Fishball noodles

Fishball noodles can be served either in a soup or dry with the soup on the side. There may also be toppings such as sliced black mushrooms, minced pork, fish cake, pig liver, lettuce and bean sprouts.

Dry fishball noodles often contain oil to prevent the noodles from sticking, as well as added salt in condiments such as soya sauce, chilli or tomato sauce. Dry fishball noodles may not be excessively high in calories (1 bowl contains about 370 kcal), but it is low in fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals.

When you’re pregnant, you can make this option healthier by asking for more vegetables, and requesting for no oil.You may also try brown rice beehoon (vermicelli) instead of yellow mee, as brown rice beehoon contains wholegrains, which is good for heart health, and contains added fibre, which keeps you feeling full for longer.

Sliced fish soup

For optimal nutrition, you should not only drink the soup, but eat the fish meat, as it is a good source of protein that pregnant women need more of.

Although sliced fish soup is one of the healthiest examples of Singapore hawker food, it is best to eat a variety of foods when you're pregnant.

In Singapore, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) monitors the mercury levels of fish imported into Singapore, so the batang fish (Spanish mackerel) used in sliced fish soup is safe to eat. However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends pregnant women limit intake of Spanish mackerel to only one serving per week (approximately 4 ounces), with no other fishes consumed in the same week. This is because Spanish mackerel is still higher in mercury levels compared to other fishes.​

So, instead of eating sliced fish soup every day, you may have other dishes such as yong taufu bee hoon soup, steamed rice with meat and vegetables or shrimp dumpling noodles.