Kolak Pisang or Salak Seeds, Which One to Choose for a Healthier Fast?

JAKARTA - Ramadan is always synonymous with various sweet takjil. From the many choices, kolak is one of the dishes that almost always appear on the breaking table. Its sweet and savory taste makes kolak suitable as a thirst quencher and a stomach filler after fasting all day.

Among the various types of kolak, the two most commonly found are banana and cassava kolak and kolak salak seeds. Both are equally tempting. But when it comes to health, which is actually better?

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin shared his views on the choice of iftar takjil. In the Budi Gemar Sharing (#BGS) Instagram video, he gave a B rating or was healthy enough for banana and sweet potato kolak.

"It's sweet, but I see there are bananas, there are yams. Well, it's full of fiber," said the Minister of Health, while distributing the fasting breaking fast ranking version of himself in the Budi Gemar Sharing (#BGS) program Instagram video.

The assessment is not without reason. Although banana milk contains added sugar, the main ingredients, namely bananas and sweet potatoes, have good nutritional content.

In general, bananas and yams are both good sources of carbohydrates. Bananas contain about 89 calories per 100 grams. This fruit is rich in simple carbohydrates that are quickly digested by the body, so it can immediately restore energy after fasting.

In addition, bananas also contain potassium and vitamin B6 which are good for muscle and nerve function.

Meanwhile, sweet potatoes, especially sweet potatoes, contain about 86 calories per 100 grams. Sweet potatoes have higher complex carbohydrates and fiber than bananas, so they provide a longer feeling of fullness and help maintain blood sugar stability. Orange-colored sweet potatoes are also very rich in beta-carotene or provitamin A which is good for eye health and body resistance.

Compared to it, bananas are more practical and quickly provide energy. However, in terms of blood sugar stability and fiber content, sweet potatoes are slightly superior.

Unlike banana jam, the jackfruit seed jam actually gets a C rating or is unhealthy from the Minister of Health. Jackfruit seeds made from tapioca flour and sugar are considered to have a fairly high content of simple carbohydrates, but little fiber.

"This is salak seeds? but why is there no salak," he said.

The joke confirms that the salak seeds actually do not contain salak fruit at all. The main ingredient is flour which is formed roundly resembling salak seeds, then served with red sugar sauce and coconut milk.

The combination of sugar and coconut milk makes it taste delicious, but from the nutritional side, the fiber content is almost non-existent.

Without fiber, a spike in blood sugar can happen faster, especially if consumed in large portions on an empty stomach after a day of fasting.

For comparison, the takjil that gets an A rating or is healthy from the Minister of Health is dates.

"(Dates) are sweet, but this is all fiber, and the juice is natural." he said.

Dates are known as a natural source of energy rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The sugar content is natural and accompanied by fiber, so it is more friendly to the body when breaking the fast.

If you have to choose between banana jam and salak seeds, banana jam and taro can be a better choice because it still contains fiber from its natural ingredients. However, it is still necessary to pay attention to the portion and amount of sugar used.