Diet and Nutrition

Western lunch and snacks

Lunch is usually a quick meal eaten in the middle of a busy day. We tend to choose foods that are speedily prepared and convenient to eat. However, lunch can still be delicious and healthy. It depends on your choice. The following are some tips for a healthy and enjoyable lunch.

A healthy diet

What are the benefits?

• Maintain optimal nutritional status
  
• Basis for growth, repair and other body functions
  
• Prevent chronic illnesses such as hypertension, heart diseases, diabetes and obesity

How to achieve?

• Eat a variety of food
  
• Follow the Healthy Eating Food Pyramid and eat the right amount of food
  * a lot of high fiber cereals or grain products
  * more vegetables and fruits
  * moderate amount of meat, fish, egg and alternatives as well as milk and alternatives
  * less sugar, salt and oil
  
• Consume iodine-rich food including seaweed, kelp, seafood, marine fish, eggs, milk and dairy products
• Drink 6-8 glasses of fluids (including water, low fat / skimmed milk, etc.) daily
• Choose cooking methods wisely
  * steaming, boiling or stir-frying in less oil are better than frying
  * frying in non-stick pan requires less oil
  
• Minimize or avoid animal fat such as lard, butter for cooking. Use vegetable oil e.g. rapeseed oil, olive oil, etc. instead
• If additional salt is required, use iodised salt instead of ordinary table salt, keeping total salt intake below 5g (1 teaspoon) per day

	Choices for Western Style Lunch
	Relatively desirable choices	Choose less often
salad	fresh vegetables and fruits lean meat slices with skin removed and visible fat trimmed chickpeas, kidney beans low-fat dressing / vinegar / lemon juice (to have dressing served separately)	canned fruits, preserved vegetables such as pickles preserved meat such as bacon, sausage, ham butter fried croutons thick salad dressing made of regular cream and cheese
soup	split peas, lentils or lean meat in a non-cream based soup such as broth, borsch or minestrone	cream based soup such as clam chowder and cream of chicken
potato	boiled / baked potato	French fries, hash browns
vegetables	fresh vegetables such as cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, cucumber, cabbage, carrot, peas, tomato	pickled, preserved or canned vegetables cooked with butter / margarine or served with thick sauce
grains	brown rice, red rice, oatmeal or bran cereals with low fat / skimmed milk	instant noodles, pasta or rice in thick cream sauce / gravy
sandwich	wholemeal bread, bagel and pita bread fresh vegetables e.g. lettuce, tomato and cucumber hard-boiled egg / egg white lean meat, for example, chicken, turkey, beef, with visible fat trimmed tuna in spring water	pastry, croissant butter, margarine, mayonnaise fried egg, scrambled egg luncheon meat, sausage, bacon tuna in oil
meat / poultry / fish	lean meat or poultry with skin removed and visible fat trimmed tuna in spring water meat alternatives e.g. pea, lentil, bean, tofu	chicken wing, deep fried fish finger tuna in oil preserved meat such as bacon, sausage and luncheon meat
dairy product	low fat / skimmed cheese, low fat / skimmed plain yoghurt low fat / skimmed milk	full cream cheese, full cream yoghurt whole milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk
dessert	fresh fruit	ice-cream cheese cake jelly
drinks	water, low fat / skimmed milk	sweetened juice, soft drinks

Healthy snacks

• Snacks are sometimes helpful in supplementing the energy and nutrient requirement of the day
  
• Choose snacks which are nutritious and with as little fat, salt and sugar as possible
  
• It is preferable to have snacks at least 1.5 - 2 hours before meal-time and about the same time every day
  
• Make sure that snacks do not take away your appetite for more nutritious meals

Healthy snacks	Unhealthy snacks
wholemeal bread, peanut butter toast	cake, cookies, wafer, cream-filled biscuits
low fat / skimmed cheese sandwich, sandwich with lettuce and tomato	instant noodles, cup noodles, doughnut, croissant
boiled potato	hash browns, French fries
hard boiled egg	deep fried chicken wing, sausage, samosa
green salad, fruit salad (with little low fat dressing)	pudding
high calcium low sugar / unsweetened soy milk or low fat / skimmed milk	milkshake
low fat / skimmed plain yoghurt	ice-cream
unsalted and unsweetened nuts, no added sugar dried fruits, fresh fruit	candies, chocolate
boiled corn kernels (served without butter), no added sugar dried fruit chips (e.g. apple chips), unsalted seaweed	chips

Healthy eating is the cornerstone of good health. Healthy lunch and snacks can be achieved by eating the right kind and the right amount of food. If packing your own lunch is not practicable, healthy options may also be available in school canteens and restaurants. Be determined and get started to have healthy lunch and snacks!

(Revised in June 2023)

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