How do we keep Malaysian food healthy without losing the local flavour?

Question

Malaysia, hands-down, has some of the best food in the world, available 24-7. But however delicious and tempting the spread, Malaysian food can be calorie-laden, which makes it difficult for the average Malaysian, especially when we're faced with great food at every turn.

With more Malaysians becoming more health and figure conscious, does it mean we're stuck making a choice between good food or good health?

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Answer 1

I think it's time to update our definitions of local flavour. Besides cutting back on fat and especially saturated fat (like ghee or coconut milk), we should also cut down on salt.

For all the local food we enjoy, I think it's also possible to incorporate more veggies in each meal, and maybe just have smaller portions.

And eat in moderation!

Answer 2

It got to start from the basics, the ingredients. If the foods are made from the freshest ingredients, a simple and a not so high calorie food will also be yummy. With the freshest ingredients, the amount of salt and oil use to cook can be lessen too.

Answer 3

I would say there is nothing bad with the food, but with the amount consumed.

We need to change the attitude of eating all in a single go.

Its always right to live a moderate life, and live long.

Few things very importantally to be addressed!!!

1- Reducing sweet drinks, such as teh, teh 'O', milo, etc.

2- Eat all we can, but with a limit.

3- There must be someone, to controle food quality.

4- The ingredients are behind the taste of a food, so lets leave them alone.

5- we should controle our diet by our selves. e.g.

I take two packs of Nasi Lemak, in the morning, my lunch is rice, Ayam Goreng, Kembing, or Fish, my dinner is most of the time fried rice, fried noddles, etc. but I still manage my weight. All I have to do is add something else to my meal, which shall work out for me. ;)

Its not a joke, eating an apple a day, keeps the doctor away!!

Imagine eating an apple which carries 180Kcal, but to digest an apple, our body has to work out 340Kcal.

Now someone tell me, is it a difficult calculation??

I believe in one thing only. "Eat all you can, eat smart, don't work hard"!!

Answer 4

how?cook by yourself..

Answer 5

The taste of the food lies in the recipe and ingredients to make it. In health conscious society, calori does take important role. So in lieu  to maintain the taste, ingredients , the way to cook it must  maintain.

To the lovers of Malaysian food ' calculate your next calorie intake after eating the most salivary dishes.

Proud to be Malaysian.

Answer 6

Malaysian food is D best in the world.... eat whatever you like but watch what you ate. and exercise regulary...

Answer 7

Malaysian food can b 'healthy food',once we eat it in moderation n in balance..it's the same with any other food stuff,b it Western,Chinese or even fast food..!

Answer 8

That is a great paradox.

Answer 9

The Harker research lists 31 different possible causes or driver of obesity as contended in academic research which includes people moving away from home, genetics, increase in the relative cost of physical exercise to technology changes as in time spent watching tv, playing computer games, etc.

Enjoy your food in moderation, lead a healthy active lifestyle, Make sure consumption followed by energy out.

Malaysia Boleh!

Answer 10

if we want to put add ingredient to some food may be it make the taste different from before, but the alternative is after eat some food which consider "unhealthy" , try to take good or healthy dishes, like milk, fruit/vegetable, bread.....

peace out!!

Answer 11

It's very hard to do this! We must be prepared to change the way some of the dishes taste if we want to make it more healthy. One way is to increase the proportion of vegetables in the dishes, reduce the use of oil and fatty meat (not replace because the taste will be too different), and perhaps have smaller portions. If you eat less of the gravy for instance, that goes a long way to reducing the calories you take on.

Answer 12

don't blame the food if you're fat. blame urself for not exercising.

Answer 13

its this way-Malaysians die of good food

                   -or Malaysian die of bad food(no ajinomoto)

                   -One things for sure,there be  no good food  

                     without ajinomoto

Answer 14

Now, if we can train our bodies well and long enough to consume and burn off all the excess calories, that will be heaven for sure.

How about we get Malaysians doing more aerobic exercises instead??

Answer 15

Nasi Lemak,, if we put a salad on the Nasi Lemak are we still going to call it Nasi lemak? No matter how fat or calaories does the food have but we can't blame that food or change the ingredient on that food,, It's all about ourself.. we can control the way we eat.. if we it more calories then maybe it's time to us excercise our body... because if we can see around the world. for example west style chiken chop,,  i though maybe the should put   papaya or betik at top of the chiken chop, shouldn they? just because to make sure that chiken chop less calories. What am i saying is.. We don need to change the ingredient, but we must thankfully the person who create an original flavour for our malaysian food.

Answer 16

Yah, you know the saying, right? "Eat to live, or live to eat"

I think it's impossible to get that really, completely yummy taste, without the bad stuff. Changing any part of the ingrediant will change the taste!

What we need to do is to change Malaysian's mindsets -- if enough people say "yuck!" instead of "yum!" when they see 'unhealthy' stuff like coconut milk, then maybe got chance...

When that happens, the meaning of 'local flavour' will change -- and we won't 'lose' anything!

Answer 17

If it's curry then substitute the santan with milk.  Or better, switch to Devil's Curry :D

Answer 18

The best way to keep the local Malaysian food  healthy is to prepare in the food a healthier way, such as by using less salt, sugar and preservative.  Avoid food choloring, MSG and etc. Use less oil and santan.

Answer 19

it is quite hard to keep Malaysia food healthy without losing the local flovour.....but i think it is no nessesary to do it,,,,,

Answer 20

We can't easily cut down the calories of the food, i agreed with that. Take plain rice when u're thinking of nasi lemak. No way! But if U want to live healthier, at least start something. As example, if u take n. lemak, don't take teh tarik lah, take teh 'o' with less sugar. or plain water will be fine. Thinking of satay, go ahead but drink plain water instead of cola. Think about the sugar! (in the satay itself and cola?!) So, for the others, think about it!

Answer 21

try cutting down oil or fats in the food and most importantly less sugar.

Answer 22

" Malaysia, hands-down, has some of the best food in the world, available 24-7" . I just loved your statement and i totally agreed with you! Malaysian food is the best in the world, so much varieties. But no matter how tempting it is, always have self - control and practice MODERATION.  Beside  that..Health Authority should monitor the food premises regularly especially those coffee shop which tend to practice unhygienic way of handling food. This is my main concerned. Poor hygiene. When it comes to Festive Season, its alright to eat more but just dont waste food...Remember those in other part of the world that is dying from hunger...Last but not least i would not compromise my taste bud with so call calorie, if you think you eat too much calorie - laden food, then in the next few days eat less. Balance your eating habits and practice Moderation. Those who are more educated in food wise, take the oppurtunity to translate to those less educated or less conscious about food. Then the choice is theirs. It's disheartening that more and more Malaysian are suffering from lifestyle's diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes..the major cause of this disease is poor eating habits. Eat to live and LIVE HEALTHY.

Answer 23

duh, der, um, DUH!

Answer 24

Just keep the original falvour, to keep it as healthy food is just to train people to take the food wisely...

Answer 25

its quite frustrated to get healthy food in malaysia. Malaysian are less awareness to healthcare yet. Not so much care. Even if they care, they do it only for DIRECT SELLING industry. Who can deny that?

better do the japanesse. They change their eating habit so they can have better health and more taller people. Malaysian are still short. :-)

Answer 26

really i don't think we can...what makes the local food tasty is the very thing that makes it unhealthy...we can choose either or, not both...

so it's up to the individual to choose between health and taste, and most part i'm sure taste wins :))

Answer 27

Serve the food with more vegetables.

Answer 28

The heavy taste and mixed calture here generate the best food in the world. In this century who can answer me which food we take dosent harm our health if we over took?? Did we really balancing our intake and do more excersice?? Nobody take gun point at you and force you to take it. Do we really plan before you take the food??? I wonder our repectly gov and YB keep creating funny topic...it still lot of heavy issue waiting our respectly YB to do... i dare to said the food made by hotel are most healthy but how many of us afford to pay the $$$$????

Answer 29

As Much As I agree with everyone that Malaysian Food will Not be Malaysian Food if we change any ingredients in it..My suggestion is eat 1/4 of every thing that you are served and share it.

In that way, you still get the same, mouth-watering, delicious and "kick" taste  of the Malaysian food  and live healthier. :)

Answer 30

Eat em in smaller portions. Say if you go for nasi lemak. Ask the lady for half of the rice instead of the regular serving. Add in more cucumber and nuts. If you like take a portion of beef rendang or chicken.

If you take away your nasi lemak then have em put the sambal and chicken or beef separately with the rice and vegetables. (rice and vegetable can be in the same packet). This way when you get back you could filter the excess oil in the sambal and chicken or beef - simply pour the oil out of the plastic bag into you sink. Oil is lighter than the sambal so it will float, hence easier to see where the oil is in the bag.

Try it out and you might be able to eat all you can eat without posting another diet question :-)

Answer 31

The most sensible thing is to reduce portion of what you eat - end of the day, its the daily calorie intake that counts. Everyhting is ok but in moderation laa - for example, once in a while, dont finish all the rice in the nasi lemak, ask for kurang manis or kurang minyak. Most ppl are happy to accomodate requsts like this.

One major thing Malaysians need to do is stop eating such rich oily fried food on daily basis - eg nasi lemak and roti canai for breakfast, nasi and curry for lunch AND dinner.

And start educating yourself  - know how much fat/calories in in what you eat and what you daily calorie intake should be, that'll make HUGe difference.

Lastly - get off your lazy behind and start moving around!