Eating healthy is a popular resolution with the dawn of each New Year. With a few simple and sensible steps, you will not only eat healthy, you can also eat delicious.
CHOMP ON THIS!
Perfect for those peckish moments on board, AirAsia’s Classic Beef Burger is a lightly seasoned beef patty topped with melted cheese, onions, juicy gherkins and a dash of special mustard sauce – sandwiched in a toasted sesame seed bun. Available for pre-booking online or via the AirAsia mobile app, this all-time favourite is priced at MYR12 and available on all Malaysia AirAsia flights. Book this item and other meals online to enjoy up to 20 per cent savings and be served first on board. www.airasia.com
SEE ALSO: Inflight Food Review: Roast Chicken with Smoky BBQ Sauce & Classic Beef Burger
THE POWER OF 3
Cider drinks have become immensely popular lately and leader in global cider brand, Strongbow, has released three new variants: Apple Ciders Gold, Apple Ciders Honey and Apple Ciders Elderflower. With a crisp, fresh taste at its core, the Gold variant captures the light aftertaste of bittersweet apples; the Honey variant is sweetly aromatic with a rhubarb finish; and the Elderflower variant is perfumed with the same flower with hints of lychee and Muscat. www.strongbow.com.my
COME TO JAMIE
The Naked Chef will soon be a permanent fixture in Bali with the arrival of Jamie’s Italian at Kuta Beach. This outlet is targeted for opening in the later part of 2015 and will be located adjacent to Hard Rock Hotel Bali. Expect to savour honest-to-goodness Italian fare that gives traditional dishes the typically Jamie Oliver treatment. In keeping with the chef’s commitment to using sustainably- and locallysourced ingredients, expect to enjoy new interpretations of his delicious and lovingly prepared meals. www.jamiesitalian.co.id
BREWING UP THE BEST
Make a beeline for The Best Brew Bar at Four Points by Sheraton Penang to enjoy two exciting F&B promotions. The Beer O’ Clock promotion offers free flow of popular brews such as Asahi and Hoegaarden from the tap with prices starting from MYR65 (approx USD20). The Rush Hour promotion, which runs from Sundays to Thursdays offers two drinks for the price of one, for Carlsberg draught beers and house pouring liquors and wines. For cocktail lovers, the bar presents handcrafted drinks by resident mixologists, including the bar’s signature drinks: Cool Ocean and its virgin cousin, Cool Breeze. www.fourpoints.com/penang.
TOP FOOD TRENDS 2015
Tapas-style meals
- Vegetarianism
- Fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, yoghurt
- Edible plants often discarded as weeds
- Tapas-style meals
- Charcoal grilled and smoked foods
- Food stores as socialising spaces
FEEL-GOOD LEARN FOOD
Bangkok Beef
Created by food lovers for food lovers, The Lean Canteen (TLC) is a healthy meal service for calorie-conscious foodies in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, especially for those wanting to stay healthy despite a busy lifestyle. Jointly founded by self-declared foodies Mark Lee and Aina Ghani, the menu was crafted with the assistance of a nutritionist in ensuring each generous meal is around 500 in calories only. Meals are prepared by a Cordon Bleu qualified chef and are vacuum packed for freshness. Bangkok Beef, Mushroom Fried Rice, Taj Mahal tandoori chicken wrap and Baba’s Beef Burrito, including Dish-of-the Month and special promotional meals are just some of the meals on offer. Facebook.com/theleancanteen
HAPPY & HEALTHY EATING TIPS
- Stock your fridge with healthy foods like vegetables and fresh fruits.
- Nibble on nuts like almonds, peanuts and cashews.
- Opt for dark chocolate that has at least 50 per cent cocoa content.
- Drink water infused with a slice of lemon, apple or a strawberry.
- Stop eating after 9.00pm. If you are still peckish, eat a handful of nuts or a small bowl of cereal.
- If you must have your brownie/cookie/candy, cut one into four quarters. Eat two pieces very slowly, savouring the flavour, texture and aroma. Stash the other two for another day.
- Don’t skip breakfast! Stick to healthy and filling meals like oats porridge, poached or scrambled eggs, multi grain bread, sugar-free muesli etc. If in a hurry, a banana will keep you full.
- Cut down on carbs like rice and noodles by reducing your portion gradually. Start with reducing a full plate of rice to three quarters of a plate for one week. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables instead. The following week, reduce to half a plate of rice.
- Eat smaller meals throughout the day instead of large meals at each sitting.
- Avoid processed foods and go for wholesome, high-fibre, sugarfree, unprocessed ingredients. Keep your visits to fast food outlets to a minimum.
SWEET SUBSTITUTE
Refined sugar has been identified as the cause of many health issues. Reduce sugar in your diet and replace with these substitutes that contain low or no amounts of sugar.
HONEY is loaded with organic goodness such as trace minerals and enzymes. However, use sparingly as it is still full of calories.
AGAVE NECTAR is obtained from the agave cactus and looks and tastes like honey, but lacks the nutrients. However, it has a lower fructose content, resulting in a lower spike in blood glucose levels.
STEVIA is derived from the leaves of a South American shrub and is said to be up to 100 times sweeter than sugar. It is natural and safe, and can be used like sugar in all food and drink preparations.
TURBINADO SUGAR is a partially processed sugar that contains large amounts of molasses, which give it a rich, earthy flavour.
COCONUT OR PALM SUGAR is made by boiling the sap of the coconut/palm flower till a viscous, caramel-like syrup is produced, which is then left to harden. These substitutes have a low glycaemic index and are rich in inulin, zinc and antioxidants.
EVAPORATED SUGAR CANE JUICE is filtered and clarified sugar cane juice that is then evaporated to make a thick syrup.
Refined sugar has been identified as the cause of many health issues. Reduce sugar in your diet and replace with these substitutes that contain low or no amounts of sugar.
SEE ALSO: Download Your FREE Kuala Lumpur Travel Guide
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