This report discusses the food consumption
patterns of Malaysian adults as part of the
comprehensive Malaysian Adults Nutrition
Survey (MANS) carried out between October
2002 and December 2003. Foods and
beverages frequently consumed daily by the
population were determined and the
consumption patterns of food items
consumed daily and weekly by a majority of
the population were established. These data
will provide an invaluable baseline data for
comparison with other and subsequent
MANS surveys.
Generally, several food items were
consumed daily and weekly by Malaysians.
This finding was encouraging as it was in
line with the recommendation of the
Malaysian Dietary Guidelines (NCCFN,
1999), which advised that the Malaysian
population should consume a variety of
foods. A diet can be considered as having
‘variety’ when the diet contains foods in all
the food groups in the Malaysian Food
Pyramid. Similar recommendations were
also suggested in Singapore (Singapore
Dietary Guidelines, 2003). Only rice was
consumed every day by a majority (97%) of
the population. Cooked rice (nasi putih) was
consumed on average twice daily amounting
to 2½ plates of rice per day. Since this is the
first time a Nutrition Survey is carried out in