Tips For Cooking Healthy Food For Families From Chef Norman

JAKARTA - Healthy food is not just related to low calories and low fat. Basically, said Chef Norman, healthy food means being able to meet the daily nutritional needs of each individual.

"Every person has different nutritional needs and depending on what disease there is, it usually depends on certain conditions," he said, quoted from ANTARA, Sunday, January 1.

In choosing a menu, try to make a menu combination that is rich in fiber, protein, carbohydrates, fat, and so on. He said the current trend of healthy food in Indonesia has adopted the concept of “fill my plate” which replaces the concept of 4 healthy 5 perfect.

“Half of the plate is fiber, 3/4 is nuts and vegetables, and 1/3 is fruit. Then on the left are carbohydrates and protein sources,” said Chef Norman.

He said many people have the wrong perception by avoiding or even being hostile to carbohydrates and fats. Though both are needed for metabolic processes in the body and burning for energy.

He added that what was dangerous was the sugar content in carbohydrate sources such as rice. "If possible, the sugar intake should be limited. Even if you eat carbohydrate foods, for example, consume complex carbohydrates that are not refined carbohydrates, such as corn, sweet potatoes, beans, and so on,” he said.

Equally important, maintain cleanliness not only when processing food but also when cleaning raw materials and cooking utensils.

“For example, buying chicken from the market and then washing it. What used to be our sink was clean and free of bacteria, but when we wash the chicken, the sink becomes bacteria. After washing the chicken, we continue to wash the dishes, then the bacteria transfer occurs,” said Chef Norman.

In addition to cleanliness, the separation of similar food ingredients, especially in the refrigerator, hygiene must also be considered.

"Storage in the refrigerator must also be careful, because if for example, we are not careful, in our refrigerator there can also be bacterial circulation from chicken, meat, vegetables, and others," he concluded.