Ministry of Health urges the public to make wise choices when selecting Ramadan iftar menus
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Health is urging the public to maintain a balanced diet when choosing iftar menus during Ramadan.
The Head of the Nutrition Task Force of the Directorate of Family Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Yuni Zahraini, reminded that the availability of various foods during Ramadan needs to be addressed wisely to avoid triggering excessive consumption.
“The recommendation to break the fast with sweet foods should still be limited to a reasonable amount and not in excess,” she said after a dialogue entitled “Strengthening Healthy and Sustainable Food Consumption Patterns Through Inclusive Digital Transformation” in Jakarta, Wednesday.
According to her, consuming excessive amounts of sweet drinks such as syrup, sweet tea, or packaged drinks during iftar can significantly increase daily sugar intake.
She said that if the habit of consuming added sugar continues without being balanced with calorie control and physical activity, the excess energy will be stored in the body in the form of fat, which can trigger weight gain.
In addition, high-fat foods such as fried foods, thick coconut milk, and fast food, which are often chosen during iftar, can also increase calorie and saturated fat intake.
In the long term, this consumption pattern can increase cholesterol levels, enlarge the waist circumference, and trigger non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
Yuni emphasized that changing eating habits requires continuous education so that people not only know the principles of a balanced diet but also practice them every day, including by regulating portions, limiting sugar, salt, and fat, and staying active.
As recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the limit for safe sugar consumption is a maximum of 10 percent of total daily energy needs.
For adults with a need of 2,000 kcal/day, this is equivalent to about 50 grams of sugar or approximately four tablespoons per day. This refers to added sugars such as granulated sugar, sugar in syrup, sweet drinks, cakes, and processed foods, not natural sugars found in whole fruits or milk.
Nutritionists even suggest that it would be even better to consume no more than 5 percent of total daily energy or approximately 25 grams of sugar (four teaspoons) per day for additional health benefits.
With this, the Ministry of Health hopes that the event of Ramadan can be a starting point for improving family consumption patterns towards healthier and more sustainable eating habits.