Table 1.

Food groupings for construction of the dietary patterns

Food group	Food items
Rice	Rice, porridge
Noodles	Wheat noodles, rice noodles
Pasta	Pasta
Bread	Bread
Buns	Buns
Unleavened bread (roti canai)	Unleavened bread (roti canai)
Cereals	Breakfast cereals, instant cereals
Pizza	Pizza
Chicken	Chicken
Red meat	Beef, goat/lamb
Processed meat	Burger, sausage, nugget, chicken/seafood balls
Fish	Marine fish, freshwater fish, anchovy, canned fish
Seafood	Cockles, prawn, cuttlefish/squid, crab
Salted, dried fish	Salted, dried fish
Processed fish	Fish balls
Fish snacks	Fried flour-coated fish fillet
Eggs	Chicken eggs, quail eggs, salted eggs
Nuts and soybean products	Nuts/pulses, peanuts, soyabean curd, fermented soya
Milk	Ultra heat-treated milk, powdered milk
Dairy products	Yoghurt, cheese
Green leafy vegetables	All types, e.g. mustard leaves, spinach, swamp cabbage
Cruciferous vegetables	All types, e.g. cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli
Legumes	All types, e.g. French beans, angled beans, ladies finger
Tubers	All types, e.g. potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots
Other vegetables	Cucumber/brinjal/pumpkin, salad, baby corn, corn, mushroom, bean sprouts
Fruits	Papaya, guava, local orange/mandarin orange, mango, pineapple, banana, watermelon, star fruit, apple, orange, pear, grape, longan, honeydew
High-energy beverages	Carbonated drinks, cordials, energy drinks, chocolate drinks, malted drinks, fruit juices, soyabean milk
Tea and coffee	Tea, coffee
Pastries	Cakes, traditional cakes, biscuits
Sweets	Sweets, lollipops
Ice cream	Ice cream
Shaved ice and jellies	Shaved ice, jellies
Snacks	Snacks
Butter	Butter
Margarine	Margarine
Spreads	Jams, coconut jam, peanut butter, honey
Condiments	Sugar, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk
Sauces	Chilli/tomato sauce, soya sauce, oyster sauce, prawn chilli paste