Most S'poreans don't know what constitutes a balanced meal

Singaporeans largely recognise the importance of eating healthy, but most do not understand what constitutes a balanced meal.

A new study has also found that some parents are willing to trade off nutrition for tastiness and convenience in their children’s meals, so that the children eat enough and mealtimes are fuss-free.

These were among the findings in a national survey of 1,000 respondents aged 18 to 60 conducted by FairPrice Group (FPG) in April, which will inform several community initiatives that the group is rolling out.

The study, which involved an online survey as well as in-home visits for a smaller pool of interviewees, found that more than four in five here agreed that a healthy meal is one that is balanced.

A similar proportion of parents surveyed said that ensuring their children keep a nutritious diet is their biggest concern.

However, only 23 per cent of respondents were able to say that a balanced meal requires fruit and vegetables, protein and carbohydrates, said FPG when it released on Oct 3 the findings of the study conducted by NielsenIQ.

Seven in 10 parents surveyed said taste is the deciding factor for what makes a good meal, and that getting their children to not be picky and to eat enough was their biggest concern.

Respondents said giving their children food they like – such as nuggets, sausages and fries – would help them finish their meals without fuss.

Four in 10 meals that parents prepared in a week had processed food, regardless of income level, the study found.

The findings point to a level of disagreement on what a balanced diet is, with parents wanting nutrition and children wanting an element of taste, said FPG group chief executive Vipul Chawla.

“Sometimes the belief is that the two cannot match... it tells us that there are some fundamental gaps in understanding (of nutrition),” he said.

To address the tension between nutrition and taste, especially for families in need, FPG launched on Oct 3 what it billed as Singapore’s largest food donation drive.

To run until Nov 17, the initiative will see FairPrice Foundation match public donations dollar for dollar, up to a total of $1 million, so as to provide 10 charity partners with nutritious groceries and meals.

The partner organisations, which include Beyond Social Services, The Food Bank Singapore, Jamiyah Singapore and Touch Community Services, will use the donations raised to buy healthier food items such as fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen chicken and brown rice.

The FPG study found that beneficiaries of food donation programmes surveyed indicated a preference for protein, staples, fruits and vegetables over processed canned food.

It also found that Singaporeans have fewer misconceptions about the nutritional value of fresh frozen food – food that has been frozen immediately after harvest – with more than half of the parents surveyed agreeing that it is a good source of nutrition.

Food from the Heart chief executive Robin Lee noted that food donation drives have typically been limited to dry pantry staples such as rice and noodles, instant beverages, biscuits and canned food as these have a longer shelf life.

He welcomed the move by FPG to emphasise nutrition for beneficiaries in its current food donation drive. “We’ve reached a stage where we really need to focus on improving nutritional value,” said Mr Lee.

On Oct 3, FPG also announced a new discount scheme for those holding the Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) Orange card, which is for people who earn a monthly per capita household income between $1,501 and $2,300.

From Oct 4, such customers will get a 3 per cent discount every Friday across the more than 160 FairPrice stores and 40 Unity pharmacies islandwide. FPG said the scheme will run till end-March 2025.

This is in addition to FPG’s existing discount schemes, which offer Pioneer and Merdeka generation seniors, those aged 60 and over, and Chas Blue card holders discounts, depending on the day of the week.

There are more than 1.26 million Chas card holders here aged 40 and above, according to a July 2024 parliamentary reply by the Ministry of Health.

To raise nutrition awareness from a younger age, FPG had also launched in September a programme aimed at pre-schoolers, noted Mr Chawla.

Currently being rolled out in NTUC First Campus’ My First Skool campuses, it teaches children practical skills such as reading nutrition labels.

They also get hands-on experience picking out groceries in FairPrice supermarkets, and the aim is for the programme to reach 20,000 children across the 160 campuses by 2025.

Those who wish to give to FPG’s food donation drive can do so until Nov 17 at any FairPrice store, Unity, Cheers and Kopitiam outlet, as well as through the FPG app and FairPrice’s website.