5 most fattening Malaysian foods… according to the Health Ministry

Hey, hey, people. Lotta you guys out there are food enthusiasts, and we think there’s a good reason for it: Malaysian food is good. Too good.

Unfortunately, they can also be really unhealthy – depending on what you eat – and we’re not blowing hot air outta our bums here. Some dude at the Health Ministry actually compiled a long-ass list of foods available in Malaysia along with their serving sizes and calorie counts.

But which of the foods are the unhealthiest? After going through the entire list, we’ve picked out the top 5 candidates with two caveats:

• No fast food (otherwise they’d dominate our list)
• Only halal food (for obvious reasons)

Oh, and we’re also including how much each food contributes to the recommended daily calorie intake of an average adult (2,500 kcal). Some of the foods that made the top 5 are… unexpected, to say the least. In fact, the first one’s not even a rice or a noodle dish.

1. Gelembung Buaya – 1,200 kcal/piece (334g)

No, nasi lemak’s not at number one (or even number five); it’s this weird kuih that’s apparently really popular in Kelantan despite us never hearing of it before. Supposedly, it’s named after the bubbles you’ll see during the cooking process and the texture of the kuih once it’s done.

Why’s it so high in calories? From the recipes we could find online, it’s pretty much pure sugar and kelapa parut. Not… the healthiest of combinations.

How much to eat to exceed daily calorie quota: A bit over 2 pieces

2. Sek Kei Ma – 1,125 kcal/piece (251g)

Folks from Ipoh will know this one – it’s a traditional Chinese snack made from flour, wheat molasses, sugar and eggs deep fried in oil, which explains the calories. It’s very sweet and sticks to your teeth like gam gajah. Yes, this writer’s had it before. There’s halal and non-halal versions of sek kei ma, so, uh, watch out for that.

How much to eat to exceed daily calorie quota: Roughly 2 and a half pieces

3. Sweet & Sour Chicken – 930 kcal/plate (456g)

Aight, to be fair, nobody’s gonna eat a whole plate of sweet & sour chicken for a meal unless they a psychopath. The trend continues here – this beloved dish involves a lot of sugar and deep frying. Go figure.

How much to eat to exceed daily calorie quota: A little less than 3 plates

4. Nasi Goreng Ayam – 926 kcal (1 plate)

How does a plate of nasi goreng ayam have more calories than a plate of nasi lemak ayam goreng? The latter has santan, fried anchovies and peanuts, and fried chicken on top of that while only rocking 729 kcal. Beats us, to be honest.

How much to eat to exceed daily calorie quota: A little less than 3 plates

5. Corn – 790 kcal/cup (222g)

Yeah, this one got us good. A cup of corn apparently has more calories than a plate of plain char kuey teow (230 kcal) or a bowl of laksa lemak (760kcal). That only makes sense if the corn is drowning in a tub of butter (RIP Nelson’s).

So… having seen all of the calories these foods are packing, does that mean you should just eat nasi kosong with kicap?

How much to eat to exceed daily calorie quota: A little over 3 cups

Eat in moderation and you’ll probably be fine

Unless you have debilitating diabetes or something, there’s really no reason to not eat your favorite murtabak (765 kcal) or maggi goreng (383 kcal)… as long as you don’t go overboard, that is.

According to Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Abdul Hafidz, a nephrologist (kidney doctor, for the uninitiated) at Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Faculty of medicine, most Malaysians eat more than five times a day.

“The ideal diet is three times a day, morning, noon, and night, but that does not mean it has to be heavy meals. There is no need to eat nasi lemak every morning, and ‘nasi campur’ later at noon,” – Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, in an interview with Sinar Harian Daily

He also said that it’s best to eat as little greasy, sugary and salty foods as possible, and there you have it. Basically, don’t treat every meal like it’s your last, and you’re good. Anywho, the list is pretty interesting and extremely detailed – it even has stuff from Pizza Hut and Marrybrown, so if ya’ll wanna take a look, it’s right here. Bone apple tit.