When you think about the teen diet in Malaysia, you probably don’t imagine uh, a Green Goddess Salad. It likely looks more like instant noodles at midnight, fried chicken with extra sambal, or that neon-pink syrup drink that probably has the same sugar content as an entire cake. Well, that was my diet during my secondary school years.
How the teen diet in Malaysia shapes health and the future
I thought food was just about taste and fueling me enough so I could sit through an add maths class without fainting. Turns out, those choices were shaping my body, my energy, and how sluggish I always felt.
Being a teen is like hitting “fast forward” on your body. You’re growing taller, moodier, and hungrier by the day. But if all that growth is powered by sugar and oil? Well… let’s just say it’s like trying to run a Ferrari on petrol campur air sirap.
Studies show that over half of Malaysian adolescents (54.1%) don’t get enough iron in their diet, which can lead to anemia. This means many teens are walking around tired, distracted and not knowing why. I guess Popeye had a point with his spinach obsession.
Fast food everywhere, choices nowhere
A recent UNICEF report puts it clearly: Millions of children and adolescents across the world are growing up surrounded by sugary drinks, snacks and fast foods – driving nutrient poor diets and a surge in overweight and obesity.
And it’s no different here. Malaysian teenagers’ food culture is basically a buffet of oil and sugar. And it’s not because teens make bad choices. It’s because unhealthy stuff is the cheapest, most available, and most aggressively marketed. Step out of any school, and what greets you? Goreng-goreng, bubble tea shops, ais krim potong. Try to find fresh fruit, and suddenly you feel like you’re on a treasure hunt.
The truth is: fast food in Malaysia isn’t an occasional treat anymore; it’s become the default. And the food industry knows it. They’re basically saying, “Here’s your cheap, addictive, deep-fried future, you’re welcome.”
Beyond “eat better”: Why policy matters
We’ve all heard the advice: don’t skip breakfast, eat more fruits and vegetables, drink less soda. Great in theory, but have you seen school canteen menus? Sometimes the “healthiest” option is rice with kuah banjir and maybe one slice of cucumber that looks sad.
That’s why focusing only on personal responsibility is a trap. The teen diet in Malaysia is shaped not just by what we decide at recess. It’s shaped by school canteen contracts, food marketing and advertising, and government policies. And right now, those policies are softer than soggy fries.
If children and young people’s nutrition in Malaysia was given more weight, we’d see affordable, healthier options in canteens, stricter rules on junk food ads, and real incentives to drink water instead of soda.
Instead, the food industry profits and the prices of healthy food keep increasing while teens deal with the health fallout. Look at countries like Korea, where school meals are built around balanced whole foods – that’s the kind of policy shift we deserve too!
Small shifts, big changes
Look, no one’s asking you to swap ayam goreng for salad overnight. Food is culture and joy (and honestly, what’s life without some keropok lekor?). What matters are small swaps that don’t make you feel like you’re on punishment.
Order a kurang manis drink with your nasi lemak sometimes. Add buah potong to your evening snack. Try oats once in a while. I know, I know, but hey, I did it and now the variations I make for breakfast are what get me through the day sometimes!
Being a teenager already feels like running an obstacle course: exams, parents, TikTok, and friendships. The last thing you need is a food environment designed to make things harder. The food we eat shapes our growth, mood, and brainpower… but it shouldn’t be all on us.
From snacks to system change
So yes, make the swaps when you can. But also, don’t be shy about demanding change. Because the teen diet in Malaysia should not be reduced to curry puffs and soda alone. We deserve better fuel than that.
The fast food industry won’t stop selling us sugar and oil – not unless we, the young people, make it clear that our health is more important than their profit.
And here’s the thing: real change comes when we speak up. Start with your school – talk to your student council, guru besar or teachers for healthier options in the canteen. Get your parents to back you up. Use social media to call out companies that put profit over young people’s health. Join youth campaigns and create your own noise.
Because if we don’t demand better, no one else will. The fast food industry won’t stop selling us processed sugar and oil – not unless we, the young people, make it clear that our health is more important than their profit. 💪
READ >> Can you imagine a Healthy Future for all of us?
Dilmohammad