PETALING JAYA: The key ingredients of a healthy diet are an adequate budget and enough time and access to a variety of food options, say health-conscious Malaysians.
Freelance trader Alyaa Diniah Sailey said she prioritises cooking at home for her family in order to eat healthy.
"I will cook every day and make sure there is vegetable and protein in the meal. I also choose cheaper options for groceries, such as sardines instead of salmon, which is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
"We also eat fruits such as apples and mangos every day, and try our best to avoid junk food or sweet treats" said the 33-year-old who works from home
She said healthier meal options helps keep the family full longer.
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"It is not very costly when cooking at home but due to time constraints, it is not very sustainable.
"If you want to have different types of vegetables and proteins for every meal, then you have to cook more than once a day.
"Usually, I would just cook once and the family will eat the same meal for lunch and dinner," she added.
Alyaa Diniah said she also reduces the amount of sugar and salt when preparing the meals.
"We'll eat dinner before 7pm and also make sure we drink enough water – at least three litres a day," she said.
A 29-year-old tuition teacher who only wanted to be known as Wong said when preparing his meals, he would look for the cheapest grocers and opt for cheap sources of protein such as liver and eggs.
"I will only buy meat if I have extra money," he said.
He said he would cook more at the start of the month, but it would take up more time and energy.
"When I cook, the food items can last longer, but it will take me three to four hours to meal-prep for a week," he said.
He said that the estimated cost when cooking at home would be around RM4 per meal.
"However, when I'm busy or towards the end of the month and I'm on a tighter budget, I would eat out more and I usually go for meals that cost me less than RM10," he said.
Wong added that he can still get a healthy diet when eating out, but he would prioritise more on getting enough protein.
"If you choose the right ingredients, rice, chicken and vegetables can cost me about RM8," he said.
Wong said he would also bring his own water to cut down on the cost of drinks.
However, he said when he's hungry and on a tighter budget, he would eat a lot of rice to keep him full.
"I would eat nasi bajet (budget rice), which consists of rice and eggs.
"I try to eat healthy whenever I can but it's not very sustainable to do in the long run," he said.
Jariah Mat Selan, a 56-year-old housewife, believes eating healthy can be more costly when dining out.
“You can eat healthy meals at the restaurant, such as mixed rice (nasi campur) where you can get a balanced selection of vegetables for fibre, proteins like fish or chicken, and white rice.
“But the cost can range from RM15 to RM17, which is quite pricey compared with fried rice, which is available for just RM6 to RM7.
“Fried rice is not only cheaper but also fills you up,” she said.
Jariah added that it is much cheaper and more economical to cook at home.
She said that by shopping weekly at the market, she can buy enough food to last the week.
“When I cook at home, it’s much cheaper. I can buy enough food for a week at once, which saves money.
“Being a housewife gives me the time to cook for my family, and this allows me to contribute to reducing our monthly expenses,” she said.
Fatin Nurulizaty, a bank executive, said many everyday foods are actually healthy.
“For example, nasi lemak can be considered as a complete meal because it contains carbohydrates, protein, nuts and vegetables.
“The issue arises when people consume more than they should, leading to the perception that these foods are unhealthy,” she said.
Dr Teoh Ai Ni, a research associate at Khazanah Research Institute (KRI), outlined ways to make everyday food like nasi lemak healthier.
