If you follow me on instagram, it is obvious that I am all into clean eating despite the nature of my job. The common question I am getting all the time is how do I plan my meals with all the food tasting and the clear cut answer to that is eating correctly. I eat as clean as possible when I am not at a food review and today, we have a useful article by Helen Trickle and here is something that’s not only a good read but hopefully a piece of useful information to our readers.
How to Achieve Healthy Malaysian Eating
Malaysian food is some of the most delicious cuisine in the world. Unfortunately it also has a reputation for being a relatively high fat, unhealthy food type. This is because many Malaysian recipes call for foods to be fried, and oils and saturated fats are prevalent. What’s more, the lure of street foods mean that when you leave the house you’re likely to find cheap options for oily, rich and sweet foods tempting you from every corner. Whilst these things are fine in moderation, if you are eating them on a daily basis then you’re likely to run into trouble! It’s for this reasons that Malaysians are not considered to be a healthy nation.
If you are looking to detox, cleanse your system of some of the fats and additives we all consume on a daily basis, and maybe even lose a pound or two, then here are some healthy alternatives, and some of the healthier Malaysian food options currently available:
Delicious and Healthy Recipe Options
If you’re a fan of eating out then the good news is that there are plenty of healthy options now emerging in our most popular restaurants. You’ll also find healthy juice bars and natural cafes popping up all over Malaysian towns and cities. Unfortunately, healthy eating outside of the home does not come cheap. With prices differing slightly around the Klang Valley, you can expect to pay an average of around 20RMB for a bowl full of salad.
This leads us to choosing to eat at home, which would be a better option for both your bank balance and your waistline, if you can fit it into your busy schedule. You don’t need to buy fancy and fashionable ‘superfood ingredients’: just choose simple dishes cooked well. When they are in season, grilled tomatoes taste sweet, rich and delicious, and make the basis of a great lunch. A simple salad dressing can be whipped up by mixing lemon juice with a drop of oil and some of your favourite herbs and spices, which will make you want to eat salad on a daily basis!
The point is that healthy eating doesn’t have to taste boring, and you can still love food and eat well at the same time. Grill some fresh fish and serve with fragrant rice. BBQ thick slices of pineapple and serve up with a generous dollop of yoghurt for the healthy dessert. Head to your local market and appreciate the nutritional content of our local produce: you’ll find so much colour, flavour, and variety to enjoy that is grown right here. Traditional Malaysian vegetables such as kai lan, bayam, and taugeh are affordable, easy to cook, and will quickly become firm favourites if you experiment with them in your own kitchen.
The Benefits of Clean Eating
Eating cleanly is a great idea if you have been overindulging of late: clean eating is a form of gentle and holistic detoxification ideal for weight loss, cleansing, and ridding your body of toxins (often retained as a result of alcohol consumption, excessive sugar intake, and substance abuse). The principles of clean eating are universal and can be achieved in any culture: simply opt for a diet rich in delicious fruits and vegetables. You can choose to eat them raw or, if you prefer them cooked, then simply boil or steam them lightly without adding an fat or additional unnecessary salt, sugar, or additives.
Sugar is incredibly cheap in Malaysia (because of its abundance) meaning that it is an ingredient used in many recipes , and our palette has slowly adapted so that we crave sweet flavours. Overcoming a sugar addiction can be difficult, and naturally sweet foods (including high sugar fruits such as mango and pineapple) are a great, healthy way to deal with cravings. Although clean eating may seem like hard work at first, you will quickly begin to feel the health benefits if you stick with it. You will experience increased energy levels, less headaches and mood swings, and because of the anti inflammatory properties of many vegetables, you may even notice that muscle aches and pains disappear. If your diet has gotten out of control, then it’s definitely worth a try!
Thank you Helen Trickle for the lovely write up. I hope our readers are getting some useful tips and information here.
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