Eat Your Veggies!

This article is brought to you by guest writer Sneha Gururaj, editor at the Nanyang Chronicle (NTU) and explorer of tasty eating places!

Singaporeans today are becoming more conscious of what they’re eating and why they’re eating it.

As such, many young people are turning to vegetables to balance their nutrition.

But eating out is quite difficult for suburban Singaporeans looking to increase their fresh vegetable consumption; hawker centres and food courts serve a lot of rice, noodles, meat, and fish, and most vegetables are cooked as a side dish, not as a main dish.

There are of course stalls offering vegetarian options, but as good as their signature dishes may be, they lack “oomph!” and variety.

There are basically no fresh vegetables offered in fast food outlets, and many restaurants will serve them oily.

So where can one go to enjoy an affordable and varied plate of veggies?

There’s actually quite a number of niche cafes and restaurants that have slowly become hot new spots for Singaporeans to enjoy veggies with fellow vegetarian and non-vegetarian friends!

Places like Vegan Burger (44 Jalan Eunos) are popping up all over the island, and their signature soya or mushroom patties make for a great burger experience!

Even the most extreme meat-lovers will approve of their fries sprinkled with seaweed instead of salt and the use of ingredients such as fresh pineapple and organic leafy vegetables!

The great al-fresco dining area and funky interior design of this café also make it a must-visit for anyone looking to spend a nice breezy evening out with friends!

Most Singaporeans know about the many Indian restaurants that dot Serangoon Road in Little India, but there’s a new fusion restaurant that stands out amongst the many others.

Café Salivation (75 Syed Alwi Road) is a small café that sells Western-Indian appetizers and main courses such as Paneer pizza (fresh paneer cheese, tomatoes, pine nuts, raisins and fresh herbs) and enchilada remo (fresh tortillas stuffed with stir-fried vegetables, tomato sauce, and white cheese sauce).

The casual ambience of this comfortable café contributes to people salivating even before they’ve completed their order of tasty delights!

For some classic Chinese vegetarian fare, Ling Zhi Restaurant (Novena Velocity Mall) have some traditional vegetarian buffets that use mock meat, seasonings, and fresh vegetables to create light meals that are both nutritious and tasty!

This restaurant is known for its calm interior, tasty food, and exquisite flavours!

As you can see, eating out is not necessarily an obstacle to balancing one’s diet with lots of vegetables!

There are plenty of choices out there, and worst-case scenario you can always ask the staff to recommend a healthy option of a dish!

Enjoy!

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