Encouraging children to adopt good eating habits and healthy attitudes to food early in life is crucial for their future well-being. This is especially so given doctors’ warnings that Hong Kong teenagers are at growing risk of suffering strokes later in life after a recent survey showed a “worrying” trend of youngsters rarely exercising and eating a poor diet.
The Hong Kong Stroke Fund survey of 12,405 secondary school pupils in September and October showed 56 per cent eat diets in which vegetables formed less than a third of their intake. Meanwhile, 4 per cent ate no fresh vegetables at all and 28 cent did not have a daily fruit habit – despite World Health Organisation guidelines that suggest individuals should eat five servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
A sobering comment from one of the doctors involved in the study was that the youngest stroke patient he had treated was just 18.
“The diet of the young today tends towards the unhealthy, loaded with calories, fats, sugars and salt in general,” says accredited dietitian Danica Yau, who is also the Hong Kong Dietitians Association external affairs officer. “Local surveys have shown students regularly consume soft drinks, fast food and junk food.”
But Yau also warns of a paradox: “On the other end of the spectrum, there is a certain group that places too much focus on body image and goes to the extreme of dieting with all kinds of fad diets, which puts their nutritional status and health at risk.”
An excellent way to increase children’s interest in food early on is to involve them in the kitchen when they are young. “Not enough kids cook these days, unfortunately – they focus a lot of time on academic achievements instead,” Poon says.
She sees cooking as forming the heart of a healthy food culture. “As a keen cook as well as a dietitian myself, I know how important cooking is for health. It is a skill everyone should have, and it can be fun. Once kids can cook the basics, they will have the best survival tool to take them into adult life.
“Everyone should be eating good quality meals made from basic ingredients every day. I truly believe that home cooking is the key to health because you don’t need to rely on expensive, processed and additive-laden foods, which are also high in fat, sugar and salt.”
Malaysia is an amazing country for foodies. It’s a melting pot of Chinese, Malay, Thai, Indian and many many more mixed into one yummy country to discover.
Every single Malaysian we met was so passionate and opinionated about where to find the best nasi lemak or how amazing the durian is (!) or the ideal noodle to use for a laksa…
We made a bunch of friends here, all willing to show us everything. And there’s a lot! We simply couldn’t do an article solely devoted to Malaysian food as it would be too long. So we instead put together our favourite top 10 foods to try in Malaysia.
#1 NASI LEMAK: the National dish
Nasi lemak is the first of our top 10 foods to try in Malaysia because it’s the national dish and one of the first you will come across.
Nasi lemak literally means “fatty rice” because of the cooking process where rice is cooked in coconut milk with pandan leaves. It is traditionally served wrapped in a banana leaf, with ikan bilis (dried anchovies), sambal (a spicy sauce), boiled egg and roasted peanuts.
Fabulously delicious!
Our first nasi lemak in Malaysia with our friend Amin in the streets of Kuala LumpurNasi Lemak is a very heavy dish usually swimming in oil, which is probably why it’s best reserved for breakfast time.
Trying our first nasi lemak in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
#2 LAKSA: you’ll become addicted
Laksa definitely deserved its own spot in our 10 foods to try in Malaysia. We went quite loco for laksas in Malaysia.
Laksa is a deliciously rich broth with noodles, topped with a variety of condiments depending on the region. It is particularly popular in Penang and Sarawak, each with their own variation.
The Assam laksa from Penang is distinct because it’s more fishy and acidic. Assam means acidic in Malay, whereby tamarind is the souring agent. Thick rice noodles are usually used for Penang Assam Laksa.
Junie showing off Assam Laksa to Sebastien in Penang, Malaysia
The Sarawak laksa uses coconut milk instead of a sour fish broth. It is served with either rice vermicelli noodles (bee hoon) or thick rice noodles. The Sarawak laksa is topped with crunchy fresh bean sprouts, strips of chicken, prawns and slivers of the omelette.
Stefan waiting to go face down in this bowl of freshly prepared Sarawak Laksa in the streets of Kuching, Malaysia#3MEE KOLOK: popular breakfast dish
Mee kolok is another speciality from Kuching in Sarawak and a popular breakfast meal. It can be found at most hawker stalls throughout the city.
Stefan with our local friend Aliph grabbing a few mee kolok for breakfast in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Mee kolok comprises of egg noodles, which are boiled, strained, stirred with lard and topped with a few slices of roast pork.
We had lots of mee kolok fun with our friends in Kuching.
Sebastien and our Brendan about to tuck into a few mee koloks in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
#4 ROTI CANAI: Indian inspired yumminess
Roti canai (pronounced cha-nai) is one of the many Indian influences in Malay cuisine. It consists of flatbread (roti), served with a variety of yummy curries, usually dhal (lentils) and mutton/chicken.
In Malay the word canai means “to roll out dough” – the dough usually contains lots of ghee (clarified butter), flour and water.
When we stayed in Little India in Kuala Lumpur, we had roti canai happy hour on our doorstep every morning.
Stefan’s roti canai happy hour in Little India, Kuala Lumpur with the obligatory lassi accompaniment
#5 MURTABAK: Indian pizza
Murtabak is another Indian influence in Malaysia and is more commonly referred to as an Indian pizza. The name derives from the Arabic word mutabbaq which means ‘folded’.
It’s popular throughout the country and usually includes minced meat (beef, chicken or mutton), garlic, egg, onion with curry, sliced cucumber, syrup-pickled onions or tomato sauce.
Stefan tried to make a few murtabaks in Penang with mixed results:
Stefan trying to make a few murtabaks in Penang with mixed results#6PANDAN: the Asian vanilla
Pandan leaves are commonly used in Malaysian cuisine, particularly in desserts. It’s often referred to as the Asian vanilla.
Sebastien with his new kitchen friends – the pandan leaves
Pandan pancakes were a common dessert we enjoyed during our adventures in Malaysia. But our favourite, and the reason why it has its place in our top foods to try in Malaysia, is layered pandan cake mixed with gula apong (palm sugar).
If you ever have the opportunity to try a Malaysian pandan gula apong cake, take Stefan’s advice and just get one for yourself and never ever share it with anyone!
Stefan with his pandan gula apong cake refusing to share it with anyone
#7 CHENDUL: naughty Malaysian dessert
Chendul is a popular Malaysian dessert similar to Filipino halo. To produce this delicious bowl of heaven, you need green rice flour noodles, coconut milk, shaved ice and red beans. The green colour comes from the pandan leaves.
Sebastien with a plate of chendul dessert at the famous Teochew Chendul hawker stall in Penang, Malaysia #8BANANA CHEESE: bye-bye abs!Banana cheese is simply banana fritters, topped with lots of grated cheese and swimming in condensed milk. It’s very naughty: the bananas are battered, deep-fried and all that condensed milk and grated cheese…goodbye abs!
It’s a popular snack for a light (!) tea break, particularly in Sarawak and Sabah.
Stefan and Hani going gaga for Banana Cheese dessert at the Kuching Food Festival in Sarawak#9 KOPI-O: Malaysian coffee
As coffee lovers, we were delighted to discover how good the local brew in Malaysia is.
It can be served either cold, with ice and plenty of condensed milk to produce a sweet, refreshing concoction. But the Nomadic Boys opted for a simple and healthier kopi-O (hot black coffee).
Ipoh is particularly famous for its coffee: we visited with our friend Kevin to enjoy several cold and hot brews.
Stefan hoarding all the coffee from our friend Kevin in Ipoh, Malaysia
#10 DURIAN: the smelly divisive fruit
The final of our 10 foods to try in Malaysia is a subject which is guaranteed to get all tongues wagging. Everyone loves them (in Malaysia) or hates them (everywhere else). That’s a slight exaggeration of course: we met many Malaysians who also hate durian passionately hahaha!
Durian is nicknamed the King of fruits because he’s hunky, thorny and extremely potent! You can smell him from a mile away.
Sebastien discovering the strong effects of the almighty durian fruit
In fact, durian is so potent that most hotels (and subway systems like in Singapore and Bangkok) ban them!
The King of the Fruits also divided us a bit: Sebastien didn’t take to it at all, but Stefan was keener, especially when he discovered durian cheesecake:
A bemused Stefan ponders the durian cheesecakes at the Tanjung Ria Kitchen of the Hyatt in Kota Kinabalu!
In the early years of your baby's life, toys can help the development of language skills, motor skills, cognitive thinking, a sense of safety, and social skills.
So, what toys are best for helping to boost your baby's development?
The Bounty Editors have rounded up their top 10 picks.
1/10
The Skip Hop Rocking Owl Stacker, RRP $39.95, allows your little one to practice motor skills and develop hand-eye coordination as they rock, stack, and play.
2/10
The Les Folies Sophie la Girafe So Pure Bath Toy RRP $29.90 is made from 100% natural rubber and shaped like a buoy making it easy for little hands to hold.
3/10
The Merino Kids Organic Snuggle Toy RRP $40, is made with 100% organic cotton with a merino wool filling and is machine-washable. The fabric corners and tabs are perfect or little fingers to play with.
4/10
Encourage bub's grasping skills with the Yvette Unicorn Squeaker, RRP $19.95. The toy makes a cute and entertaining squeaking sound when shaken or squeezed.
5/10
The Hello Sunshine: My Learning Book from Kmart, RRP $5, helps teach the alphabet, words, colors, and sounds.
6/10
The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, RRP $139 mixes classic design and easy maneuverability. Used indoors or out, it encourages imagination and the development of large motor skills.
7/10
The BRIO My First Railway Starter Pack features a train, tunnel, and clever connection magnets making it perfect for inquisitive toddlers.
8/10
The LEKA baby gym from IKEA, RRP $45, will stimulate bub's eyesight and encourage hand-eye coordination.
9/10
The Nattou Lapidou Octopus, RRP $19.95, is specially designed around the natural grasp-reflex of newborn babies. The tentacles of Octopus remind newborns of the umbilical cord from their mother's womb, giving them a feeling of safety and trust.
10/10
ThePlaygro Flowing Bath Tap and Cups, RRP $29.99, makes bath time fun. Use this developmental bath toy a variety of ways for endless splish-splash fun.
I like having real food entrepreneurs tell their stories on how they got their food products on retail shelves… profitably! The Critical Retail Buyer Sales Pitch Elements include slotting allowances, in-store promotional support (like end displays and shelf talkers), and the like. Many startups come to my business, The Foodpreneur to get help expanding beyond farmer’s markets and festivals… we help them sell their products to retail stores. A critical element is a distribution or the fancy term, the Supply Chain.
]The challenge with expanding distribution is it can get complex and expensive. Early-stage food entrepreneurs try to do it on their own… packing their car and delivering themselves. This is not a good use of your time and I want all of my clients to be focusing on new product development, launching their products, and focusing on their social media outreach to build word of mouth and brand fans.
I always reach out to real mompreneurs like Michael Adams, founder of Green Mountain Mustard. He has written about his experiences on How Green Mountain Mustard Got on the Grocery Shelves and Better Food Manufacturing Business Management. So know he has 5 tips on better wholesale distribution.
Use a Local Delivery Service to Distribute Your Food Product
Remember when you drove all the way across the state to your newest retailer? It was great the first time, but re-stocking the shelf with your second order was a lot of gas and time. That’s where local delivery companies come in hand. For just a couple bucks, they’ll likely pick up and deliver your product for you - and you don’t have to go anywhere. In Vermont, there are several companies that do this. It’s $15 for up to 50 pounds - and for us, that’s a normal order. Beats driving two hours for one delivery!
Increase Your Minimum Order
During Green Mountain Mustard’s first two years in business, we had no minimum order… just to grow. Now, we are smarter and have a minimum order – it’s two cases (24 units) - not too big, but it makes sure we’re moving volume - the key to any food business. If you travel across town just for a purchase order of 6 jars and you’re going to lose money. With a minimum order, you’re able to make money with each delivery.
Consolidate Deliveries on Certain Days of the Week
Doing deliveries every day throws off your schedule. That’s why you should consolidate your deliveries on certain days of the week. Maybe one county is Mondays and the next county over gets deliveries on Fridays. That leaves the middle of the week for producing products, doing office admin work, and calling on new retailers. Why don’t you consider drawing a route out that helps you get all your deliveries done faster?
Learn How to Sell Food Online
Back when I owned an energy bar company, I delivered to 20 different stores every week. It took a ton of time and not making much money. Green Mountain Mustard has both direct accounts of food distributors. But, food distribution eats into your gross margin. Food websites are growing and there are popular easy to use e-commerce platforms like Storenvy, Shopify, and Etsy all focused on small artisanal businesses.
Partner with another Food Producer
You probably know at least a dozen other small food producers just like yourself… all delivered to the same stores, right? Consolidate deliveries with each other… such as “everyone delivers to a certain store on Mondays”. If you start doing this more often with the same stores, you may want to look at working with a food distributor (how to find a distributor for your product will be a topic for another article).
Take My Advice… Please!
Distribution is its own animal when it comes to running a food business, but there are several ways to make it work for your food company. Get more product to retailers, but do it smarter with these distribution hacks!
