If you cook your own meals, you know exactly what goes into your food. Consequently, it is easier to make healthy changes to your diet.

For households which employ domestic help, their maids often cook the meals for their families. According to data from the Ministry of Manpower, one in six families in Singapore employ a foreign domestic worker to assist with household chores such as grocery shopping and the preparation of meals. However, no concerted effort has been made to educate maids on how to cook healthy meals, until now.

To address this issue, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) has partnered with the Foreign Domestic Association for Skills Training (FAST) and Nation Employment Pte Ltd, to conduct the Basic Healthy Culinary Course for Foreign Domestic Workers. The programme will equip participants with useful everyday tips they can apply to help their employers eat more healthily.

"HPB realises that domestic workers can play an important role in determining the nutritional content of the food that their employers are consuming at home," said Mr Lam Pin Woon, CEO of the Health Promotion Board. "Equipping foreign domestic workers with healthy culinary skills, and educating them on how to incorporate healthier changes in the selection and preparation of food, will help to cultivate healthier eating habits in Singaporeans when dining at home."

Participants of the programme will learn skills such as how to select healthier foods; how to prepare healthier meals; and ways to reduce fat and salt content in dishes. They will also be given a cooking lesson in preparing two dishes - stir-fried vegetables and the popular curry chicken - the healthier way.

At the end of the programme, participants will be assessed on what they have learnt, and those who pass the test will receive a certificate of attainment and a set of recipe cards with nutrition tips.

Mr Seah Seng Choon, a member of FAST Council and its spokesperson, said that this programme will benefit both Singaporeans and domestic workers. "More Singaporeans have become health conscious and discerning about their food choices. The knowledge that the domestic workers gain from this programme will help to ensure healthier meals are served at their employers' homes. Equally important, such useful knowledge and skills will add value to their own life."

About 7,000 foreign domestic workers are expected to receive this certification each year.