Make a Healthier Version of Your Favourite Raya Dishes
Excited to enjoy all the delicious Raya dishes, but worried over calories? Take a different, yet healthier approach to prepare your Raya dishes this year to save yourself and your loved ones from all the extra fat, sugar, salt, and oil?! Check out these simple hacks for a delicious and healthier Raya spread:
1. Rendang & Curries
When preparing rendang and curry dishes, substitute coconut milk with low fat milk or low fat yogurt. You can also remove the skin and trim off visible fat from chicken/lamb/beef. Try this NESTUM® Kapitan Chicken. It goes very well with Nasi Kunyit (Yellow Turmeric Rice) and Ketupat.
2. Soto
If soto is one of your must-haves, try including more vegetables (sprouts, long beans, etc.) and reduce the portion of nasi impit.
3. Vegetable side dishes
Balance your carb servings with plenty of vegetables on the side. A generous serving of cucumber, fresh greens, and red onion will do the trick.. Make your own Nasi Ulam Ayam Percik for a healthier main dish.
4. Rice-based dishes (eg. nasi dagang, nasi kerabu)
Choose brown rice instead of white rice, and add a variety of fresh salad/ulam as sides. Enjoy a taste of the east coast through this Nasi Dagang dengan Kari Ikan Tongkol dan Acar Jelatah recipe:
5. Dessert
Serve fresh fruits in the form of kebab sticks. You may want to include fresh fruits in agar-agar, as well as reducing the amount of sugar in cookies, kuih, or pudding for healthier indulgence. For a modern touch to your Raya dessert table, try this Muffin Streusel Kurma Madu NESTUM®
6. Drinks
Remember to practice moderation and make wise choices, even at the dining table! Opt for fresh fruits to enhance taste and colour (eg. dragon fruit, Roselle, etc.) when it comes to making drinks. Serve this Everyday® Kurma Susu and Sirap Bandung Cincau for a change and savour every bit of it!
Now that you’ve got all the tricks up your sleeve, healthy eating isn’t so difficult after all. Remember to practise the #quarterquarterhalf concept during your meals. And by half, we mean the fruits and veggies! Raya is once a year, but health is all year round. Make wise choices, even at the dining table!
References:
1. Makan Secara Sihat di Hari Raya, Bahagian Pemakanan Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, 2012
2. Perancangan dan Pemilihan Menu Sihat Rumah Terbuka Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Bahagian Pemakanan Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, 2013
3. Update name: Choosing Healthy Hari Raya Food and Deepavali Snacks
4. Guideline: Sugars intake for adults & children, World Health Organisation, 2015
