KUALA LUMPUR: Football fans should watch their calorie intake from eating snacks while watching the 2014 FIFA World Cup matches.
Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) dietetic and food services department head Ridzoni Sulaiman said unhealthy intake of food could happen during this time as snacks generally contained a high calorie content while carbonated drinks were "rich" in sugar.
"The matches will be held in the early hours of the day (due to the time difference with Brazil), which makes it more unhealthy as we are less active then and will usually go back to sleep after watching them," he told Bernama here today.
He added that the intake of food and carbonated drinks would increase if the football fans watched the games in groups in restaurants or premises where snacks are sold and now operate 24 hours in a day.
The first World Cup match will be held on June 12 between Brazil and Croatia at 5pm (4pm/June 13 in Malaysia) while the finals will be on July 13 at 4pm (3am/July 14 in Malaysia). Most matches are scheduled at 3am or 6am in Malaysia.
Ridzoni advised the public to choose snacks with less fat, low in calories and sugar such as yoghurt or fruits like corn (without butter).
"Carbonated drinks should be avoided as each tin usually contains nine spoonfuls of sugar while hot drinks like tea or coffee should also be reduced as each glass has 150 calories, more if taken three or four times a day," he said.
Ridzoni, who is also the president of the Malaysian Dietitians Association, said consumers should plan early to reduce their food consumption during the night so that the total calorie intake remained at a normal level.
Dean of the Faculty of Industrial Technology Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Associate Professor Azhar Mat Easa said football fans should choose healthy snacks, such as nuts, consumed in small amounts.
He advised those watching the games at restaurants to choose healthier foods like tosei or chapati, and not roti canai or fried dishes, and drink warm water or fruit juices without sugar.
-- BERNAMA