Guide To Healthy Eating

Enjoying a variety of foods

• Eat food based on the Malaysian Food Pyramid.
• Vary the types of food from each level of the Food Pyramid.
• You are encouraged to select different menu each day.
• Try eating foods that you don't normally eat.

Enjoying more fruit and vegetables

• Eat at least 1/2 cup of vegetables during each meal.
• Eat at least one type of fruit during each meal.
• Eat different types of fruits.
• Choose meals with fruit and vegetables.
  
  • Example: nasi kerabu, nasi ulam, fruit pudding, fruit/vegetable salad, vegetable salad with peanut sauce.
• Eat fruit as a snack.
• Eat salad and ulam with your meal.

Reducing fried and fatty foods

• Choose white rice instead of nasi beriani, nasi minyak and nasi lemak.
• Choose roasted, baked, steamed or boiled foods instead of fried foods.
• Reduce the intake of oily gravy by removing excess oil.
• Limit the intake of internal animal organs (liver, brains, lungs, spleen, stomach) and egg yolk.
• Eat lean meat and skinless chicken.
• Choose foods that do not contain coconut milk.
• Use less butter or margarine on bread/biscuit/corn.
• When ordering food, request for less butter/margarine.

Enjoying whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds

• Eat whole grain based foods for breakfast like oats, corn and capati.
• Choose bread, pita bread and whole grain breakfast cereals and biscuits.
• Replace or mix white rice with brown rice.
• Eat legume based food like bean curd, soya bean cake and baked beans a few times a week.
• Eat nuts/seeds a few times a week (Example: basil seed in drinks or cakes sprinkled with sesame seeds).
• Source of whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
  
  • Whole grains
    
    1. Brown rice.
    2. Oats.
    3. Corn.
    4. Wholemeal bread/biscuits with rye, wheat, oat, corn and barley.
  • Legumes
    
    1. Mung beans.
    2. Dhal.
    3. Chickpeas.
    4. Red bean.
    5. Soya bean.
  • Nuts
    
    1. Peanut.
    2. Chestnut.
    3. Cashew nut.
    4. Almond.
    5. Pistachio.
  • Seeds
    
    1. Sesame seed.
    2. Dried seeds (watermelon/pumpkin/sunflower seeds).
    3. Lotus seed.
    4. Basil seed.

Reducing sugar intake

• Replace sweet drinks, syrup, cordial and carbonated drinks with plain water.
• Replace sweet cakes, biscuits, candies or chocolates with fresh fruit.
• Choose foods with less sugar. Read label for sugar content.
• When ordering drinks, request for less sugar or sweetened condensed milk.

Choosing safe food

• Choose a clean eating place.
• Make sure food handlers practise good personal hygiene.
• Make sure the food is clean and safely handled.
• Avoid eating contaminated foods.
• Choose fresh or freshly cooked foods.
• Avoid eating burnt food.
• Make sure the food packaging, box and tin are in good condition.
• Limit the intake of food containing preservatives.
• Limit the intake of food containing artificial colouring.
• Avoid foods fried using oil that has been repeatedly used.