Is it any wonder why we love our local breakfast dishes, like roti prata and nasi lemak, so so much? These fragrant breakfast and brunch dishes make the best start to any weekend.
These comfort food we’ve grown up eating offer intense flavour and umami to titillate our taste buds and they also fill up our stomachs really well. But that doesn’t mean they’re good for our health.
Here’s a round up of 16 local breakfast dishes (yes with calorie count included) that will make you think twice before eating them!
But don’t worry, we added tips for healthier alternatives.
1. PUTU MAYAM
Putu mayam originated from Tamil Nadu, South India. It is a traditional street snack that is made with rice flour noodles, sugar, and coconut.
Putu mayam looks and tastes similar to the Malaysian traditional snack of Putu Piring. However, do not use these terms interchangeably. Putu piring is an evolved version of the putu mayam, and looks more similar to that of the Chinese Tutu Kueh in appearance.
One serving of Putu mayam will give you 196 calories.
However, be wary that you’ll be consuming empty calories from the noodles, grated coconut, and red sugar. Thanks to the high sugar content, taking putu mayam for breakfast may also give you a mid-morning crash after the initial spike in sugar.
Healthier gratification: Limit yourself to one teaspoon each of grated coconut and sugar for one serving of putu mayam. That will save you 96 calories.
2. CHWEE KUEH
Love Jian Bo Shui Kueh? You’re not alone. This traditional Teochew Chinese breakfast is largely vegetarian and suitable for most diets (just skip the chilli if you’re vegetarian since it often contains shrimps).
Shui Kueh, or Chwee Kueh, literally translates from the Teochew dialect to mean “water cakes” in English. They are named after the white watery mixture of rice and tapioca flours that it’s made from.
These white rice flour cakes are often paired with chopped preserved radish, or “Cai Por” in dialect.
A serving of Chwee Kueh (let’s say, four pieces with the sides) will give you 224 calories – way higher than the previous Putu Mayam since this dish is really oily and high in sodium. Expect over 900mg of sodium in a serving. If you are at risk of high blood pressure, you’ll want to go light on the Chwee Kueh.
Healthier gratification tip? Go easy on the chilli – it’s the main culprit behind the high sodium and fat content.
3. LOR MAI KAI
The staple breakfast food of all primary and secondary schools in the 1980s and 1990s is the Chinese Lor Mai Kai (or sticky glutinous rice with chicken).
Lor Mai Kai is traditionally a Cantonese dish that originated from Guangdong Province, China. It’s originally enjoyed as a dim sum dish served in the mornings during yum cha breakfasts.
This yummy little serving of glutinous rice is great for children still on puberty since it’s very high in calories. One serving of the Lor Mai Kai can set you back by 322 calories.
Why so high in calories?
It’s high in fat, and the amount of protein you get from the tiny bits of chicken stuck to the top of the glutinous rice doesn’t add much to your recommended dietary intake.
Healthier gratification: Have just half a portion to satisfy your craving without piling on the fat.
4. CHAR SIEW PAU
Another Cantonese dim sum favourite, the Char Siew Bao (barbecue pork steamed buns) is a staple breakfast item for school-going children in Singapore.
While most people attribute the modern origins of the Char Siew Bao to the Cantonese and Hong Kong-ers, Chinese history has it that steamed buns was invented in the 200s in the Three Kingdoms era under the lead of the famed military commander, Zhuge Liang.
These yummy barbecue pork buns will give you 363 calories.
For an item that’s too small to satiate your hunger in the morning, it’s surprisingly very high in calories and carbs (45 grams of carbohydrates). And, chances are, you won’t stop at one – most of us finish three or four at once before we go on with other dim sum dishes.
Are there healthier options? Yes, like red bean buns (205 calories), lotus seed buns (170 calories), and vegetable buns (150 calories) carry lower calories. But… nothing can replace the king of all buns that is the Char Siew Bun.
5. KAYA AND BUTTER TOAST
Perhaps one of the dishes most unique to Singapore and Malaysia is the Kaya and Butter Toast.
This super-crispy toast slathered with butter and kaya is said to have originated from the Hainanese immigrants who worked as cooks aboard colonial British vessels between 1826 and 1942. Kaya, the coconut and egg jam that is key to this dish, is said to have originated from the Malays, Hainanese, or Portugese.
A serving of this beloved Kaya and Butter Toast will give you 196 calories (two slices of white bread, two teaspoons of kaya and one teaspoon of butter).
If you’re not careful with the butter, this traditional kaya and butter toast may contain trans fat from the generous use of sliced butter.
A healthier option is to lay off the butter, and you’ll shave off 44 calories.
6. CANTONESE STYLE PORRIDGE
Another favourite breakfast item on the dim sum table is Cantonese porridge, or Congee (pronounced as “jook” in Cantonese dialect). Unlike other types of porridge, such as the Teochew porridge, the Cantonese-style porridge is much more creamy, smooth, without the obvious beading of rice.
The congee is a time-honoured dish that dates back to 1,000BC in Chinese history books.
While congee was most commonly eaten plain in the past, it is now popularly paired with condiments and meats. Common variants of the congee include:
- Pork and century egg congee
- Fish congee
- Minced pork congee
- Peanut and cuttlefish congee
- Abalone congee
- Shredded chicken congee
A massive bowl of congee served with meat, egg, century egg, and spring onions will set you back by 224 calories.
This dish is often high in cholesterol (370mg), exceeding the recommended daily cholesterol intake of 300mg.
Healthier options of the congee include the fish porridge (211 calories) that’s also lower in cholesterol.
7. MASALA THOSAI
A common breakfast staple in Singaporean hawker centres and neighbourhood kopitiams is the thosai. The Masala Thosai (or Dosa, Dosai) originated from Karnataka, South India.
The pancake-like dish is made from a mixture of rice, lentils, fenugreek, peas, and chickpeas. It’s often paired with several chutneys, gravy, and potato curry. If you have a sweet tooth, you can enjoy your thosai with sugar as well.
However, a serving of the Thosai will give you 362 calories. To be fair, most thosais are massive and often jut out of the plates when served.
The potato filling coupled with the rice wrap makes this a double-carb combo (52.4g).
Healthier alternative include the plain thosai (100 calories). Otherwise, have just half of the thosai and share it with a colleague.
8. FRIED BEE HOON
The bee hoon (or rice vermicelli) originated from China in the Qin dynasty (200 BC). Bee hoon is traditionally made from rice flour, tapioca, and corn flour.
This ubiquitous carbohydrate is found in multiple cultures across the Southeast Asian continent – from Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, to Singapore.
Every culture and country has its preferred preparation method and signature rice vermicelli dish. In Singapore, the most Singaporean rice vermicelli dish is the “Economical” Fried Bee Hoon – usually enjoyed for breakfast. Most of these bee hoon stalls are found in hawker centres, only open in the mornings, and are closed by lunch time.
A plate of fried bee hoon will give you 427 calories (served with a fried egg and a slice of fried luncheon meat.)
Thanks to the accessory dishes such as the processed luncheon meat, expect high carb (48.1g) and sodium (1,120mg) content. Also, this dish is also low in dietary fibre (just 4g). You should be eating about 20g of fibre a day.
Healthier options to the fried bee hoon? Avoid the luncheon meat and other fried items – these are high in fat and sodium.
9. CARROT CAKE
Not to be mistaken for the English carrot cake, the Singaporean carrot cake is a savoury fried dish. Affectionately known by locals as “Chai Tow Kway”, the carrot cake is actually not made of carrot. It is usually made of radish or rice flour.
While it’s commonplace in Singapore, Malaysia, and the neighbouring countries, this fried carrot cake dish actually originated from the Teochews in China. In Singapore, there are two common variants:
- White (with just egg omelette)
- Black (black sweet soy sauce fried with egg omelette)
However, this dish is extremely high in calories, counting 493 calories in a single serving (with dark sweet sauce).
This dish also contains 35g of fat and 1,290mg of sodium – close to the daily recommended limits.
For a healthier option, go for the white version. Sweet sauce itself can pack 50 to 100 calories.
10. ROTI PRATA
Oh, roti prata. Most Singaporeans grew up eating the roti prata for breakfast. The order is pretty similar for every Singaporean, “Uncle, one egg, one plain.”
The beloved roti prata is actually classified as a type of flat bread, originating from Punjab, South India.
You’ll find the same roti prata with different names all over Southeast Asia – ranging from Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, to Sri Lanka.
Much like the French crepe and galette, are hundreds of savoury and sweet roti prata variants. Anything you can think of, your local roti prata stall will likely make it for you.
A serving of an egg and a plain prata will set you back by a whopping 497 calories.
Besides being high in carbs (60g), the margarine that’s usually used to fry prata often contains trans fats.
For healthier prata options, stick to three tablespoons of curry for each piece of prata to cut down on your fat and cholesterol intake.
11. MEE REBUS
Mee Rebus is a staple breakfast dish at many Indian Muslim food stalls. The origins of Mee Rebus, however, is quite contested. While some history sites state that the Mee Rebus originated from the Indian Muslims, some saw it’s an evolution of the Mee Jawa from Java, Indonesia. Other accounts attribute the Mee Rebus to be a maritime noodle soup dish.
The Mee Rebus (translates to mean “boiled noodles) is a very simple dish – yellow noodles, thick gravy, a boiled egg, and some dried tofu. A bowl of Mee Rebus, however, will give you 571 calories.
That’s because this dish is both high in salt (2,160mg) and cholesterol (206mg).
Healthier option is to ask for just half to a quarter of the noodles – you’ll be halving the calories too.
12. MUTTON MURTABAK
The murtabak originated from the Middle East. It was introduced to Southeast Asia by the Tamil Muslim traders who travelled south. In Singapore and Malaysia, the murtabak is a popular Indian Muslim dish often found in street hawkers.
Murtabak is a type of folded pancake that’s stuffed with ingredients and then fried with oil or magarine.
In Singapore, murtabak comes in several staple flavours:
- Chicken
- Beef
- Mutton
Beyond the key ingredient, you’re often required to choose between a small, medium, or large-sized murtabak. A small murtabak is most often more than enough for one pax. If you’re going for a large murtabak, you can expect to share it between two to three persons.
The murtabak is pretty high on the calories, standing at 587 calories per serving.
It’s high in sodium (2150mg), cholesterol (206mg) and carbs (61.4g).
To go healthier, get a chicken murtabak instead and save yourself about 98 calories.
13. MEE SIAM
Mee Siam is literally translated from Malay to mean “Thai noodles” in English. Mee Siam originated in Penang, Malaysia, and is likely to be inspired by Thai cuisine’s spicy and tangy flavours.
In Singapore, Mee Siam is a pretty simple noodle soup dish with rice vermicelli as base, drowned in a tangy and spicy shrimp and soy bean soup, topped with fried tofu, shrimp, and eggs.
A serving of this seemingly healthy dish will give you 694 calories. Thanks to the tangy soup, the dish packs a whopping 2,660mg of sodium.
However, you can save about 174 calories by asking for lesser noodles.
14. NASI LEMAK
Traditionally a breakfast dish, the Nasi Lemak has evolved into an all-day dish in Singapore. It’s particularly well-loved as a supper dish (cue Boon Lay Power and Punggol nasi lemaks!).
The history of nasi lemak is an interesting one. It was believed to have been invented in the 1800s by an indigenous Malay community which lived by the coast.
It’s known to be a high calorie dish in Singapore. You can tell from its name, Nasi Lemak, which literally translates from Malay to mean “Fatty Rice” in English. You won’t be surprised to know that a plate of Nasi Lemak brings you 635 calories.
It contains 11.4g of saturated fat, thanks to the coconut milk used in the preparation of the rice.
As a healthier option, ask for a half portion of rice and you’ll save half of the fat content.
15. ROTI JOHN
Finally, a dish that was invented in Singapore. The Roti John was reportedly invented in colonial Singapore by a Malay cook who worked along Koek Road (Cuppage Plaza area). According to the National Archives of Singapore, the British army used to like coming to this stall for dinner or supper.
They’d order French bread stuffed with a single fried egg (two eggs for locals). And over time, it was quite simply named “Roti” for bread, and “John” for the foreign British men.
Another account of the origins of Roti John is slightly different – back in 1960s, a British guy asked a Malay cook for a hamburger. However, the cook didn’t have any, and made the British guy a simple French bread with fried egg stuffed in between.
Today, a Roti John comes with lots of ingredients stuffed in the omelette set in the baguette. You’ll easily find chicken, beef, mutton, and even Impossible meat variants of the Roti John.
A serving of the Roti John will give you 721 calories.
It’s carb-heavy (77g) and you’ll hit the daily recommended sodium intake with just this one dish.
If you must order this, share it with a friend! Roti Johns are huge!
16. LONTONG
Lontong originated in Java, Indonesia. It’s basically a coconut curry stew (sayur lodeh) with vegetables and rice cakes. This dish is commonly vegetarian, though you should always ask your local Muslim food stall if they cooked the soup with any shrimp stock.
The main draw of Lontong is the ketupat rice – painstakingly prepared with banana leaves so it will absorb the colour and fragrance of the banana leaves. The vegetables are also stewed for hours on end in the coconut curry broth so they’ll turn soft and fragrance, melting easily in your mouth.
A serving of Lontong will give you 798 calories.
This contains a total of 40g of fat and 21.6g of saturated fat. You’ve also just about reached the daily recommended sodium intake of 2,000mg. Healthier gratification: Resist the gravy and you’ll ditch more than half the fat and calories.
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What’s your favourite Singaporean breakfast? Tell us!