3 Eating Habits I Want to Raise My Kids On
Food in a country like Malaysia is everything. And I say that seriously. Growing up, I remember how we’d shun the person who didn’t want to eat at a family event or express grave concern for the poor soul who chose a salad from the menu.
“Is there something wrong?”
“Are you okay?”
“Are you on a diet?”
These were the questions that would arise if anything but rice, deep-fried chicken, or rich and spicy curry were selected.
Don’t get me wrong, a part of me still feels this is the way to go. When this pandemic settles down, I urge you to make a trip to Malaysia and try the local food. Or Google it. There’s nothing like it; not even food from Singapore can compare (cue angry Singaporeans).
But a large part of Malaysian cuisine isn’t health-based; it’s taste based. Don’t talk to us about fresh vegetables unless you’re adding salt, sugar, and oil to it. And our national dish Nasi Lemak, which literally translates to ‘fat rice’, yeah we can have that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Which is why obesity is so rampant in Malaysia. We have the highest obesity rates among adults in South East Asia.
Seeing my parents suffer from weight and diet-related illnesses like diabetes and hypertension made me…
