Singapore, 17 December 2019 - Chronic diseases have become a serious health challenge in Singapore. According to Health Promotion Board, about 400,000 Singaporeans have diabetes and one in three Singaporeans have a lifetime risk of developing diabetes in 2016. As Singaporeans are warned about this “invisible” but deadly disease by PM Lee during the National Day Speech Rally, there is a major shift in Singapore consumers’ food scene to adopt healthier eating habits.
Recognising Singaporeans’ obsession with food as part their lifestyle, Farrer Park Hospital (FPH) hence introduced a new series of video recipes, “FPH World of Flavours”, showcasing a variety of 3-course ethnic cuisines from around the world in less than 600 calories, utilizing nutritious and economical ingredients.
This video series is hatched from our unique integration of hospital and hospitality, from the joint effort of 5 star hotel chef, hospital dietitian and an on site farm which provides seasonal herbs and vegetables used in our patients’ meals.
As food plays an integral role in providing nutrients as part of the holistic healing process, FPH offers a myriad spread of cuisines customized to suit our patients’ dietary preferences i.e. low sodium, low sugar etc, without compromising on the taste factor. They can conveniently select a 3 course meal of their choice, all packed in less than 600 calories, from different type of cuisines, ranging from Chinese, Western, International, and Vegetarian to different ethnic options, i.e. Indonesian, Indian, Bengali and more through our Electronic Meal Ordering System. With a matrix of over 200 quality meals customized by chef and dietitian, we wanted to extend these healthy cuisines options beyond FPH patients. Featured on our YouTube Channel, this platform will allow viewers to effortlessly follow the steps and share and recreate low-cost healthy and nutritious meals in their own homes.
Bygone are the days where healthy eating revolves around bland and unappetsing food to fit the low-calorie count. Having tried out the Malay cuisine recipe, Sally Chan, a viewer of the video recipe series was satisfied with the outcome of her gastronomic creation, “Simple recipe modifications like swapping the usual coconut milk to low fat milk in the ethnic dish and white rice to brown rice attributes to a vast difference in calories and nutritional values. I was surprised that my family members did not find the dishes any less tasty. In fact, the brown rice has a nuttier taste and a more complex texture while the palatable sauces were less ‘heavy’ in taste. I am excited to attempt the other delicious cuisines which are healthier and more nutritious for me and my family.”
With the rise in demand of healthier food options, many are concerned with the costlier price of healthier choice foods. Focusing on the cuisines from “FPH World of Flavours” series, the cost of ingredients per person quoted from our 5 star hotel chefs are estimated at $4.50 for the Malay cuisine, $3.20 for the Nyonya cuisine and $4.00 for the Western Cuisine. These ingredients cost price is reasonable in comparison to the usual pricing when eating out as long as one is willing to make the initial effort of preparing their own home cooked meal. Supported by Mah Wai Yee, Head Dietitian, Farrer Park Hospital, “simple changes like using less salt and sauces for lower salt intake, taking less sugar and sugary foods, limiting unhealthy snacks such as chocolates, cookies, ice cream, chips, etc can actually translate into cost-saving which you can spend on purchasing healthier food choices.”
With the upcoming healthy ethnic cuisines rolling out regularly on “FPH World of Flavours” channel, it is an excellent platform for people looking for inexpensive ways to prepare home cooked meals and implement positive dietary changes to develop healthy lifestyle habits through learning from video recipes.
Farrer Park Hospital is the latest private tertiary acute care hospital in Singapore. The facility includes the Farrer Park Medical Centre with specialist clinics, medical technology, nuclear medicine and radiology services to support a wide range of surgical specialties in oncology, orthopedic, gastroenrology, and cardiology. Designed by healthcare professionals and conveniently built above an underground train station, the hospital is a carefully created environment to enable modern yet holistic care for all its patients.
The hospital shares numerous calming gardens and inspiring art works with its related hotel, One Farrer Hotel. Synergies between the hospital and hotel provide families and visitors with enhanced experiences in food and beverage, choices of accommodation, lifestyle programs and conference facilities. Farrer Park Hospital and One Farrer Hotel are part of The Farrer Park Company Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based company.
For more information, please visit www.farrerpark.com.
Farrer Park Hospital
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