Some of these are quite nutritious
Being sick is the last thing people want. But, we can’t help it–when we don't listen to our bodies (whether to take a rest, or to exercising regularly, or to eating healthier), we will get sick. I think sometimes we neglect doing things that help our bodies because we feel too busy or something. It’s not until we get sick, then we regret not taking care of our physical health seriously. At least, that’s how I felt last week. I was sick for almost the entire week and started questioning everything, like why I never cycled, rarely went to a running track, and so on😅
But it is what it is. All I can do is try to be better. Actually, when I am living at home, my mom often cooks soup or stir fry veggies, you know? So that means I'm still nourishing my body with healthy foods. The problem often comes when I choose to buy snacks. I bought unhealthy snacks because they were addictive, especially if they were spicy>< So when I was sick, I tried to eat something more hearty. Here are the $1 foods I bought to feel better:
Chicken porridge
Porridge is known as a nutritious meal, right? Where I’m from, chicken porridge is quite popular for breakfast, because it’s also an easy street food to find. However for me personally, I don’t think I'd eat it unless I was sick haha. Chicken porridge is basically smooth rice topped with shredded chicken. But, what makes this food even more interesting is the customizable toppings that can be used; because each region has its own unique way of serving it.
I’ve read that Jakarta’s chicken porridge is served with peanut spices/sauce, which I can’t imagine. But if I just look at the photos, I think it’s not really different compared to the one I’m familiar with. Maybe the article means it has peanuts as a topping, not spices. In other regions, chicken porridge is served with a yellow sauce made from boiled chicken and turmeric. I don’t know if it tastes different, as I’ve never tried to eat this food from other cities haha
Here where I’m from, besides chicken, the toppings usually include peanut, sliced spring onions, fried onions, and cakwe (the Indonesian name for a long, deep-fried dough stick, which are said to be similar to the Chinese youtiao). It’s also served with a bit of yellow soup, sambal (a typical Indonesian chili sauce) and of course we can’t forget krupuk (no idea how to describe it, but it’s like Indonesian crackers). I find the price for chicken porridge here varies, but it is usually under $1.
Oh, there’s also a debate about how to enjoy porridge with a variety of toppings like this, as some people find that stirring everything together makes the flavors blend better. I personally prefer to stir it between each bite rather than the whole portion at once, if that’s make sense lol
Gado-gado
This one is basically a salad, dressed with peanut paste. People say gado-gado means "mixed", that’s because it consists of a variety of boiled vegetables like lettuce, potatoes, bean sprouts, tofu, also fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. All of that, poured with a rich and flavorful peanut paste. From what I’ve read, the delicious dressing is made from ground fried peanuts, then mixed with other spices like garlic, brown sugar, and even red chilies if you want a spicy version. Similar to chicken porridge, gado-gado usually costs less than $1.
From the photo I took, the portion looks very small due to the angle haha, but it’s actually a filling meal, because it is served with lontong (a dense, boiled rice cake wrapped in banana leaves). My mom bought me this one when I was sick. It's not without reason. I just had a tooth extracted before I got sick, so I had a hard time eating rice with fried side dishes. She didn’t offer me beforehand, she just bought it for me because she knew I could eat it without hurting my teeth haha
Soup and Instant noodle
Did I write this blog about nutritious foods earlier? Sorry, I lied :”D an instant noodle is coming at this point. I actually bought Soto in the morning, it’s an Indonesian chicken soup which the broth cooked with various spices. It also costs less than $1 here. But I didn't take the picture because it might not look so appealing from my phone cam haha, instead I took a photo of this instant noodle😅 it was Indonesian curry flavored and since it’s a soup noodle, I enjoyed it haha. I added chilli, of course, and some of my mom's shredded chicken seasoning.
Instant noodles actually cost around $0.25, no wonder why it’s become a go-to meal for many people. Aigoo, it’s like I failed attempting to eat healthier foods just because I end the day with this instant noodle😅 But I think the previous meals are pretty healthy, right? Well, that’s it for today’s blog, thanks for reading! Please take care of your health, hivers :)
