How much is too much food and why do takeaways always have so much carb?

CNA

21-04-2025

I am tucking into my packet of economy rice for lunch as I'm writing this. For dinner, I might get takeout pasta arrabbiata or teriyaki chicken bento box… I'm still undecided. But whatever it is, ordering in so often within a day is nothing unusual for many of us.
And because we eat out so often, we've put portion control in the hands of the people who sell us our food – especially if you simply eat out of the takeaway container (I am guilty of doing so).
It also doesn't help when food quantities have increased over the years. If you're wondering 'got meh?', hear me out. The next time you order a single serving of any carb-dense dish such as nasi goreng, briyani, hor fun, fries, pasta or ramen, transfer it out of the takeaway container when you get home. Do you need two plates or bowls to hold everything?
'In food courts and hawker centres, the carbohydrate portion has increased but the protein and fibre portions have decreased,' observed Jaclyn Reutens, a clinical and sports dietitian with Aptima Nutrition & Sports Consultants.
'Carbohydrate foods such as rice, noodles, pasta and potato are considered cheaper than meat and seafood, which might explain why food-stall owners and hawkers especially are more generous with them,' she said.
If you're budget-conscious and opted for a value or set meal, you could also be busting your calorie intake, said Tung Yee Nei, the lead nutritionist from Ventrickle, a Singapore-based nutrition app and food calculator.
'Consumers tend to equate larger portions with getting more for their money, even if it leads to food waste or unhealthy eating habits,' she said. So 'food providers may aim to satisfy customers by offering portions that are larger than the standard size'.
HOW MUCH DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO EAT?
'Your actual caloric needs vary according to age, activity level and weight goals,' said Diane Seto, a senior dietitian from Mount Elizabeth Hospital. Generally, the average daily caloric requirements are 2,200 calories for men and 1,800 calories for women. Based on those recommendations, a meal shouldn't exceed 600 calories for men and 500 calories for women:
In reality, just how much extra food could you be eating? Take rice portions, for example, said Seto. That serving of rice could measure a full cup or 200g, instead of the recommended half cup or 100g, she said, citing the guidelines from My Healthy Plate.
If you finish up everything in your packet of nasi padang, for instance, you could be consuming more than 200 calories just from the rice alone. That is already half of a woman's caloric limit in a meal.
HOW CAN YOU TELL IF IT'S TOO MUCH FOOD?
One, serving sizes from different types of F&B establishments and cuisines vary greatly, said Tung. "Fast food or casual eateries typically offer bigger portions than just right, so you'll have to adjust the portion accordingly."
Two, don't eat straight out of the container as it's harder to gauge the amount. Instead, get a plate that measures 25cm across or thereabouts. Here's how much food your plate should contain:
Carbohydrates, preferably wholegrain eg. rice, noodles, pasta, bread: 1 quarter plate
Protein, preferably lean eg. chicken breast, fish or plant sources eg. tofu: 1 quarter plate
Fruit and vegetables: Half plate
To get your rice portion right, measure it in a bowl with a 10cm diameter. We often accept an amount that is the equivalent of a heaped bowl instead of the flat bowl we should be eating, said Reutens. Or the rice should take up just a quarter of a 25cm-wide plate, she said.
Soupy noodle dishes such as mee siam, mee rebus, mee soto, prawn noodle soup or ban mian can also heap on too much carbs. 'The noodle quantity is often way too much, whereas the protein and vegetables are only half the requirements, said Reutens.
If you don't have a 10cm bowl in the office pantry to help you gauge the quantity of a soupy dish such as mee rebus, mee siam and mee soto, eat just 3/4 of the carbohydrates, said Reutens.
Liquid-based dishes such as soups and porridge shouldn't fill the bowl to the brim; give an allowance of about 1.5cm from the top of the rim for one portion.
Still not quite sure how much food to have on your plate or bowl? Below are more visual guides of dishes from nine different cuisines that won't bust your calorie limit per meal.
Fruits aren't included below but you should try to have a serving, such as a small apple, a medium orange or a slice of watermelon (less than 50 calories each), at lunch and dinner, said Celia Jong, a dietitian with Tan Tock Seng Hospital's Department of Nutrition and Dietetics.
1. CHINESE
Breakfast options:
Economy rice: 1/4 plate meat + 1/2 plate vegetables (choose 2 vegetables) + 1/4 plate rice
Wanton mee soup
Dinner options:
1 bowl sliced fish bee hoon soup (choose non-deep-fried fish, no milk and add vegetables such as bittergourd)
1 bowl noodle soup with dumplings + 1 bowl stir-fried vegetables
2. MALAY
Breakfast options:
2 pieces kueh
Half-slice cake (any flavour)
Although kuehs and cakes are listed here, they aren't exactly healthy, said Reutens. If you want to indulge, kueh lapis or kueh salat may be slightly better choices. Keep cake slices to half of a Bengawan Solo slice, she said.
Lunch options:
1 bowl mee rebus
1 bowl lontong with 2 pieces ketupat
Lontong tends to come with four or five pieces of ketupat, so make sure you hold back if you want to keep within your meal's limit, said Reutens. Try to limit drinking the calorie-loaded coconut soup but eat up all the vegetables.
Dinner options:
Nasi ayam penyet: 1/4 plate chicken (skin removed) + all the cucumber and raw cabbage + 1 bowl rice
8-10 sticks chicken satay (lightly dipped in satay gravy) + all the onion and cucumber + 1 ketupat
3. INDIAN
Breakfast options:
1 bowl dal + 2 chapati
1 bowl sambar + 2tbsp coconut chutney + 3 idli
The curry for prata, sambar for idli, dal for chapati as well as chutney and other condiments are often generously provided, so watch the amount you consume, said Tung.
Lunch options:
1/4 plate tandoori chicken + 1/2 plate aloo gobi + 1/4 plate rice
1 bowl palak paneer + 1 plain naan
Dinner options:
Fish biryani: 1/4 plate fish + 1 bowl saag bhaji + 1/4 plate biryani rice
1/4 plate tandoori grilled fish + 1 bowl cabbage thoran + 1/4 plate rice
Watch your portion of biryani rice as more than one serving of rice is usually given, said Tung.
4. WESTERN
Breakfast options:
1 omelette (choose vegetable fillings eg. mushroom, bell pepper, onion) + 1 bowl steel-cut oats cooked with milk
Smashed avocado on toast + 2 poached eggs
Lunch options:
1 bowl tuna nicoise salad
6-inch sandwich with teriyaki chicken
Dinner options:
1/4 plate tenderloin + 1/2 plate grilled asparagus + 1/4 plate sweet potato mash
1 bowl seafood bouillabaisse + 2 slices sourdough bread
If you're not sure of the pasta, mashed potato or fries that typically comes with western food, eat just half of it, said Reutens.
5. ITALIAN
Breakfast option:
2 slices thin-crust pizza (choose 1 unprocessed meat topping and 2 vegetable toppings eg. mushroom, tomato, arugula, spinach) + 1/2 plate roasted vegetables (eg. zucchini, bell peppers)
1 plate marinara pasta
Pizzas are high in calories and fat but low on satiety, said Jong, which means you usually need more than two slices to feel full. However, two slices of pepperoni pizza have more calories than a serving of beef bolognese, she said. "If you must, choose thin crust and vegetable toppings such as grilled zucchini and bell pepper."
Dinner options:
1/2 plate seafood risotto + 1/2 plate roasted vegetables (eg. zucchini, bell peppers)
1/2 plate beef bolognese + 1/2 plate salad
Tomato pasta sauces are the healthiest, said Jong, as they are lower in fat and calories. "Some aglio olio can be lower in calories than cream sauces if less oil is requested," she said. Also, opt for pasta with meat for a hit of protein.
6. THAI
Breakfast option:
1 bowl Chinese-styled porridge with an egg and pork meatballs
Lunch options:
1/2 plate green papaya salad (som tum) + 1 bowl tom yam goong + 1 bowl rice
1/4 plate Thai grilled fish (pla pao) + 1/2 plate mixed veg stir-fry (pad pak) + 1 bowl rice
"If you order a one-person meal such as basil chicken with rice, the amount of rice tends to be one to 1.5 bowls," said Reutens, so portion out accordingly.
Dinner options:
1/4 plate Thai-style steamed fish (pla nueng manow) + 1/2 plate kangkong with garlic + 1 bowl rice
1/4 plate Thai basil minced chicken + 1/2 plate glass noodle salad (yum woon sen)
7. VIETNAMESE
Breakfast options:
1 bowl chicken pho soup (pho aa)
1 bowl chicken porridge (chao ga)
Lunch options:
1/2 plate chicken salad (goi ga) + 1 bowl rice
1 bowl beef pho
Dinner should be filling but not too heavy to avoid feeling sluggish or indigestion before bed, said Tung. So if you need to, reduce the rice to half a bowl.
8. JAPANESE
Breakfast options:
1 teriyaki chicken sando
1 grilled fish sando
Lunch options:
1/4 plate grilled/teriyaki/shio chicken or salmon + 1 bowl Japanese salad + 1/4 plate cold soba
Nigiri sushi (6 pieces) + 1 bowl miso soup + 1 bowl Japanese salad
The protein portions, such as the thinly sliced salmon, are often insufficient in bento sets, said Seto, so you might benefit from adding some non-fried tofu.
Dinner options:
Yakitori: 3 sticks chicken breast + 4 sticks vegetables (eg. shiitake mushrooms, bell peppers, asparagus) + 1 bowl rice
Shabu shabu: 1/4 plate lean pork slices + 1 bowl salad + 1 bowl rice
There may be as much as two servings of rice with your yakitori, said Seto. If you're not sure, just eat half the rice.
9. KOREAN
Breakfast options:
1 bowl cold soymilk noodle soup (kong-guksu)
1 roll egg gimbap
Lunch options: