SINGAPORE, Sept 17 ― It seems that more people are actually making an effort to achieve their “I will eat healthy this year” New Year’s resolution. Yes, eating clean is all the rage now: Just check out the number of pictures under the #cleaneats hashtag. While clean eating might seem like just another diet fad, the truth is, it’s less of a diet and more of an approach.

There are no absolute rules, intense detox programmes, calorie-counting or extreme food subtraction. Instead, clean eating is intuitive. Principles include opting for whole, natural foods over processed and refined foods, making sure each meal contains protein, carbohydrates and fats, and minimising the intake of sugar and salt. Oh, and taking your time to chew and enjoy your food.

This movement towards clean eating is most evident in the Central Business District (CBD), which has seen a boom in the number of outlets catering to the demand: New entrants such as Grains Traders, a collaboration by KILO and Papa Palheta, and Snatch by Adrian Khong of Jewel coffee have joined the growing ranks.

“It’s good that there are more of these places that are fairly close by,” said financial analyst Angela Lee. “It’s sometimes hard to find good, clean food that is also tasty.”

“My wife will be happy because she always says I eat only junk food,” said banker Koh How Ee, about the proliferation of clean eats in the CBD, although he admitted that he hasn’t quite latched on to the idea just yet. “I’ll have to see first, lah. At least they aren’t too expensive.”

These clean-eating spots all seem to know that one thing the busy city slicker might not be able to afford during their hectic lunch hour is mindfulness. To take the hassle out of making such lunch decisions, we’ve hunted down tasty options for you.

SHINKANSEN

#B1-08, 10 Collyer Quay, Ocean Financial Centre and #03-22, 100 AM, 100 Tras Street

Shinkansen specialises in quick Japanese-style meals that are designed for health-conscious customers in mind. While you can customise your meal from S$13.90 (RM41.90), the signature bowls are well-balanced, hearty and convenient: The Omega-3 Donburi (S$15) ticks all the right boxes. There’s a salad mix of baby spinach, romaine and butterhead lettuce but it is the sushi rice mix that’s impressive. Sushi rice is packed with whole grains such as quinoa, barley and brown rice. Instead of a heavy seasoning of salt or sugar to flavour the rice, ingredients such as seaweed are used for umami and pickles for small bursts of acidity.

For a healthy dose of protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, the meal comes with salmon sashimi and maple and genmaicha-cured salmon. Almonds and cashews provide crunch and an added dose of filling protein and unsaturated fats, while an onsen egg and a generous portion of ebiko give the perception of richness and indulgence. A homemade ginger balsamic sauce ties everything together.

SKINNY SALADS

(#01-03, 100 AM, 100 Tras Street)

Skinny Salads proves salads are anything but boring and tasteless bowls of rabbit food. Drawing inspiration from all around the world, the salads are inventive and composed. The Green Papaya and Snake Beans salad (S$9) is Thai-inspired and comes with cherry tomatoes, snake beans, green papaya and cucumber providing a range of textures that go beautifully with the well-balanced fish sauce and lime juice dressing. The addition of kaffir lime and sweet Thai basil lift the dish to sophisticated levels.

Fermented Cabbage and Yuzu (S$11.50) combines Asian ingredients such as tofu, enoki mushrooms and seaweed, piquant fermented cabbage and pickled spring onions, and crisp shaved carrots and cucumbers in a spicy yuzu dressing. The flavours are clean, fresh and acidic and well matched with the suggested protein add-ons of confit salmon or tuna (S$3 each).

GRAIN TRADERS

(#01-01-3, 138 Market Street, CapitaGreen)

Take your pick of these veggies from Grains Traders.

Grain Traders is the new kid on the block but its concept is far from novel — pick from a selection of grains, proteins, toppings and sauces to build your own bowl. As this is a collaboration between KILO and Papa Palheta, the menu is effortlessly hip. Think vegetable options such as apple kimchi and charred furikake corn, and sauces like tamarind chipotle vinaigrette. At S$16 a bowl, it looks and tastes like a gourmet meal.

The signature bowls are just as inspired. A surprising standout is the wholly vegetarian Tantrum Bowl that has lentil cakes, grilled beets and mixed beans pico de gallo (a tangy Mexican condiment made with uncooked tomatoes, onions and chillies) dressed with beetroot feta yoghurt on low-fat and high-fibre bulgur wheat.

LEAN BENTO

(#02-02, 11 Collyer Quay, The Arcade)

Lean Bento keeps it healthy and lean with this salmon set.

Lean Bento stands out for two reasons: The use of halal-certified, pesticide-free and gluten-free ingredients, and a focused menu complete with clearly stated nutritional content that’s created for fitness buffs. Depending on your level of activity or your fitness goals, pick from one of three categories: High-Protein, Low-Carbohydrate and Complex-Carbohydrate. If you’re going to be hitting the gym, opt for the Super Hero Salmon and Chicken (S$16.90) under the High-Protein category. The salmon is salt-baked, a gentle cooking method that locks in the natural moisture of the fish. The chicken comes in the form of lean patties made from freshly ground chicken breast meat. Sides include protein-rich edamame, antioxidant-rich wakame salad, vegetables and multi-grain nigiri.

YOLO

(#01-01, 12 Gopeng Street, Icon Village)

YOLO takes a different approach to the eating clean bandwagon. The menu is divided into four general lifestyle goals: Build, Glow, Perform and Shape Up. There is also a category called Soothe for people who are gluten-, dairy- or wheat-tolerant.

The categories may seem contrived but YOLO does have atypical offerings at affordable prices. The Cauliflower Fried Rice (S$9.90) features cauliflower florets cut into small pieces to resemble rice. The Thai Fish Cake (S$11.90) is one of their protein-centric offerings. The fish cakes are made with halibut, red curry and aromatics and sit on top of a green bean, lettuce and fresh herb salad.

SNATCH

(#01-06, 1 Shenton Way)

Recently opened Snatch allows customers to pick from a selection of proteins, carbs/greens, supplements and dressings to build their own meals, from S$12. There are some interesting ingredients including steamed egg whites, gluten-free pasta and ahi tuna. The portions for the proteins are generous — you can expect 200g of chicken or 150g of sirloin steak or ahi tuna per order.

Snatch is also one of the first in Singapore to offer bone broth, a growing health food trend in America. Advocates believe the gelatin in bone broth help seal up holes in intestines for a healthier gut and protect your joints while the high mineral concentration strengthen your immune system. At Snatch, you can pick from a beef bone broth that’s made from oxtail, a chicken bone broth that’s made from chicken bones and feet, or a Farmer’s Broth – a combination of beef and chicken bone broth. Each broth is simmered for up to 12 hours with carrots, onions, leeks, celery, lemon juice and vinegar.

AFTERGLOW BY ANGLOW

(24 Keong Saik Road)

The Raw Lasagne from Afterglow.

Okay, Keong Saik isn’t technically in the CBD but we’re including it in because it’s so near it makes that fact negligible (besides, a good walk always whets the appetite and ups the health quotient, especially if you’re doing the 10,000-steps-a-day routine). At this raw-food vegetarian eatery, you find farm-to-table, eco-friendly and a hardcore dedication to making everything from scratch. Yes, it’s either hipster heaven or every carnivore’s worst nightmare.

If you’re a health junkie, you’ll be happy to know all dishes are created in consultation with raw food advocate Adela Stoulilova, and are entirely sugar-free. The dishes in themselves are complex and more importantly, tasty. Take one of the more substantial offerings, The Raw Lasagne (S$20): Thin slices of zucchini act as lasagne sheets, the filling’s marinated baby spinach and shitake mushrooms, a cashew cream lends richness, and the tomato sauce is bright and intense due to the clever use of dehydrated cherry tomatoes.

Click to eat

For more delish deals and news on what’s hot on the scene, download the 8 Days Eat App at http://www16.mediacorp.sg/8days/8daysapp2.html ― Today