A weight off our backs

Finding better, healthier and tasty alternatives to junk foods today

French fries, curry puffs, instant noodles, potato crisps, candy bars, the list goes on and on. This is the junk food generation – if you didn’t know it, you do now. From blasting billboards to personalised pop-ups on our screens, people are constantly immersed in the culture of eating, drinking and everything swallowing. Nutritional labels are glanced at and looked over; most of the words seem Greek anyway. What matters is the taste, the presentation and of course, the cost. If it’s affordable and tastes good, it’s an instant hit. There are those who want to eat healthy, be healthy. But that takes a little bit more effort, time and money. With a rise in food prices and no rise in pay, topped with an ever-active lifestyle, Malaysians are facing the inevitable: becoming junk food junkies.

With obesity among Malaysian adolescents rising at an alarming rate, the Ministry of Health has recently taken efforts to ban ‘unhealthy’ foods from school canteens. People are becoming more educated on healthy living through a balanced diet. But sometimes, going hardcore healthy can be expensive. Retired veterinarian Dr. Julian Selvanayagam grows his own fruits in a small patch of garden behind his home. “It’s our way of eating healthy; organic food is just too expensive to buy,” he said. In their small garden, Julian grows various fruits, from pineapples to bananas. Once in a while, he and his wife Vimala enjoy two icy cendols from a popular stall a few roads away.

Form 5 student Jeannie Foo agrees that everyday consumption of organically grown foods can be unaffordable for those just making ends meet. “Even though junk food is unhealthy, people buy it because it’s a convenient and cost-effective way out,” she said. With inflation tying the let’s-go-all-healthy sack into a square knot, Malaysians have to find the few, healthy snacks on the racks that are affordable and still taste good. The 24-hour culture of eating in Malaysia and the wide variety of foods available has made balance in the form of some healthy food and exercise necessary.

Er Kim Hong would give her two daughters a fruit and a mixture of raisins, nuts and chocolate pieces as their snack when they were in primary school. “Today, they’re all grown up, but they still love raisins and nuts and fruit, whether fresh or dried. It’s really about introducing it to them as fun, tasty snacks. Chocolate helps, or course,” she said with a laugh.

Here are a few recipes you can try out at home if you’d like to eat a little healthier. Don’t worry, they taste great. Learn how to look for tasty, healthy foods (affordable too) – Google can help. All you need is to set aside time for shopping and preparation; unlike a noodle cup, it doesn’t come instantly. But, in the end, that little bit of time will go a long way.

Easy Pita Pizza

• Arugula, Baby spinach, Zucchini

• tomatoes or cherry tomatoes: thinly sliced

• chopped onion

• Garlic, thinly sliced

• Olive oil

• Mozzarella cheese

• Pita Bread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and move rack to center.

2. Slice pita in half horizontally to make 2 rounds. Place on baking pan, layer ingredients, keeping leafy items on bottom. Add mozzarella cheese and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

3. Place in oven about 8 minutes until cheese begins to brown.

(By Michelle Chun)