Ans: One-star ESRs are required to offer at least five “More Fruit and Vegetables” dishes on a daily basis. However, it is not necessary to make these five dishes available in the same session.
For Two-star ESRs (Green Star + Red Star) or Three-star ESRs, they are required to provide at least five “EatSmart Dishes” on a daily basis, including at least one “More Fruit and Vegetables” dish and at least one ““3 Less” dish. Failure to do so will be deemed not in compliance with the requirement. On the other hand, it is not necessary to make the five “EatSmart Dishes” available in the same session; it is sufficient if the five “EatSmart Dishes” are provided on the same business day. For instance, a participating restaurant can provide three “EatSmart Dishes” in the morning session and two “EatSmart Dishes” in the evening session.

Ans: To qualify as a “More Fruit and Vegetables” dish, uncooked vegetables should occupy at least 4 times as much the amount of meat and its alternatives present in the dish. Taking a set menu of beef skewer with about half bowl of cooked beef as an example, 2 bowls of salad should be provided to meet the requirement of “More Fruit and Vegetables” dish. (1 bowl = 250 – 300 ml).

Ans: No, “More Fruit and Vegetables” dish does not include any dish containing vegetables or other ingredients which have been quickly deep-dried.

Ans: No. As the “bird’s nest” is deep-fried, it does not fulfil the requirement of “More Fruit and Vegetables” dish.

Ans: We encourage participating restaurants to use healthier cooking methods and ingredients that can reduce the amount of fat / oil, salt and sugar. However, “Less” is not equivalent to “Low” or “No”. Dishes prepared in accordance with the Checklist for “3 Less” dishes (Annex II) are generally the healthier options.

Ans: Yes. To ensure that “3 Less” dishes are all healthier choices, participating restaurants are required to modify or create new dishes according to the definition of “3 Less”, and to use the Checklist for “3 Less” dishes in Annex II for final checking.

Ans: No. Less fat / oil, less salt and less sugar are not equal to low fat / oil, low salt and low sugar. “3 Less” dishes have reduced content of fat / oil, salt and sugar but may not be as low as that in special diets. These patrons are advised to consult their doctors or dietitians.

Ans: Yes. This can ensure that the “3 Less” dishes contains less fat /oil, salt and sugar.

Ans: Non-deep fried ready-to-use “vegetarian chickens” are usually seasoned and contain relatively higher content of sodium, so they are not suitable for preparing “3 Less” dishes.

Ans: Although dry-roasted plain nuts and avocados are rich in fat, they mainly contain unsaturated fat which is beneficial to cardiovascular health. Therefore, they can be used for preparing “3 Less” dishes, yet in an appropriate amount only.

Ans: The restaurant is required to “serve low-fat salad dressing or sauce separately” in “3 Less” dishes. In this regard, “oil and soy sauce, which is supposed to be poured on the dish in the final cooking step” should also be separately served so that patrons can add the sauce to the dishes at their own discretion.

Ans: It means that, as a general reference, you should use no more than three teaspoons of vegetable oil and half teaspoon of salt to make a dish that serves four persons. The amount of sodium in half teaspoon of salt is comparable to one tablespoon of soy sauce (1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 15 ml).

Ans: Although these simple food meet the “3 Less” criteria, patrons expect to eat dishes which excel in “colour, smell, taste and nutrition”. We encourage participating restaurants to design appealing “3 Less” dishes.

Ans: No. “EatSmart Dishes” do not include beverages.

Ans: Two-star ESRs (Green Star + Yellow Star) and Three-star ESRs must provide promotional offer for “EatSmart Dishes” throughout the year but the types of promotional offer can be altered.

Ans: Yes, this is because “EatSmart Promotion” is available for customers on a daily basis.

Ans: A hotpot restaurant which has become an ESR must serve at least one kind of “3 Less” soup base among the five “EatSmart Dishes” provided. Apart from providing an individual hotpot ingredient as a “More Fruit and Vegetables” dish and “3 Less” dish, hotpot restaurants may also consider providing a “More Fruit and Vegetables” dish and “3 Less” dish set meal including both hotpot ingredients and soup base.

Ans: To cater for different preferences of patrons in different seasons, the DH encourages participating restaurants to change “EatSmart Dishes” frequently. Participating restaurants can create more delicious dishes with reference to the nutritional criteria of “3 Less” dishes and “More Fruit and Vegetables” dishes. If necessary, the DH will be willing to provide ongoing support, e.g. providing nutritional recommendations on new recipes.