Think Malaysia, think food. We take a look at the most iconic Malaysian foods to find out which are nutritionally good and which are unhealthy for you. Brace yourselves!
Managing your weight by calorie counting is a big challenge when it comes to Malaysian food – there’s often little or no nutritional information available for our diverse and unique delicacies. But we at MSN have just what you need. Our breakdown of the GI (Glycaemic Index) and calorie content in the most popular Malaysian dishes will help you sort the good from the bad.
The GI measures the effect carbohydrates in the food item have on our blood sugar level – the smaller the effect, the healthier it is and the better it is for sustainable weight loss.
Nasi Lemak
In one 230g serving of the nation’s favourite breakfast food, there are about 100-400 calories and needless to say, a sizeable amount of fat. Its GI value of 67 is also relatively high. For a slightly healthier option, swap the fried egg for a boiled one.
Satay
Good news is, the meat itself isn’t unhealthy; it is actually a good source of protein with just 2g of fat and 135 calories per skewer. But, if you’re watching your weight, stay away from the peanut sauce. The combination of peanut butter and coconut milk will be your diet downfall.
Curry Laksa
A 450g serving of laksa racks up 360 calories on the counter. For a healthier version, boil the broth with yoghurt instead of coconut milk. Surprisingly, while no exact figure is available, laksa actually has a very low GI value, due to its lack of carbohydrates.
Rendang
A 90g portion of beef rending contains approximately 208 calories, 108 of which coming from its saturated fat content. However, it’s GI value is relatively low at just 35.
Roti Canai
The devil in disguise. If you thought you wouldn’t be doing much harm with the simple bread, you’d be wrong. Because of the oil it’s cooked in and prepared with, roti canai is laden with calories and has a very high GI value. Stick to normal bread if you’re really watching your weight.
Durian
Low in cholesterol and sodium, the fleshy fruit may be hard to stomach for many, but is an excellent source of dietary fibre. A whole fruit weighing about 602g contains about 885 calories, 269 of which come from saturated fats.
Malay sweet cookies or Nonya kuihs
While exact nutritional values differ depending on the type of kuihs, in general, all are packed with sugar and very high in calories.
Char Koay Teow
Aside from being high in cholesterol and sodium, one 385g serving of this hawker favourite floods your body with 39g of fat and 742 kilocalories. Its GI value is also relatively high at 55. It doesn’t get much worse than this.
By Flora McCraith, MSN Malaysia, 23/9/2009
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