Food Lovers

Ask for more vegetables with your local favourites to maintain a healthy diet.

You grew up on it and you love local food! You have a hard time decided between chicken rice, mee siam, mee goreng, nasi briyani, oyster omelette and more.

Pros

Local food offers lots of variety and lots of flavours. With the number of hawker food stalls and restaurants offering local food, you will be spoilt for choice. There are healthier local favourites at hawker stalls. Pick soupy dishes, ask for more vegetables, and less sugar and sauce.

Cons

Many local delicacies are high in fat (especially saturated fat) and salt. Frequently indulging in unhealthy food choices not only upsets your weight loss plans but also increases your risk of developing health problems such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. So, be selective and be mindful.

Best Way Forward

Get to know the nutritional value of your favourite local dishes using the Healthy 365 app. Eat foods that are lower in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium more often. Wonder what to do about those popular dishes that do not meet the mark? Eat them less often and in small portions. Make every effort to eat a healthier and well-balanced meal.

Healthy Balance for Fast Food Munchers

Fast-food should be consumed in small amounts.

Your friends and you love hanging out at the nearest fast-food restaurant and so, you eat fast-food items almost every day.

Pros

Tasty and very convenient fast food items like burgers and nuggets are popular choices. Fast food does provide nutrients, for example, burgers contain carbohydrates, protein, iron and B vitamins.

Cons

Unfortunately, many popular fast food choices are high in calories, fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar. Eating these foods often and in large portions will cause weight gain and increase your risk of health conditions such as heart disease, and diabetes.

Best Way Forward

If and when you want to eat at a fast-food restaurant, try to make special orders for your food. Ask for more vegetables or even ask them to leave out sauces such as mayonnaise.

Do not to upsize your meals even though it seems like a good deal for the money you spend. Practice healthy eating by replacing items in sets with healthier choices. For example, select water, milk or sugar-free drinks instead of sugar sweetened drinks. Instead of fries, ask for a salad or corn cup to accompany your meal.

Snacks and Healthy Diets

Comfort food are not only tasty, but they are also quick and easy to eat.

You probably do not eat much at mealtimes, but graze through the day on snacks. Crackers, crisps, biscuits, cookies, doughnuts, muffins and more. These are just a few of your favourite tidbits.

Pros

Snacking is not necessarily bad for your overall nourishment. It all depends on what you choose. Nourishing snacks - fresh and frozen fruit, juices, milk, yoghurt, cheese, vegetable sticks, steamed corn, and sandwiches - can contribute positively to your growth and health. Snacks are best eaten in small portions, in between meals, to stay energised throughout the day.

Cons

Unfortunately, many popular snacks are high in fat, salt and added sugar. So, if you love these not-so-nutritious nibbles, you need to find healthier options. Read food labels of similar snacks to identify those that have less fat, salt and sugar.

Best Way Forward

Get to know the nutritional value of your favourite snacks. Go for healthier options. If and when you eat the not-so-healthy snacks, have them in small portions only. You can also share them with friends and family so that you do not overeat.

Food Options for A Healthy Diet

Your eating preferences determine how well you feel and how good you look. No matter what your food preferences and eating style are right now, you can always modify them to eat more healthfully.
Use My Healthy Plate to guide your food choices so that you can fit your food preferences into a well-balanced diet.
Read the Nutrition Information Panel and use the Healthier Choice Symbol on packaged food to identify healthier items. Get to know the nutritional value of your favourite hawker food using Food Info Search. Some fast-food restaurants do provide the nutritional values of their offerings on their websites. Use this information to make healthier choices.

Download the HealthHub app on Google Play or Apple Store to access more health and wellness advice at your fingertips.

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