Add a glass of milk to breakfast to get enough nutrients

0

Ashlee Ng

KUCHING: Are Malaysians’ favourite breakfasts providing them sufficient nutrients?

This was the pertinent question Dutch Lady PureFarm – Malaysia’s number one milk – attempted to answer at its breakfast campaign launch in Kuala Lumpur recently following a feast of Malaysian breakfast favourites that include nasi lemak and mee goreng.

Dutch Lady Malaysia marketing director Ashlee Ng highlighted the importance of Malaysian families getting sufficient essential nutrients from their breakfast to help them start the day strong.

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it’s the first meal we eat after 8 to 12 hours’ fast from our last meal. Depriving our bodies of nutrients for as long as 12 hours means our brain lacks energy when we wake up. Our metabolism needs food to kickstart into action.

“As such, the breakfast we consume has to provide sufficient essential nutrients to meet our daily nutrient intake as recommended by the Ministry of Health. It also has to provide a balance of macro and micronutrients including carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals,” Ashlee said in a statement issued from Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile Professor Dr Poh Bee Koon from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Faculty of Health Sciences reported that a third of Malaysian children do not consume breakfast, which makes it important for breakfast foods to be selected wisely.

Having led the Southeast Asian Nutrition Survey (Seanuts) Malaysia, her team analysed seven popular breakfasts to see if they provide sufficient amounts of energy, protein, vitamins A, B2 and D, and calcium for adults and children.

The study took cues from My Breakfast Study of School Children to identify the most commonly consumed foods in the morning among Malaysian children – the ingredients and portions of breakfasts analysed according to the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines.

It analysed seven common Malaysian breakfasts: nasi lemak, mee goreng, nasi goreng, roti canai, roti telur or French toast, sardine sandwich, and a curry puff and two pieces of kuih.

“Analysis of these breakfasts shows they do not supply enough essential nutrients to meet 20 to 25 per cent of daily recommended nutrient intake (RNI) for both adults and children. For adults, these breakfasts fall short of protein, vitamin D, calcium and energy to start the day; and for children, they lack Vitamin D and calcium essential for healthy bone growth and development,” Ashlee remarked.

The low levels of Vitamin D and calcium was also reflected in two surveys that showed Malaysian adults and children lack these nutrients in their food intake.

According to Seanuts, nearly 50 per cent of children in Malaysia do not meet calcium and Vitamin D needs; and the Malaysian Adults Nutritional Survey 2014 indicated adults’ intake of major micronutrients such as calcium, iron, Vitamins A and C is less than two-thirds of the RNI by the Ministry of Health.

More worrying was the findings from the Seanuts survey that Malaysian children drink on average half a serving of milk a day – a mere 5 per cent of the recommended two servings of milk daily to meet their need for calcium and vitamin D.

However when these breakfasts were consumed together with a 250ml serving of Dutch Lady PureFarm milk, the ideal 20-25 per cent of daily nutrition intake could be met easily.

Energy and all vitamins and minerals measured (vitamins A, B2, D and calcium) met the 20-25 percent daily RNI for adults and children.

“Malaysians consume nasi lemak, mee goreng and nasi goreng that do not provide enough macro and micro nutrients to start the day strong.

“To help families meet their recommended nutrient intake for breakfasts, we are advocating to add a glass of Dutch Lady PureFarm milk every morning! The best part is Dutch Lady PureFarm milk comes in convenient packages,” Ashlee said.

Dutch Lady PureFarm milk contains the following essential nutrients to help give families a strong start every morning: protein to help build and repair tissues; Vitamin A for eyes to function properly and helps us stay focused and alert; Vitamin B2 to support the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins; Vitamin D to aid the absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus; calcium for growth and development of strong bones and teeth for children, helping adults maintain healthy bone mass for an active lifestyle.

So mums, add a glass of Dutch Lady PureFarm milk to your family’s breakfast and they will be ready to take on the day – one glass in the morning every day for a strong start!

For more information, go to Dutch Lady Malaysia Facebook at  www.facebook.com/spread.the.goodness.of.milk or www.dutchlady.com.my.