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Nasi Lemak and Chicken Rice CaloriesHawker Favourites in Singapore and Malaysia
· 3 min read
Hawker food is cheap, delicious and everywhere, which makes it the backbone of most people's week in Singapore and Malaysia. Here's what the favourites look like in calories, and the easy swaps that keep them on the menu.
Nasi lemak
| Plate | Calories (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Basic (coconut rice, sambal, ikan bilis, peanuts, egg, cucumber) | 500-650 |
| With fried chicken wing or drumstick | 800-1,000 |
| With rendang | 850-1,050 |
| "Bungkus" small packet | 350-450 |
| Component | Calories (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Coconut rice (1 plate, ~200 g) | 350-420 |
| Sambal (2 tbsp) | 60-120 |
| Ikan bilis and peanuts (2 tbsp) | 100-150 |
| Fried egg / hard-boiled egg | 90-120 / 70-80 |
| Fried chicken drumstick | 250-350 |
The rice is cooked in coconut milk, so it carries more fat than plain rice before anything else goes on the plate.
Hainanese chicken rice
| Plate | Calories (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Steamed chicken rice (regular) | 600-700 |
| Roasted chicken rice | 650-750 |
| Steamed, skin removed, half rice | 400-480 |
The fragrant rice is cooked in chicken fat and stock, and it's about half the plate's calories. Removing the skin saves around 100.
Other hawker staples
| Dish | Calories (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Char kway teow (1 plate) | 700-750 |
| Laksa (curry, 1 bowl) | 550-650 |
| Mee goreng (1 plate) | 550-650 |
| Bak chor mee (dry) | 450-550 |
| Fish soup with bee hoon (clear) | 300-400 |
| Yong tau foo (soup, 6-7 pieces) | 300-450 |
| Roti prata, plain (1 piece) | 200-250 |
| Roti prata with egg (1 piece) | 260-320 |
| Curry for dipping (1 small bowl) | 80-150 |
| Satay, 10 sticks with peanut sauce | 450-600 |
| Economy rice (rice + 3 dishes) | 600-900 |
Drinks and desserts
| Item | Calories (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Teh tarik / kopi (with condensed milk) | 120-180 |
| Kopi-O kosong (black, no sugar) | ~5 |
| Milo dinosaur | 250-350 |
| Bandung (rose syrup milk) | 180-250 |
| Ice kacang / ABC | 250-350 |
| Chendol | 350-450 |
| Kaya toast set (2 toast, 2 eggs) | 400-500 |
Easy hawker swaps
- Order "less rice" or half rice: saves 150-200 on almost any plate.
- Pick soups over fried: fish soup or yong tau foo over char kway teow.
- Kopi-O kosong or teh-C siew dai (less sugar) instead of the full sweet version, which matters most if you drink two or three a day.
- Steamed over roasted or fried chicken, and skip the skin.
- Go easy on the gravy. Ask for curry on the side at economy rice.
- Look for the Healthier Choice options at stalls that offer them.
Logging hawker food
International calorie apps rarely know what a plate of char kway teow looks like. In DietTracker you just say "nasi lemak with fried chicken wing and teh tarik" or "economy rice with three veg, less rice", and it estimates that plate with macros.
Eating out most days? Our guide to counting calories when eating out has more tips. Or try DietTracker free.