This competition as jointly created by both NKF and Berjaya UCH, is aimed at promoting healthy eating habits.
Students of Berjaya UCH in Year 2 were required to submit their kidney-friendly recipes that are suitable for the community at large. Top five students then proceeded to the final round to each whip up an appetizer and a main course within two hours to impress the judges. The winner of the challenge gets the cover spot on NKF’s very first recipe book by students. The recipe book will be revealed at the upcoming dance marathon event on 25 March 2017 in conjunction with World Kidney Day 2017.
The judges determined the winners based on a set of criteria consisting of hygiene and professionalism, creativity, recipe, presentation, taste and more.
Trophies were presented to the grand prize winner, 1st runner up and 2nd runner up by Ms. Kher Pui Ling, NKF Dietician. All participants also received certificates and they will be receiving a copy of the recipe booklet.
“I am glad to have had the opportunity to take part in this competition. My healthy dishes were made with the intention of it being easy for every household to prepare. Healthy dishes need not be bland and complicated – it can be easy, tasty and interesting! Aside from winning this challenge and taking home the trophy, the knowledge that I have gained from doing research prior to coming up with the winning recipes is what’s more beneficial and precious to me. It has opened up my eyes to the myriad of healthy food options that I can certainly put my cooking flair to the test”, said Ang Wei Ming, 23 years old, Semester 7, Bachelor in Culinary Arts Management (Hons).
Crystal Low Ceng Yi, 22 years old, Semester 5, a Diploma student in Culinary Arts Management was overwhelmed when her name was called, taking 2nd place. She said, “To me, freshness of the ingredients is essential in bringing out the taste of the dishes instead of having to add in tons of seasoning, which is unhealthy. I focused a lot on simple yet fresh ingredients to make my Crunchy Spring Rolls with Garlic Dipping Sauce and Salmon in Parchment Parcels dishes. I am pleased with my achievement today and will continue to learn to cook more healthy food.”
Mr. Chua Hong Wee, the CEO of NKF said, “We are very pleased to have the students involvement in this and grateful to Berjaya UCH for agreeing to this initiative. Through this competition, we hope to educate the youths and the general public on the importance of healthy eating in order to prevent kidney disease and its related risk factors”.
"Kidney disease is often caused by diet-related diseases such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes, so it is important for members of the public to keep a watch on their diet. Kidney disease is an irreversible and incurable disease that damages the organ’s ability to remove harmful wastes from the body. Kidney failure patients have to live with the disease and its effects for the rest of their lives”, Chua added.
Chef Jochen Kern, Director-Faculty of Culinary Arts of Berjaya UCH commented “We want to show that it is possible to eat healthy without sacrificing the taste and quality of our meals”.
“BERJAYA UCH offers students a unique opportunity to prepare themselves for their future careers in a manner that is unlike any other. We consistently produce well-rounded, professional and competent young adults through their interdisciplinary learning and immersion teaching methodologies, and one such example is by being a part of a beneficial initiative such as this”.
Guest judge, Suki Low, Founder and Dietician of Move2Cook complemented the initiative. As a social dietician who advocates healthy living and is passionate about cooking, she said “It was a pleasure to be invited as one of the members of the judging panel and to see the younger generation contribute in creating recipes that are kidney friendly. The students have shown a great sense of creativity and passion.
The Healthy Cook-off Competition is in line with the World Kidney Day 2017 theme, Kidney Disease and Obesity. The World Kidney Day is a global awareness campaign that is held annually on the 2nd Thursday of March. It aims mainly to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease worldwide.
In Malaysia, every year, 7,000 new patients are diagnosed with kidney failure. The majority of NKF’s patients are financially-challenged elderly individuals aged between 50 and 65 who cannot afford the higher costs at private medical facilities. NKF is currently targeting to raise RM12 million a year for 1,600 patients who seek treatment at its 27 dialysis centres nationwide.
To sign up for the upcoming World Kidney Day 2017 Dance Marathon, visit http://www.nkf.org.my/
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