IN March, grilled chicken restaurant Nando's unveiled its #GetBackOnTrack campaign, in case you have veered off course from your new year resolution to eat better and live healthier.
Its chief executive officer Stephen Chew says the emphasis on living a healthier life is more apparent than before and people are constantly looking for a healthier and more sustainable option in their diet by eating less meat and more greens.
"We have always focused on playing a positive role in the community so we want to say that it's okay to fall off the healthy eating wagon once in a while as long as you get back on that journey of healthy eating," he says.
Chew is right. Any day is a good day to get back on track, whether it's getting back into the groove of exercise or staying off sweets and crispy snacks. And for those who are fasting during Ramadan, these dishes help you reduce calorie intake and cultivate better eating habits.
MEATLESS BURGER
Nando's has a protein-packed meatless burger, and what I like about it is instead of going the pseudo-meat patty route, it uses tofu and portobello mushroom as patties. I believe the whole idea is to eat more greens and plant food, not processing them to imitate the taste of meat.
The Portobello Mushroom with Tofu Burger is portobello mushroom lightly grilled in customer's Peri-Peri flavour of choice, with flame-grilled tofu patty paired with Nando's special chilli jam, in a burger with vegetables.
I love it. I think two slices of tofu are too much but one slice with the mushroom gives it a balanced, satisfying taste. You can opt for a wrap if that's more to your liking.
Another great dish is the Happy Trio Chicken Bowl, an all-in-one meal with juicy chicken tenders, spicy rice (I choose Mediterranean rice for my toddler son), corn, baby spinach and red peppers.
RICE BOWL
Murshid loves Nando's chicken with Mediterranean rice so this dish is familiar to him. I think it's a great one to share with kids. The chicken pieces are boneless so they are easy to handle. The corn adds sweetness and the baby spinach adds some green to the meal.
The Veggie Carnival Bowl is the same, minus the chicken, for a light eater. If you are feeling hungry, go for the Ultimate Trio Chicken Bowl with the addition of succulent portobello mushroom.
There are also Tofu Sticks and Dip and Portobello Mushroom Bowl as appetisers. I particularly like the tofu sticks because the tomato salsa dip gives a tasty twist to the otherwise bland grilled tofu.