Is the Malaysian Diet Built to Make You Fat?
From fragrant Nasi Lemak to the savoury crunch of Rojak Mamak, we Malaysians are spoilt for choice — and that’s exactly the problem. When these delicious dishes make up our daily meals, staying ‘healthy’ starts to feel like a punishment
You see, when these delicious cuisines make a large part of our Malaysian lifestyle, staying away only makes us the odd ones out. And let’s face it, it’s hard.
Lunch time hits, and you and your colleagues head down to the nearest mamak. Why? They’re fast, cheap, and especially filling. Never mind the calories, all that matters is filling our stomachs and replenishing the energy needed to power through the rest of the workday.
Day after day, we repeat the same cycle — eat, sit, repeat — until one day the numbers on the scale or the cholesterol test remind us that something’s off.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Malaysian cuisine has a mixture of dairy, vegetables, meat, and grains in a single serving, but the average Malaysian doesn’t incorporate enough into their diet to receive the appropriate amount of nutrients our body needs.
Why?
Too many carbs. Too much oil.
We love our carbs.
Roti, rice, and noodles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That’s three carb-heavy meals in just one day!
Now, carbs aren’t evil. But when 70–80% of your calories come from them and when your activity level doesn’t match your calorie intake, your body stores the extra energy as fat.
Add on more protein — that’s the thing that helps you build muscle, recover faster, and stay full longer. And no, that chicken drumette that’s smaller than your palm won’t cut it. Eat tempeh, more eggs, fish or even tofu. When you eat more protein, your body feels more satiated.
So, if you ever feel hungry two hours after eating, it’s not your willpower. It’s just your body saying, “I need protein, not another plate of rice!!”
And if that’s not enough, everything’s fried.
Oil has essentially become our favourite seasoning. We fry our chicken, fry our rice, fry our vegetables — and then, as if that’s not enough, we pour (not drizzle) curry on it for good measure.
It’s no wonder our meals are calorie bombs. That “small” plate of fried noodles you grab for lunch can easily hit 700–800 calories. The same amount you’d burn from an hour of running. Yikes.
And here’s the catch: we don’t move enough to balance that out. Sitting in traffic, sitting at the office, sitting at home — that’s the daily routine for millions of people.
So, macam mana?
Our lifestyle needs to change.
Malaysian culture revolves around food. And that’s totally fine if you keep yourself accountable.
Accountable. Such a scary word. It takes real courage to take responsibility over your own actions — and in this case, your health.
The late night mamak runs, the makan makan events every weekend, and even your office’s free-for-all snacks. All of these come with calories attached. The key to enjoying all these without having the stress of calories tracking is simply to move more.
We’re not here to advocate that you cut out sugar or white bread. We’re here to simply remind you that as we start hitting our 30s and 40s, our body isn’t as robust as it used to be. This is the time to be more mindful of what you eat and how you treat your body.
You don’t have to skip your Nasi Lemak, or your favourite curry. The important thing is to have balance between intake and movement.
Start by fixing your breakfast with a balanced nutritious meal (more greens, more fruits, more eggs), and start moving during work breaks or after hours. Challenge yourself by going on that evening walk, or start training with weights, or finally climb that mountain you’ve been meaning to since forever.
We don’t need to give up our love for food. We just need to move more to earn it.