Rokiah Mahmud
With open houses continuing into the final week of Syawal, one should remember to not consume large amounts of food and drink that are high in sugar and sodium. In the long term, these two elements could affect our health and eventually lead to other complications.
During the Hari Raya festivities, it is understandable that when hosting or attending open houses, people will be pampered with a variety of wonderful, scrumptious, savoury and sweet delicacies. These delicious dishes on the buffet table are there to tempt our cravings.
However, while enjoying these foods, some only served during festivities, we must prioritise our health.
Eating moderately by controlling our portion sizes and choosing healthy options are among the things that we can practise while enjoying our meals.
Health Promotion Centre (HPC) Project Officer (Nutritionist) Nurulsyahirah binti Marshidi said that people can enjoy festive food, but they need to be mindful of what they consume, especially with regards to foods that are high in sugar and sodium.
At the same time, while enjoying all these delicacies, she added, one should stay active through exercises to burn off the excess calories.
There are numerous initiatives that promote healthy living, and among them is the availability of healthy food options.
“For example, when you go shopping, try to opt for food that comes with a healthier choice logo,” said Nurulsyahirah.
She added, “Some might think that healthy food is either pricey or less tasty. However, with enough creativity, people can use herbs and spices to create healthy meals that are also flavourful.” Other healthy eating promotions include a healthy dining programme, healthy supermarkets as well as the salt reduction campaigns.
When it comes to food and drink served at open houses, Nurulsyahirah said that it is a common to see traditional and modern dishes such as beef rendang, satay, and nasi kuning.
“While these foods are part of our culture, we should control our intake by practising ‘quarter-half plate serving’. We can enjoy all these foods, but we need to manage the portion,” Nurulsyahirah reiterated.
She added that while being served an assortment of rich food is inevitable, “there are some people who carefully consider the food they want to eat and how much they plan to eat or drink at an open house. There are even people who take into account how the food is being prepared.”
She advised that instead of using the normal cooking oil, maybe one can choose flower-based oil such as sunflower or corn oils. While it may be pricier, in the long run it contributes to our health and wellbeing.
Awareness is also important for those either hosting or being invited to open houses.
“We have to be mindful of when we should or should not overeat. One can adopt a healthy plate concept, dividing a plate into one half for fruit and vegetables and the other half for protein and carbohydrates,” Nurulsyahirah said.
“Instead of eating everything, why not cut it into half and share it with others?”
She also suggested, “If one thinks that they have had too much sugar, they can try and limit their sugar intake the next day.”
