ANIMATED shows and cartoon series have more power than we think—especially when it comes to influencing children’s eating habits.
Malaysian parents recently shared in a Threads space how local animated content could be a powerful tool to promote healthy and traditional food to younger audiences.
Nurul Sakinah, a parent who started the discussion, said the local animation industry should explore showcasing more traditional Malay dishes and other healthy options in their storylines.
“My child wanted to try eating curry puffs just because Mechabot in Mechamato loves curry puffs,” she said, adding, “Can you imagine if they showed Amato eating tomatoes or vegetables, Ejen Ali eating fruits, or Alicia being smart because she eats tempeh? It could actually be a really good influence on kids!”
Echoing her thoughts, Nurul Izyana pointed out that Upin & Ipin, one of Malaysia’s most iconic animated series, had already embraced this idea years ago by featuring traditional and healthy foods in its opening scenes.
A user responded light-heartedly, “Because of Upin & Ipin, my child now loves eating siput sedut (mud creeper snails)!”
Nostalgia also made an appearance in the conversation. Reisuraya recalled the 90s classic Popeye the Sailor Man, saying she genuinely believed eating spinach would make her stronger—just like the iconic character.
Ruzanna added that the American animated series Wonder Pets, which features a trio of classroom animals helping others through teamwork, inspired children back in the days to eat carrots and celery, as those were often seen in the show.
Another parent shared that her son developed a love for Tom Yam soup after watching an episode of BoBoiBoy, where the character cooked the iconic “Tom Yam Sakti”.
As these parents pointed out, incorporating healthy food habits into children’s media—especially in animation—could be a subtle yet effective way of nurturing better eating habits in the next generation.