If you ask Singaporeans whether they would like to eat healthily, many will say yes.
After all, who doesn’t want to be healthy to perform at their best at work or in life?
FairPrice Group’s (FPG) A Full Plate – A Look at the Nutritional State of the Nation report confirms this view.
Around 68 per cent of Singaporeans surveyed chose products that are better for health, while 83 per cent agree that a healthy meal is a balanced meal.
The report also shows that while Singaporeans want to eat healthier, they are unsure what makes up a healthy meal.
Less than one in four Singaporeans understood that a healthy plate should contain fruits and vegetables, protein (meat or fish), and carbohydrates, according to Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) definition.
For proteins, HPB recommends fresh over processed meat as the latter is low in protein and high in saturated fats and sodium, thereby increasing the risk of heart and kidney diseases.
But the truth is, considering Singapore’s 2.7 per cent yearly increase in food prices as indicated by the global statistics website Trading Economics, your average Singaporean family of four may find it challenging to eat healthy even if they want to.
People want to eat healthy but find it too expensive. They are also not sure what to eat for better health.
FairPrice Group: Doing Its Part to Keep Singaporeans Healthy
As Singapore’s leading provider of food essentials and a social enterprise, FPG is in a position to educate people about food nutrition and make healthy, nutritious food affordable for everyone, including vulnerable workers and their families.
“It is clear that all in Singapore want to lead healthy lives through what they eat and how they keep fit. However, stubborn inflation, supply chain infractions caused by COVID-19 and geopolitical tensions globally have had an impact on the cost of daily essentials.
“We want to make sure that for all who live in Singapore, everybody regardless of their means, has access to it [nutrition]. It is such a fundamental thing, and certainly for a nation that is so prosperous and so developed, nobody should be left behind,” said FPG Group CEO Vipul Chawla.
FPG has already swung into action to put healthier food on Singaporeans’ plates. Together with FairPrice Foundation, the group’s charity arm, FPG has introduced a few signature programmes focused on boosting nutrition.
Recent initiatives include:
- Cheers Breakfast Club: 131 Cheers and FairPrice Xpress convenience stores provided Primary Six students cramming for this year’s PSLE exams with 12,000 nutritious breakfast bundles.
- Start Strong, Stay Strong programme: FairPrice Foundation’s partnership with Terra SG and My First Skool preschools to teach kids to make healthy food choices.
- Community Fridge Restock: FairPrice stores distributed over 18 tonnes of ‘rescued’ fresh fruits and vegetables to the underprivileged.
Helping Vulnerable Singaporeans Stay Healthy
On 3 October 2024, FPG launched its latest nutrition-focused initiative: A Full Plate, Singapore’s largest food donation drive.
From 3 October to 17 November 2024, Singaporeans can donate to underprivileged families nutritious grocery bundles at participating FairPrice, Cheers and Unity Pharmacy stores or hot, healthy meals at 72 Kopitiam and Cantine outlets.
They can choose to donate grocery bundles worth $16, $36, $60, or $100 or hot meals worth $6, $36, or $60.
Singaporeans can also donate the grocery bundles via FairPrice Online or FairPrice Group app.
The food donations will feed nearly 600,000 beneficiaries of 10 charities, including Food from the Heart, Red Cross Singapore, and TOUCH Community Services.
For the grocery bundle items, charities can choose from a wide range that includes eggs, fresh poultry, and fruits and vegetables.
Meanwhile, hot meals include Singaporean favourites, such as yong tau foo noodles and cai fan with protein, egg, and vegetables.
The movement to provide Singaporeans with healthy, nutritious meals is a great relief for charity Food from the Heart. Its CEO Robin C. Lee shared that most of the food donations they receive are canned or staple items.
“With FairPrice Group taking this meaningful step towards helping communities in need have better access to nutritious food, we will be able to continue to provide even more variety and healthy options for our beneficiaries,” he said.
For every bundle or hot meal purchased, FairPrice Foundation will make a matching donation, up to a total of $1 million.
This isn’t the first time FPG has ensured vulnerable Singaporeans have what they need.
The group organises annual donation drives like the Gift A Festive Care Pack and World Food Day initiatives. FPG also partners with local charities to run the Boys Brigade Share-A-Gift campaign.
More Discounts for Healthy Eating
In addition, FPG also offers discounts to lower-to-middle-income Singaporeans to encourage them to eat more healthily.
Starting 4 October 2024, CHAS orange cardholders, namely those earning between $1,500 and $2,300, can enjoy a 3 per cent discount on Fridays at FairPrice and Unity Pharmacy outlets.
Currently, FPG has four discount offerings: 3 per cent for the Pioneer Generation on Mondays, 2 per cent for those aged above 60 on Tuesdays, 3 per cent for the Pioneer and Merdeka Generations on Wednesdays, and 3 per cent for CHAS blue cardholders.
With this new discount, FPG will be helping various vulnerable groups, including the elderly and lower-income individuals, cope with the rising cost of living five days a week.
Social Enterprises Do Serve a Purpose
At the end of the day, social enterprises like FPG are simply trying to make life better for everyone, especially those without the means to do so.
Their actions speak louder than words.
In terms of food nutrition, Singaporeans can now have their healthy cake and eat it too.
Visit FairPrice, Unity, and Kopitiam outlets or https://go.fpg.sg/afplaufb to donate to a good cause today! Click here to learn more about A Full Plate campaign.