No thanks to hectic lifestyles, busy mornings of beating traffic jams to work – more often not we tend to forget that having a good, healthy breakfast is the best way to kickstart the day.
For many people, one of the most preferred breakfast choices is the infamous ‘Nasi Lemak’ – which you can find at practically every food stall, restaurant and kopitiam across the country.
No one can deny that nasi lemak is tempting. Soft, fluffy fragrant coconut rice topped with eggs and a generous serving of spicy sambal, along with some crisp anchovies and peanuts for some crunch. Nasi lemak truly is a rather filling and satisfying meal in the mornings.
But nasi lemak is not the healthiest breakfast you can get your hands on. To justify chowing down on all the fatty goodness, we use the “once in a blue moon” excuse, but by the time we realise it, we would have already eaten nasi lemak for breakfast 3 times in a week! We also tend to forget about moderation of food intake and a balanced diet while we’re at it.
Gone were the days when nasi lemak was a simple dish with rice cooked with ‘santan’ (coconut milk), topped with hard boiled egg and sambal ikan bilis – plus a few slices of cucumber. Today, creative vendors have tapped into our inner craving for fatty foods and offer up a variety of oily delights like fried eggs, fried chicken, ‘rendang paru’, ‘sambal sotong’, ‘chicken rendang’ which are usually high in saturated fats and contributes to the high-levels of bad cholesterol in our body!
Swap Your Nasi Lemak with a Healthy & Hearty Breakfast
1. Fruits
How about having fruits to start off your day – an apple or a banana? These are quick and fast as you just need to grab them off your fruit bowl, and they’re really nutritious too!
2. Cereal drinks
Try a premixed cereal drink that is available in the market It’s a healthier breakfast and it is quite filling till your next meal! Just make sure you go for the ones with no sugar added.
3. Make use of leftovers
Make use of your leftovers from the night before. Cook up something authentic from leftover curry or sambal in less than 15 minutes. You can mix it up with canned sardines and turn it into a spicy spread which will go well with wholegrain bread for a wonderful and filling breakfast! Top with lots of salad to create a crunchier texture while also increasing your fiber intake.
4. Smoothies
Preparing a fresh fruit juice or smoothie will only take about 10 minutes. Blend up yoghurt and fresh fruits to soak up the wonderful benefits of both ingredients – use low fat sugar-free yoghurt and pop in your favorite fruits; you can also use raisins or pumpkin seeds as toppings for your homemade smoothie. Pumpkin seeds have high insoluble fiber content and poly-unsaturated fat which is beneficial to the cholesterol levels in your body.
5. Savory French toasts
Whip up a Malaysian version of the French toast with fresh chillies, chopped parsley and chives, shredded onions into egg batter, and use wholegrain bread instead of white bread.
6. Make-Ahead Oatmeal
If you have absolutely no time at all in the morning to do anything (serial snoozer?), then this might suit you. With this recipe, you can make your oats up to a week ahead of time (and it only takes like 10 minutes!), stick them in the fridge and grab one when you go to work! Healthy and full of fiber, you won’t be falling into a food coma after eating this creamy breakfast!
7. Veggie Omelette
Chop up some fresh button mushrooms, green onions, green and red peppers, or tomatoes if peppers are not your thing, and beat together with two eggs. Throw this batter into a lightly oiled pan and voila you get a tasty, nutritious AND filling breakfast. Add in some cheese if you like.
It is just a matter of time management and commitments when it comes to having a healthy and hearty breakfast to kickstart your day! Everyone should take charge and practise healthy food intake at all times for a healthier, happier lifestyle.
Remember: You Are What You Eat!
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Share some of your favourite healthy breakfast ideas with us in the comments below or on our Facebook page!