Eating Qurbani Meat Without Worrying About Cholesterol, IPB University Nutrition Professor Shares Tips
Who doesn’t look forward to eating qurbani meat during Eid-ul-Adha? The tempting aroma of rendang, curry, and satay always makes us forget ourselves. However, behind these delicacies, there is often a concern: what if cholesterol rises?
This concern is natural considering that meat consumption during qurbani season increases drastically. If we usually eat meat once a week, during the qurbani period, there might be meat on the table every day.
Professor of Food Safety and Nutrition at IPB University and Chairman of PERGIZI Pangan Indonesia, Prof Ahmad Sulaeman, understands this dilemma. He shared some tips so that you can still enjoy qurbani meat to your heart’s content without having to worry about cholesterol spikes.
“In order to enjoy qurbani meat without worrying about cholesterol increase, it is important to pay attention to the choice of meat parts, processing method, and consumption portion,” he said.
He suggested that people choose meat parts that are low in fat, such as tenderloin, sirloin, or thigh in cattle, and back or thigh in goats. The yellowish white fat attached to the meat should be removed before cooking.
In terms of processing, Prof Ahmad recommends boiling or steaming to reduce fat content, and grilling as an alternative. Instead, he suggests avoiding frying meat, especially with excess oil.
“The use of coconut milk should also be reduced and replaced with low-fat coconut milk or soy milk,” he adds.
Portion control is also important. Consumption also needs to be accompanied by high-fiber vegetables. According to Prof Ahmad, the presence of fiber will reduce the absorption of cholesterol by blood vessels because a lot of cholesterol and fat are absorbed in the fiber.
“Vegetables such as pohpohan leaf salad, boiled sweet potato leaves, pumpkin leaves, to pickled cucumber salad and pineapple can help reduce cholesterol absorption. Consume vegetables twice as much as the portion of rice or meat dishes,” he said.
He also suggests consuming five servings of fresh fruit per day, such as papaya, watermelon, or melon. Consumption of these fruits and vegetables, he says, will help the body to produce more bile acids and that means more cholesterol will be used for bile acid synthesis so that cholesterol levels in the blood will decrease.
Furthermore, Prof Ahmad appealed to avoid the consumption of offal such as liver and kidneys which are indeed high in cholesterol content. In addition, to help cleanse blood vessels, he recommends drinking lemon juice in the morning before meals, can be mixed with honey if you have stomach problems.
Finally, he reminds us of the importance of drinking enough water and exercising regularly. “At least walk 6.000 steps every morning to help maintain metabolism and blood vessel health,” he concluded. (IAAS/RWA)
