A cheat sheet to healthier breakfasts
By Reshmy Ranee
Are you on a diet but yet craving for something unhealthy? Perhaps you’re feeling bloated too? Is that packet of nasi lemak right in front of your eyes tempting you?
No need to stress! Here is a guide to your Malaysian breakfast cheat meal! Cheat days are not necessarily bad if you continue to watch your calories.
The minimum daily recommended calorie intake for an adult woman is 1200 kcal and for an adult man is 1500 kcal.
Assuming that an individual only eats three meals a day, the average calorie per meal would be 400 to 500 kcal. Don’t fret, you can definitely get hearty breakfasts at kopitiams (Chinese coffee shops), Indian shops, mamak restaurants (Indian Muslim) and warungs (Malay food stalls). The best part is, you can use mobile apps to track your calories per meal!
Check out some cheat meal suggestions based on your favourite Malaysian breakfasts!
Breakfast at Indian / mamak shops
(322 kcal)
(275 kcal)
(224 kcal)
Breakfast at kopitiam
(448 kcal)
(292 kcal)
(381 kcal)
(465 kcal)
Breakfast at warung
(400 kcal)
(395 kcal)
(470 kcal)
(433 kcal)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Images are for illustration purposes and may not follow the serving recommendation as described.
RESHMY RANEE
Reshmy is currently a corporate wellness dietitian who works with multiple GLCs and MNCs. Besides managing corporate companies, Reshmy also has experience in being a dietitian in community clinics, hospitals and dialysis centres. Her motto in life is “Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”. This means you can heal your own body with your food choices.
Source: Malik V.S., Willett W.C., Hu F.B. Global obesity: Trends, risk factors and policy implications. Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. 2013;9:13–27. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2012.199., Malaysian Food Composition Database
