- 6 September 2023
Quarter Quarter Half Meal Planning
My Healthy Plate
It is a friendly and simple tool for the general public to plan healthy meals, designed by the Health Promotion Board (HPB). It helps you to practice healthy eating patterns by having better weight management and protecting you against chronic diseases like diabetes.
Quarter Quarter Half (QQH) is an easy way to remind yourself to achieve the correct proportions of each food group at each meal.
All you have to do is to:
1. Fill a Quarter of your plate with whole grain
- Consume whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, oats, wholemeal bread and pasta, barley instead of refined grains like white rice and bread.
- Whole grains are more beneficial than refined grains as it contains high in nutrients like fibre, vitamins and minerals. Studies show that whole grains reduce the risk of getting chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.
2. Fill a Quarter of your plate with meat and alternatives
- Our body needs protein for growth, maintenance and repairment of tissues.
- This group consists of poultry like chicken, duck, turkey and red meat like beef, mutton, lamb and pork. In addition, seafood, fish, eggs and dairy products like cheese, milk, yoghurt, beans and nuts are high sources of protein. They provide key nutrients like iron, magnesium, vitamins and zinc.
- However, avoid eating too much red meat and processed meat like luncheon meat and sausages. They are high in saturated fats and sodium which will cause a higher risk of getting colon cancer, heart and kidney diseases.
- Incorporates calcium-rich foods from dairy products like cheese, milk, tofu, calcium-enriched soy milk and sardines aids in building strong bones and teeth. It also helps to prevent osteoporosis.
- Low-fat or non-fat dairy products are more recommended than full-fat dairy products.
3. Fill Half a plate with fruit and vegetables
- Eat a mixture of colourful fruits and vegetables to get different nutrients for our body.
- They are rich in dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants which protect you against many diseases like heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.
Don’t worry if you are unable to meet the recommended (QQH) proportions, you can always balance out with your next meal.
Additionally, you should take note these healthy habits as follows
Choose water as the first priority
- Drinks added with white sugar, corn syrup, honey or other types of added sugar are called “sugar-sweetened beverages which will cause you to gain weight. You are encouraged to select water over sugar-sweetened beverages.
- To maintain a healthy weight, opt for coffee and tea with no sugar as it contains empty calories.
- However, if you have cravings for sweetened beverages, go for a Healthier Choice option like lower in sugar or no added sugar items.
Use healthier oils
- While preparing the food, use healthy vegetable oils like canola, olive, sunflower oils that are lower in saturated fat. They are healthy fat and can reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Avoid eating food with trans fats (bad fats) and saturated fats products like butter.
Be Active
- Being healthy is not just having a well-balanced diet, exercise regularly plays an important role too.
- The recommendation of adults should aim for 150 minutes moderate-intensity activities
- You are strongly encouraged to incorporate physical activities into your daily life. For instance, activities like brisk walking, cycling, taking the stairs and doing household chores. Also, strength-training like using hand weights and yoga too. There are a variety of interesting activities out there, choose what you like and do it at your own pace. Do remember, doing something to keep yourself moving is always better than nothing!
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