Nasi lemak versus Vegetarian nasi lemak

~Topic~

Ingredients for discussion

Nutritional content of a plate of nasi lemak

Physiological benefits

Disadvantages of nasi lemak

Metabolism involved

Modified nasi lemak

~Ingredients for discussion~

white rice

papadam

tempeh

eggs

cucumber

vegan ikan bilis

beef rendang

~Nutritional content of a plate of nasi lemak~

(By:Nutriweb Food Database Malaysia & RNI)

Table 1.1 Nutritional value content in Nasi Lemak

Table 1.2 Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Malaysia (RNI)

for daily intake on energy

Man = 2440kcal /3 meals per day

= 813kcal per meal/day

Female = 2000kcal /3 meals per day

= 666kcal

The nasi lemak contains 848.4kcal which is higher than the recommended value. According to RNI, protein intake is 62 g per day for man and 55 g per day for woman. Carbohydrates intake is 345-420g/day and fat intake is approximately 45-75grams per day. The protein, fats and carbohydrates contain in the nasi lemak exceed the recommended nutrient intakes. Thus, if we are planning to consume nasi lemak for one of our meals in a day, we need to watch out for the nutrient intakes.

~Physiological benefits~

Coconut milk

-Contains lauric acid which promotes brain development and bone health. It is also anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-viral.
-Playing important role in lower bad cholesterol, boost immunity, modulates metabolic functions and fights aging.
-It has no cholesterol because it is rich in plant protein.

Eggs

-Contains choline which helps to improve brain memory (ENC, n.d).
-Contain lutein and zeaxanthin which helps to reduce eye disease (eg: AMD) (AEB, n.d).
*Do not consume more than an egg per day because it contains 212mg of cholesterol.
Recommended dietary cholesterol intake = 300mg/day

Cucumber

-Contains potassium, magnesium and fiber which help in reducing high blood pressure (WHFoods, 2009).

Tempeh

-Made from high-fiber soybeans and it may help to reduce the risk of colon cancer (WHFoods, 2009).
-Isoflavones can reduce the symptoms experienced of menopause in women (WHFoods, 2009).

Beef rendang

-Contain vitamin B12 helps to maintain healthy nerve cells (Whitney and Rolfes 2005).
-Zinc can maintain the immune system & helps in healing our wound (Obikoya, n.d).
-Iron is important in oxygen transport & storage (Whitney and Rolfes 2005).

*Please take note that by consuming those small amounts of ingredients such as tempeh and cucumber will not have significance benefits towards our body.

~Disadvantages of nasi lemak~

The highly saturated in coconut fat will increased atherogenicity (Ng et al., 1992) and arterial thrombosis tendency (Hornstra et al., 1975). It has high of developing a variety of diseases of lifestyle, such as heart disease, certain cancers, obesity and diabetes. The excess intake of carbohydrates will be stored as body fats which in turn affect the body weight.

~Metabolism involved~

High in carbohydrates

White rice and papadam contribute to carbohydrates. Carbohydrates help in maintaining glycaemic homeostatis and gastrointestinal integrity and function. It causes more amino acid trytophan to reach the brain, which in turn increases serotonin’s level which helps to control mood.
The glucose that is converted from carbohydrates is used to circulate in the blood for use by the cells of body. However, if the carbohydrate intake is higher than immediately needed, liver will convert extra glucose into glycogen and the glycogen will be stored in liver or in muscles. Liver will also convert the excess glucose into triglycerides that can be stored as body if there are already sufficient storage sources. Thus, weight gain will occur for those who are having sedentary lifestyle. Glucose can also undergo Krebs cycle and electron transport system to produce ATP
For athletes, high carbohydrates food is very useful to them. It is advisable for them to eat 2-3 hours before morning exercise which helps to restore suboptimal liver glycogen stores, which aid performance during prolonged exercise. Athletes who follow a high carbohydrate diet can maintain high-intensity exercise for a longer period than those on a lower-carbohydrate diet.

High in fat

Fat is contributed by beef rendang, rice with coconut milk, papadam, and egg. Fat is an energy dense nutrient and a good source of essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins (Gropper et al. 2005). It provides energy to us and insulates the body which helps to keep the body warm. Furthermore, fats also act as shock absorbers, supporting and cushioning the vital organs.

High in Protein

Protein is contributed by beef rendang, papadam, tempeh and egg. A person can also grow fat by eating excessive protein. This is because extra protein in the body will be deaminated and the remaining carbons are used to make fatty acids, which are stored as triglycerides in adipose tissue (body fat) (Whitney and Rolfes 2005). Protein acts as building material for our growth, enzymes, hormones, regulators of fluid balance, acid-base regulators and immunity.

~Modified nasi lemak~

We need to modify some of the ingredients of nasi lemak in order to achieve a better health. The coconut milk and papadam contain high in fat which is not good for our health, so, we need to find some ways to prevent the side effects. For papadam, we can improve our health by eliminate the usage of papadam because it is high in fat.

Alternatives of Coconut milk

-Use trim coconut milk because it has 45% less fat (13g per 100g) compared to raw coconut milk (23.8g per 100g).

Alternatives of white rice

-Brown rice is better than white rice. Research showed that brown rice contain higher free amino acid, vitamin B1, B2, B3,B6, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc than white rice although it is cooked (Das et al. 2007).
-White rice can contribute to diabetes because it breaks down into glucose faster than brown rice. Hence, can lead to drastic insulin reaction (Mulcair 2006).

Alternatives of rendang

The meat in rendang can be replaced with mushroom stem because mushroom is low in calories, fat, free of sodium and also cholesterol free food. Mushroom also high in protein, fiber and calcium (CCGroup, 2007).

Presented by : Tang Yen Theng & Kong Hui Yin

References:
1. American Egg Board, n.d., Egg Nutrition [Online]. Available from: http://www.aeb.org/Retailers/nutrition.html [Accessed 18 February 2009]

2. Egg Nutrition Center, n.d., Eggs are an excellent source of choline [Online]. Available from: http://www.enc-online.org/factsheet/Choline.pdf [Accessed 18 February 2009]

3. Gropper, S.S., Smith, J.L., and Groff, J.L., 2005. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. Fifth Edition. United State of America: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, Page 135.

4. Hornstra G & Lussenburg RB (1975). Relationship between the type of dietary fatty acid and arterial thrombosis tendency in rats. Atherosclerosis, 22:499-519.

5. J. R. Berning and S. N. Steen, 2005. 2nd Edition. Jones and Barlett Publishers. Nutrition for Sport and Exercise. [Online]. Available from: http://books.google.com.my/books?id=iupaS5sN9-YC&pg=PA25&lpg=PA25&dq=advantages+of+high+carb+food&source=web&ots=pLuysalmi5&sig=OsPi5DBYS6Ai_eOUuqnL4Xbm5_k&hl=en&ei=CgGcSbyVHdK6kAWWi8yYBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPA42,M1 [Accessed 18 February 2009]

6. Laura Ng, 2007. Enzine Articles. Coconut Promises Remarkable Health Benefits. [Online]. Available from: http://ezinearticles.com/?Coconut-Promises-Remarkable-Health-Benefits&id=641778[Accessed 18 February 2009].

7. Mulcair, K., 2006. Lessons on Sugar [Online]. Available from: http://www.trinitynutrition.ca/Content%20pages/Moods%20Winter%202006.pdf [Accessed 18 February 2009].

8. Ng TKW, Hayes KC, De Witt GF et al. (1992). Dietary palmitic and oleic acids exert similar effects on serum cholesterol and lipoprotein profiles in normocholesterolemic men and women. Journal Am Coll Nutr, 11(4): 383-390.

9. N. Foster, n.d.. Wisegeek. What is coconut milk? [Online]. Available from: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-coconut-milk.htm [Accessed 18 February 2009].

10. Obikoya, G., n.d., The Benefits of Zinc [Online]. Available from: http://www.vitamins-nutrition.org/vitamins/zinc.html [Accessed 17 February 2009]

11. Purewellness, 2009. Nutrient for Athletes. [Online]. Available from: http://www.dietsite.com/dt/sportsnutrition/NutrientsAthletes/nutrients_2.asp[Accessed 18 February 2009]

12. The World’s Healthiest foods (WHFoods), 2009. Cucumber [Online]. Available from: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=42[Accessed 18 February 2009]

13. The World’s Healthiest foods (WHFoods), 2009. Tempeh [Online]. Available from : http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=126#nutritionalprofile[Accessed 17 February 2009]

14. Whitney, E., and Rolfes, S.R., 2005. Understanding Nutrition. Eleventh Edition. United State of America: Thomson Wadsworth, Page 232, 345, 451.