Smaller meals, lower prices. Better for us all?

 

We all eat too much. That’s really something no Malaysian can say is not true. Even our cultural norms are predominated around this. Don’t believe this? Think back just a minute and you will realise we even greet each other with the phrase “Have you eaten?”

With our rich range of culinary delights, we as a people (myself included of course) have literally become spoiled by all the choices. Spoilt in our ability to eat all the time (since food is available all the time), the stupendous availability of buffets at every function anywhere; and a general poor sense of the need to eat healthily.

The proverbial saying “we are what we eat” may hold true across many different dimensions, but a Malaysian specific contextual modification to it is this: we are what we are able to eat. What does this mean?

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For many of us, be they the Kuala Lumpur office-worker or even the Gopeng construction worker, most meals are inevitably those we purchase and consume from eateries.

The sad reality of food being served in most eateries in Malaysia is that with the exception of newer, more ‘atas’ (read as expensive) places which provide choices such as salad bowls and other healthy, nutritious options; food elsewhere is high on carbs and quantity while being low on everything else.

Let’s take a look at lunch as an example. Served in most restaurants coming out of a ‘buffet’ line, customers (or sometimes restaurant staff) pile on rice, a dollop of curry (or curries if it is nasi kandar) and some sort of a protein (fish, chicken, lamb etc).

The customer then gets charged a certain price, most usually reflective of the amount on the plate. If you take larger portions, for example, you get charged more. If you take a larger number of dishes i.e. three proteins instead of one protein, you get charged for this accordingly as well.

Of course one secret which continues to befuddle me (and countless other Malaysians is how much do those pieces of sotong cost, and why do they cost so much, but that’s something for another discussion for another day.

If you are ordering an on-the-spot cooked meal, this comes as a plate of rice or noodles made to order with a collection of carbs (i.e. the rice or the noodle), protein (some slices of fish, chicken, lamb etc) and a handful of vegetables or eggs thrown in. Size portions of dishes really vary across different restaurant types, and of course, across different cities as well i.e. the price of kuey teow in Taiping really is different from the price of a plate of kuey teow in Petaling Jaya).

Over the years, prices of food have increased. Again, this is something everyone is aware of. But what you may (or may not) have realised is that portion sizes have also significantly increased, most visibly in terms of the carbohydrate portions (i.e. rice or noodles) being dished out. These larger portions help justify to our minds (and our bellies) why we’re being charged more.

Unfortunately this causes us to eat a lot more. In a culture where we have been trained not to waste, this inevitably means many days, we function as ‘DBKL lorries’ to mop up that remaining food on the plate just so it does not go to waste. All this overeating on a daily basis may well be a driver of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes.

Do we have a choice? Of course we do, say experts. Stop eating more than the amount required. Push away the plate and let the excess food be thrown away. They are right. Unfortunately, this perspective is uni-dimensional.

Is it practical for someone who is fighting to manage their finances to need to pay so much higher for excessive food amounts that they should not be eating, or is it even conscionable to throw excess food away needlessly simply because you have had to pay for it?

As with most of these highly complex questions, there are no simple answers.

Other experts espouse that one should prepare their own meals and bring them to work, an avenue that enables an individual to both prepare nutritious food at low prices.

Again, in the real world, this is a luxury for those who are able to afford the time and money to be able to shop at a market (or supermarket) at a decent time, cut, prepare, cook and package meals while carrying them to work.

Many people now work two or even three jobs to make ends meet; while others work at day-wage jobs at odd hours. All these necessities ill-afford them the luxury of time to make meals at home. With little choice, it’s the cheapest, most easily available option that they are forced to turn to.

One answer may have presented itself. The government, working with restaurant owners associations, intends to introduce a Menu Rahmah, a meal priced at RM5 with carbs, vegetables and protein.

The Menu Rahmah is intended to enable Malaysians from lower socio-economic backgrounds to be able to afford a decent meal in restaurants, something the government has realised is a necessity for most of us in the working-class.

This is not a new idea, as previous governments have tried it before. Yet, the idea remains a good one, if it is implemented. As with most policies, comprehensive work needs to be done to ensure the initiative takes off successfully and well.

First, meals need to be really a healthy choice. Small portions, served on plates marked out with the Ministry of Health ‘suku-suku separuh’ portions would go a long way towards enforcing the healthy food ‘brand’.

Second, menus including choices of proteins and vegetables can be made via consultations with nutritionists /dietitians via Civil Society Organisations (CSO). This will strengthen the health value proposition of the meal, rather than being just a ‘handout’ for lower-income customers.

Third, the proposal should not be restricted to just the lower-income customer, but branded as a healthy and cost-efficient option for all customers – again a measure to increase the number of purchasers as well as the brand value of the offering.

Fourth, education and social implementation are key points to the success and sustainability of this policy. If restaurants are going to be rolling out these meals, but with little or no support from the buyers, the initiative is not going to last long.

People need to be able to understand that they should eat less, and that via this initiative, now they can. From the position of health CSOs, we stand ever ready to strengthen and support such initiatives when they are being put forward by the government.

Let’s look forward to a 2023 with smaller plates, larger wallets, and hopefully, smaller tummies! - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.