LONTONG
Nutritious facts of lontong
Nutritious facts of lontong
Serving size: 500g
Amount per serving
Calories 446
Calories from fat 225 % daily value
Total fat 25g 38%
Saturated fat 19g 95%
Cholesterol 150mg 50%
Sodium 1961mg 82%
Total carbohydrate 43g 14%
Dietary fiber 9g 32%
Sugars 0g
Protein 16g 36%
Estimated % of calories of lontong:
48.81% Fats, 37.31% Carbohydrates, 13.88% Protein
Lontong is a kind of Malay cuisine which is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The first time I tried lontong it was a pleasant surprise. I was attracted by its fragrance. The smell, the taste and the look it offers was a great combinations. There are two kinds of lontong where one merely refers to the rice rolls wrapped in the banana leaves while the other kind refers to the rice cakes served with a vegetables curry. The latter one is more common in Malaysia and it is the one that I’ve tried. So now I will introduce the lontong served with vegetables at the below in terms of their nutritional value of the ingredients, metabolism involved, physiological benefits, evaluation of the food and how we can modify the lontong. This blog is created with the co-operation of my friend Sivapria for the assignment purpose in the subject of Nutrition & Metabolism.
Here I will introduce the ingredients of lontong. The vegetables which can be found in lontong include cabbage, carrot and long beans. The curry is not as viscous as the chicken curry and the curry is added with coconut milk. In the lontong, several white rice cakes similar to “ketupat” is served at the top of the vegetables. The rice cakes are compressed that you cannot find space between any rice grains. A hard-boiled egg and several pieces of tofu will often accompany the dish. The other ingredients include shredded coconut dry-fried with palm sugar, dried chilies, chopped peanuts, slightly sweet sambal, strands of onions and nubs of garlics. From the ingredients we can look into its nutritional value.
Lontong will provide some benefits to our health because its ingredients are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, protein, fatty acids and fibers. Vegetables as an ingredient of lontong will impart many health benefits. Most people need to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables they currently eat every day. Consumption of vegetables may help to protect us from chronic disease including stroke, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. Eggs are an excellent source of protein especially high biological value protein as it contains all the essential amino acids needed by the human body. Eggs are also a good source of all the B vitamins and vitamin A. It also provides useful amounts of vitamin D, as well as some vitamin E. Besides, eggs contain most of the minerals that the human body requires for health. It also contains fats and cholesterol. The nutritional value of rice cakes is mainly providing the carbohydrate as an energy source. Tofu is a good source of protein. Curry with coconut milk contains fatty acids. Sambal and dried chilli will help to burn fat. Peanuts are also rich in antioxidants and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, prevent gallstones, protect against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline and lower risk of weight gain.
Although lontong provides us some health benefits, however it is a high calorie food as it is prepared in a coconut milk curry soup. Lontong is high in fat, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol and fibers. Here we will have a close look in the metabolism pathways involved in lontong. Some dietary fat is needed for good health. Fats supply energy and essential fatty acids and promote absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Most people are aware that high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet are linked to increased blood cholesterol levels and a greater risk for heart disease. High-fat diet will also lead to overweight and increase the risk of certain cancers. What about carbohydrates? The major roles of carbohydrate is to supply energy, it serves as a fuel for energy production. If too much carbohydrate are consumed, it may turns into fats. High carbohydrate food will also lead to high blood sugar level which is known as hyperglycemia. Carbohydrates are needed for the functioning of the central nervous system , the muscles and the other body systems. Fiber is one of the type of carbohydrates. It has significant health benefits to human body. It may help to control weight by reducing the appetite, help in digestion and carry excess cholesterol out of our digestive system. It can also help to control the blood glucose level. Protein, is an important component of cells in the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein. Our body uses protein to build and repair tissues. Protein is also used to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.
The most prominent physiological benefits of lontong is it serves as a delicious food that most people can not resist. Well, it is a typical dish of Malay cuisine and usually people take lontong during the breakfast or at lunch. For people who fond on lontong, it provides a nutritious diet during the leisure time. As I mentioned above, lontong provides us with a good amount of vitamins, minerals, protein, fibers, and fat which are essential to build up a healthy body. A plate of lontong is enough to supply the energy which is needed in a meal. The constituents of vegetables, peanuts, eggs, tofu, chilli, and coconut milk build up its special fragrance and good taste that indulge us.
Lontong is basically a nutritious food for breakfast. However, people who are having a sedentary lifestyle are not recommended to have lontong as a daily dish because it contains high levels of fat and it contains high calories. This is due to the curry or gravy that is served with the lontong, which is high in fat content because the curry is made up of coconut milk. On the other hand, a person who is physically active could consume lontong frequently because the active body will eventually use up the calories and burn off the fats from the consumed lontong. After consuming a delicious plate of lontong and if you are guilty of the calories gained, there are a few simple exercises that can help to burn off the calories. Exercises that are recommended are such as walking up the stairs for roughly 54 minutes or swimming for roughly 30 minutes.
Since lontong is a favoured dish but cannot be consumed frequently, there are ways to modify it so that it would be a guilty-free but at the same time still a delicious dish. One of the way is to reduce the amount of gravy that is served with the lontong but adding more vegetables to the dish. Instead of fully eating the lontong with the curry, people can choose to eat it with some sambal. In this way, the lesser the coconut gravy consumed, the lesser the fats levels. Besides that, another way is by making the gravy without using the coconut. In this way, the curry would be a more watery one but lesser in fat contents. The last but not least way is by adding more variety of vegetables to the lontong. Vegetables such as tofu, bean sprouts or tempe can be added to increase the nutritious value.
References:
Bellybytes, n.d. The Role Of Fiber In Your Diet [Online]. Available from:<http://www.bellybytes.com/articles/fiber.shtml> [Accessed 23 February 2009]
Eggs and Nutrition, n.d.. Nutritional Values of the Eggs [Online]. Available from: <http://www.nutritionandeggs.co.uk/eggs_nutrition/nutrition1.html> [Accessed 21 February 2009]
Elmhurst College, 2003. Overview of Lipid Function [Online]. Available from:<http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/620fattyacid.html> [Accessed 21 February 2009]
Lontong, 2007. Singapore’s Lifestylepedia [Online]. Available from:<http://lifestylewiki.com/Lontong>[Accessed 20 February 2009]
Osterweil, N., 2009. The Benefits Of Protein [Online]. Available from:<http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/benefits-protein>[Accessed 24 February 2009]
Rawfoodexplained, 2008. The Role of Carbohydrates In The Body [Online]. Available from:<http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/carbohydrates/the-role-of-carbohydrates-in-the-body.htmlml> [Accessed 23 February 2009]
Typepad, 2006. Eating Asia [Online]. Available from:<http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/kuala_lumpur/>[Accessed 20 February 2009]
Unknown Author, Lontong with Sayur, 2008. Available from:[Accessed on: 18 February 2009].
World’s Healthiest Food. Peanuts [Online]. Available from:<http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=101#healthbenefits> [Accessed 21 February 2009]
Since lontong is a favoured dish but cannot be consumed frequently, there are ways to modify it so that it would be a guilty-free but at the same time still a delicious dish. One of the way is to reduce the amount of gravy that is served with the lontong but adding more vegetables to the dish. Instead of fully eating the lontong with the curry, people can choose to eat it with some sambal. In this way, the lesser the coconut gravy consumed, the lesser the fats levels. Besides that, another way is by making the gravy without using the coconut. In this way, the curry would be a more watery one but lesser in fat contents. The last but not least way is by adding more variety of vegetables to the lontong. Vegetables such as tofu, bean sprouts or tempe can be added to increase the nutritious value.
References:
Bellybytes, n.d. The Role Of Fiber In Your Diet [Online]. Available from:<http://www.bellybytes.com/articles/fiber.shtml> [Accessed 23 February 2009]
Eggs and Nutrition, n.d.. Nutritional Values of the Eggs [Online]. Available from: <http://www.nutritionandeggs.co.uk/eggs_nutrition/nutrition1.html> [Accessed 21 February 2009]
Elmhurst College, 2003. Overview of Lipid Function [Online]. Available from:<http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/620fattyacid.html> [Accessed 21 February 2009]
Lontong, 2007. Singapore’s Lifestylepedia [Online]. Available from:<http://lifestylewiki.com/Lontong>[Accessed 20 February 2009]
Osterweil, N., 2009. The Benefits Of Protein [Online]. Available from:<http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/benefits-protein>[Accessed 24 February 2009]
Rawfoodexplained, 2008. The Role of Carbohydrates In The Body [Online]. Available from:<http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/carbohydrates/the-role-of-carbohydrates-in-the-body.htmlml> [Accessed 23 February 2009]
Typepad, 2006. Eating Asia [Online]. Available from:<http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/kuala_lumpur/>[Accessed 20 February 2009]
Unknown Author, Lontong with Sayur, 2008. Available from:
World’s Healthiest Food. Peanuts [Online]. Available from:<http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=101#healthbenefits> [Accessed 21 February 2009]
