TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Muslims all over the world are welcoming the holy month of Ramadan. This means that the Muslims would need to fast and hold their appetite from dusk until dawn for a whole month.

Understandably, therefore, breaking fast is a point in the day dearly awaited by fasting Muslims. In spite of this, the Jakarta Health Service Chief of Non-infectious Disease, Mental Health, and Narcotics Division, Endang Sri Wahyuningsih, reminded the importance of packing the food consumed with the necessary nutrition.

“If you eat carelessly and as is, the body will not have the energy needed to fast for the whole day. To avoid failing your fast, nutrition (intake) must be plentiful,” she said in an Online Media Workshop teleconference with Nutrifood in Jakarta on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

Surely, by preparing a homemade iftar meal to break fast with, fasting Muslims can ensure that they intake the necessary nutrition. However, for people who order food in, Endang recommends examining the nutrition facts of the food as the reference.

"Actually, some restaurants do list the nutritional value of the products they offer. But, if it's not there, we as customers must pay attention to whether the food is healthy by looking at not only carbohydrates and fats, but whether or not there are vitamins from fruits and vegetables," she said.

In addition, how the restaurant prepares the food should also be a point of consideration before ordering it to break the fast. Endang cited roasting and grilling to be the best way of preparing food for a healthy diet with high nutritional value.

“Avoid fried or deep-fried food because the content of saturated fat and bad cholesterol (LDL) in cooking oil can cause health problems, such as obesity and heart attacks," she added.

SARAH ERVINA DARA SIYAHAILATUA | Translator: DIO SUHENDA (Intern)