Staying Healthy with These Low-Calorie Indonesian Foods for Dieting

Staying Healthy with These Low-Calorie Indonesian Foods for Dieting

Share:

Low-Calorie Indonesian Foods for Dieting — When dieting you must ensure that your daily calorie intake does not surpass the number of calories burned in order to achieve the goal. If you live in Indonesia, avoid eating foods that are greasy and include coconut milk because they contain a lot of calories. Those foods could make your diet plan difficult.

What low-calorie Indonesian meals are so appropriate for dieting? You can consider the following low-calorie Indonesian dishes!

Gado-gado

Gado-gado low calorie indonesian food
Photo by Dovinda Rd/Pexels

Gado-gado is a mixture of boiled vegetables, including pumpkin, kale, long beans, tofu, tempeh, potatoes, and eggs. It is a portion of healthy food to eat when dieting because it contains both vegetables and protein. Per 100 grams, gado-gado contains 132 calories.

Sayur Sop

Vegetable soup or sayur sop is an absolute must-have on any weight-loss menu. This wonderfully simple dish contains only around 72 calories, making it an exceptionally low-calorie option that is perfect for dieting. When paired with a plate of white rice (which is about 130 calories), the entire meal comes to just 180–210 calories, offering a healthy and filling dining option. To achieve a more balanced nutritional profile—especially whilst dieting—it is highly recommended to add a source of protein, such as a boiled egg, chicken breast, or tofu.

Sayur Asem

As an alternative, you could whip up a bowl of tamarind vegetable soup or sayur asem. A refreshing bowl of this traditional dish contains a mere 80 calories. Sayur asem is brilliant for weight loss; being low in calories yet rich in fibre, it keeps you feeling fuller for longer without adding unnecessary fat to your diet. Moreover, its wholesome ingredients—such as chayote, long beans, and sweetcorn—provide the body with essential vitamins and nutrients.

Plecing Kangkung

For those who love a bit of spice, plecing kangkung (a specialty from Lombok) is the perfect choice. This dish features boiled water spinach drizzled with a fresh, fiery sambal, and contains only 200 calories. A staple of Balinese and Lombok cuisine, it combines tender boiled water spinach with a vibrant Lombok-style chilli paste made from a blend of tomatoes, bird’s-eye chillies, shrimp paste, salt, and a squeeze of kaffir lime juice.

Karedok

Another low-calorie Indonesian dish that is perfect for a diet program is karedok, which is made up of raw vegetables such as cucumber, bean sprouts, cabbage, long beans, basil, and eggplant with peanut sauce. The reason is that karedok has 125 calories per 100-gram serving.

socialexpat Low-Calorie Indonesian Foods for Dieting towfiqu barbhuiya unsplash
Picture via Unsplash

Jackfruit Vegetable

In addition to karedok and gado-gado, jackfruit is also a healthy food to eat while dieting. Jackfruit contains fibres that help with digestion. It can make you feel fuller for longer. It also contains low sodium levels that can aid in weight loss. Jackfruit that has been processed only has 66 calories per 100 grams.

Grilled Fish

Grilled fish, particularly fatty fish, is abundant in protein and omega-3 fatty acids in addition to being low in calories and full of nutrients. Grilled mackerel has roughly 80 calories per 80 grams, thus it is unquestionably calorie-efficient.

Tofu Pepes

Eating at night is prohibited when on a diet program. But if you’re starving tofu could be an option with a reduced-calorie count but is still high in fiber. Vitamins, amino acids, phosphorus, calcium, and other nutrients beneficial to the body during dieting can be found in pepes tofu. There are around 63 calories in one pepes tofu.

socialexpat Low-Calorie Indonesian Foods for Dieting gunawan kartapranata wikimedia commons
Picture via Wikimedia Commons

Fish Pepes

Fish pepes are another variety of fish that can be consumed as part of a healthy diet. 100 grams of mackerel pepes have 167 calories. In addition to having few calories, mackerel has calcium that supports bone health.

Tempe Pepes

Another processed soybeans that are worth trying during your diet program is Tempe Pepes. Tempe is a food that can be eaten when dieting because it is abundant in minerals and protein. In addition to being packed with nutrients, the fermentation process used to manufacture tempe results in prebiotics. 100 grams of tempe pepes contained 75 calories.

Those are some low-calorie Indonesian foods that are suitable for consumption for dieting. You can include the following cuisines in your daily intake. Good luck!

Find this article helpful? Check out more from Social Expat:

Related News

Indonesia’s Directorate General of Taxes (DGT) has appointed seven additional companies as Value Added Tax (VAT) collectors for Electronic Trading Systems (PMSE), expanding the government’s oversight of taxation in the digital economy. The newly appointed companies are Strava Inc., Envato Pty Ltd, Envato Elements Pty Ltd, The Nielsen Norman Group Inc., Kling AI Pte Ltd, […]

Indonesia’s fitness scene continues to evolve, with more people embracing exercise as part of their everyday lifestyle rather than simply a way to stay healthy. While gym memberships and recreational running remain popular, many fitness enthusiasts are now seeking new challenges through organised sporting events and community-based activities. Over the past few years, marathons, trail […]

Garmin Indonesia has officially announced the return of its annual running event, the 2026 Garmin Run Marathon Series – Indonesia, which will take place on 20 September 2026 at ICE BSD, Tangerang. Now entering its fifth year in Indonesia, the event has been upgraded from the Garmin Run Asia Series to the Garmin Run Marathon […]

Indonesia’s rainy season often brings sudden shifts in temperature and humidity. For many expatriates who are still adjusting to the tropical climate, these seasonal changes can increase the likelihood of common illnesses such as colds, coughs, and flu-like symptoms. While modern medicine remains widely available, many Indonesians also rely on traditional herbal remedies, known locally […]

Indonesia Guide

Just For Fun

Write For Us

Exclusive Promotions

Event Gallery