While there is a common belief that fruit and vegetables are often served as side dishes in Western cuisine, their potential for versatility is usually underestimated. With a bit of creativity, fruit and vegetables can actually play a significantly different role – not only can they enhance the flavours of dishes, but they can also help people increase their consumption of this important food group without them even realising it. In this issue, Cheung Cheuk-hin (Anthony), a registered dietitian, shared some insights into the preparation of healthy Western cuisine.

Preparing Refreshing Appetisers with Fresh Ingredients

Salads are commonly served as appetisers. In addition to lettuce and tomatoes, however, Anthony suggested restaurants use diversified ingredients, such as quinoa, beetroots and kale, to enrich the texture and flavour of the salad. Besides, restaurants could utilise natural ingredients, such as fruit and low-fat yoghurt, for making the sauces. This not only can make the salad healthier, but can also enhance the novelty of the dishes.

Easy-peasy to Add Vegetables to Main Dishes

Main dishes in Western cuisine are typically meat-based. To encourage customers to consume more fruit and vegetables, Anthony recommended restaurants incorporate healthy options such as whole grains, fruit and vegetables in place of fried foods and processed foods, which are commonly served, when designing their menus. Furthermore, regarding the recent introduction of cauliflower rice in many restaurants, Anthony believed that substituting some grains with cauliflower rice could be a beneficial option. Cauliflowers contain dietary fibre, which helps increase satiety and maintain gut health. As their starch content is insufficient, Anthony suggested restaurants mix them with grains to ensure a balanced diet.

At the same time, Western burgers have also garnered popularity among the public. Anthony pointed out, “Burgers are generally made with ingredients relatively high in fat and paired with high-fat salad dressings and butter, making them an unhealthy choice.” However, in recent years, many restaurants have introduced vegetarian burgers, which have become a favourite among customers. Anthony believed that replacing the patty with healthy ingredients such as fruit, vegetables, beans and mushrooms not only could reduce the burger’s saturated fat content, but could also increase customers’ intake of dietary fibre, making burgers a relatively healthier choice.