Enjoying Picnics the Healthy Way

Are you going on a picnic with your loved ones? How fun! It must be exciting to enjoy a simple picnic with a scenic view and delicious spreads. After years of lockdowns, it's a small but valuable joy to spend some quality time outdoors with fresh air and the people we love. 

Malaysians often opt for the sweeter, greasier and more unhealthy options when it comes to snacks and meals. While those are often the yummiest and most routine choices for us, Malaysia's obesity stats have been on a scary incline for years now. We're not exaggerating - Malaysia has the highest prevalence rates of obesity in all of Southeast Asia! That being said, it's time we make healthier choices even during holidays and fun picnics.

Let’s change our picnic norms from this:

To this:

  

 The key is to always include:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Unsweetened drinks (fruits & veggies juice, infused water, mineral water)
• Calorie dense foods (egg sandwich, waffle, wholemeal toast with spreads)

And try to reduce:

• Sweetened drinks (bubble tea, carbonated drinks)
• Fast foods (fried chicken, pizza, fries)
• Desserts and sweets (pastry, donuts, candies, lollipops)

It may be hard to go cold turkey and discard them all but start small and be consistent with your changes. Normalize eating healthy everywhere you go and start teaching the younger members of your family these new habits too. Change has to start somewhere, and every step, no matter how small or big, counts. Even healthy takeaway food options have been on the rise, making it easier to opt for these over our usual greasy and sweet foods! It’s all about setting the right mindset and the rest will follow. The lesser the sugar and salt, the better.    

We can make these changes happen. Let’s make Malaysia a healthier and happier nation!