01/08/2026

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Malaysian Paper

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Malaysia’s unhealthy food problem

o National favourites carry hidden costs

Ű BY AMEEN HAZIZI

M ALAYSIAN food is a source of national pride, but pride should not prevent an honest discussion about what we eat. Many familiar dishes are high in calories, saturated fat, sodium or sugar. This includes celebrated staples such as nasi lemak, roti canai and teh tarik, along with everyday favourites such as nasi goreng, mee goreng, gulai, ayam goreng and kuih. The problem is partly a mismatch between the food Malaysians inherited and the lives many lead today. Traditional meals developed when daily routines generally involved far more physical labour. Farmers worked in fields, fishermen spent hours at sea and many jobs required walking, lifting or working outdoors. A substantial breakfast or rich curry supplied energy that could be expended throughout the day. Today, millions of Malaysians drive to work, sit at desks for hours, drive home and spend the evening in front of another screen. The food has remained rich, but daily energy expenditure has fallen. Heavy start to the day Nasi lemak may be regarded as the national dish, but its name already describes its richness. Rice cooked in coconut milk is served with sambal, fried anchovies, peanuts and egg. Add fried chicken, rendang or sambal sotong, and breakfast can become one of the heaviest meals of the day. Roti canai presents a similar problem. Its dough commonly contains margarine or other fat, while oil is used during cooking. One piece may not appear large, but Malaysians frequently order two,

Coconut-based gravies become particularly calorie-dense when large amounts are eaten with rice.

Oil in everything The Malay term goreng-goreng covers an enormous part of the local diet. Chicken, fish, bananas, noodles, rice, tofu, tempeh, keropok and assorted snacks regularly enter hot oil before reaching the plate. Deep frying is popular for obvious reasons. It is fast, produces a crisp texture and adds flavour. However, it also increases a food’s energy density, allowing a relatively small portion to carry a considerable number

of calories. A 2026 Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) paper found that most street foods contain medium to high levels of calories, fat, sodium and sugar. More than half of the samples examined in a nationwide study contained medium levels of saturated fatty acids, while another third recorded high levels. Foods containing coconut milk or animal and vegetable fats were among the main concerns. That places gulai and other coconut milk-based dishes under scrutiny too. Gulai can include nutritious ingredients such as fish, chicken, vegetables and spices, but its gravy may contain substantial coconut milk and oil. The serving rarely ends there. It is poured over rice and accompanied by fried dishes, sambal and sweet drinks. More than calories Calories are only one part of the issue. Malaysian street meals can also be extremely salty. The KRI paper reported that more than one-third of sampled main meals, including fried noodles, noodle soups and rice dishes, greatly exceeded the recommended daily sodium intake of 2,000mg. Sugar adds another layer. According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2024 figures cited by KRI, Malaysian adults consumed an average of 42.8g of added sugar from food and drinks each day. Nearly half exceeded the recommended limit of 50g. Teh tarik, sirap, kuih and sweet sauces can therefore turn an already heavy meal into an even larger nutritional load.

soak them in curry and wash everything down with sweet teh tarik. None of these ingredients are poisonous, nor does eating nasi lemak occasionally guarantee poor health. The concern comes from portion size, frequency and the rest of a person’s routine. A calorie-heavy breakfast makes more sense before hours of demanding physical work than before sitting through traffic and spending eight hours in front of a computer.

Fried chicken, rendang or sambal sotong can push nasi lemak well beyond its basic 400-calorie count. Keep the food, change the habit Malaysians do not need to abandon their food heritage. Nasi lemak can remain nasi lemak without being served with an oversized portion of rice, two fried proteins and a sweet drink. Gulai can be eaten with less gravy, more vegetables and a smaller serving of rice. Fried dishes need not appear at every meal. People who spend most of the day seated must also recognise that they cannot routinely eat as though they have spent the day harvesting rice. The recipes are only part of the problem. Portion sizes, constant availability and increasingly inactive routines have changed what those meals do to the body. Malaysian food did not suddenly become unhealthy. Malaysian life changed around it.

Frequent snacking on goreng-goreng can raise daily calorie intake quickly. – ALL PICS FROM 123RF