Hari Raya is the Muslim festival! People will gather with their families and celebrate it together, eating delicious foods and sharing the joy. With all the festivities in place, it’s not uncommon to fall into a few unhealthy habits:
- Consuming too much sugary drinks
Soft and sugary drinks are often served at open houses during the Raya celebrations. Since it is common practice to make multiple visits a day, people will often drink at least more than one glass per day. In order to keep your sugar levels in check, try to limit to only a single glass of sugary drinks a day.
- Binge eating
Since Ramadan is a month of fasting from dawn to sunset, people tend to overeat during Syawal. The delicious and sometimes excessive festive meals can lead to an unhealthy overeating habit.
- Eating too many cookies
Cookies can be extremely high in calories since they are often made from margarine/butter, flour, and sugar. People will eat the cookies before, and/or after the main meal, so it’s quite simple to exceed the recommended calorie intake.
- Eating an excess of oily foods
Malay cuisine tends to contain a lot of coconut milk and oil (e.g. rendang, lontong and ayam masak merah). These foods must be taken in moderation since they are calorie dense.
- Skipping their daily vegetables and fruits
Vegetables and fruits are often forgotten during the festivities. Try to include them in the meal for fibre. Fruits can also act as a healthier alternative to desserts/snacks after meals.
