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| Some recipes that can help strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis |
Bones need nutrients to grow and sustain their growth. A bone-healthy diet can be an effective strategy to prevent ongoing bone loss.
This diet should be part of an overall healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and optimal levels of calcium and vitamin D.
Here are a few recipes you can try to help strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis:
1. Pressure-Cooked Milkfish
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-sized milkfish
- Rough spices:
- 2 thin slices of galangal
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 stalk of lemongrass, crushed
- 2 kaffir lime leaves
- Ground spices:
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 shallots
- 1 cm turmeric
- 1 cm ginger
- 1 tsp coriander
- 2 candlenuts
- 1 red chili
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Clean the milkfish, remove the innards, and rinse thoroughly.
- Coat the fish with the ground spices, inside and out, and let it marinate.
- Prepare a pressure cooker, lining the bottom with paddy stalks or leaves, and arrange some of the rough spices. Place the marinated fish on top, and sprinkle with the remaining rough spices. Add enough water (about half to one glass). Cook for 60-90 minutes.
- Serve by frying or cutting into pieces. Dip in beaten egg before frying.
- Serve with spicy sambal.
2. Anchovy with Eggplant
Ingredients:
- 100 grams of anchovies
- 1 purple eggplant, halved and chopped
- 5 green tomatoes, each cut into 4 parts
- Oil for frying the anchovies and eggplant
Spices:
- 3 green chilies
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 shallots
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp oil
Instructions:
- Fry the anchovies until crispy. Set aside.
- Lightly fry the eggplant, ensuring it doesn't absorb too much oil. Set aside.
- Coarsely crush the spices and sauté them in oil. Once cooked, add the green tomatoes and let them soften slightly. Then, add the eggplant and anchovies, stir, and remove from heat.
3. Fried Anchovy and Peanut Sambal
Ingredients:
- 100 grams of anchovies
- 100 grams of peanuts
- Oil for frying
Spices:
- 1 red chili, thinly sliced
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 stalk of lemongrass, crushed
- 1 slice of galangal
- 1 bay leaf
- 25 grams of palm sugar
- 1 tbsp tamarind water
- 1 tbsp water
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp oil for sautéing
Instructions:
- Fry the anchovies and peanuts until crispy. Set aside.
- Sauté the sliced chili, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, and bay leaf until fragrant. Add the tamarind water, water, salt, and sugar, stirring until it thickens slightly. Finally, add the anchovies and peanuts, and stir well.
4. Spicy Fried Dried Fish
Ingredients:
- 100 grams of dried fish
- Oil for frying
Spices:
- 3 red chilies, coarsely crushed
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 shallots
- 1 piece of tamarind
- Salt to taste
- Oil for sautéing
Instructions:
- Fry the dried fish until crispy. Set aside.
- Sauté the spices in oil until fragrant, adding a tablespoon of water if needed to avoid dryness.
- Mix the spices with the fish just before serving to keep the fish crispy.
5. Spicy Sardine Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 can of sardines
- 1 red tomato, quartered
- 4 small green tomatoes, quartered
- 1 tbsp ginger, thinly sliced
- 1 egg
- 10 whole bird’s eye chilies
- 50 ml broth
- Oil for frying
Ground Spices:
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 3 shallots
- 2 red chilies
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp oil for sautéing
Instructions:
- Drain the sardines from their sauce and set aside.
- Dip the sardines in beaten egg and fry them in hot oil. Set aside.
- Sauté the ground spices and ginger until fragrant. Add the red and green tomatoes, stirring in the broth and sardine sauce from the can. Let it boil before adding the fried sardines.
6. Aceh-Style Cooked Anchovies
Ingredients:
- 200 grams of anchovies, washed
- 5 green chilies, coarsely sliced
- 5 small eggplants, quartered
- 2 tbsp grated coconut
- 3 tbsp water
Ground Spices:
- 1 cm turmeric
- 4 red chilies
- 4 bird’s eye chilies
- 2 tsp coriander
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 4 shallots
- 6 pieces of betel tamarind
- Oil for sautéing
Instructions:
- Sauté the ground spices with the grated coconut.
- Add the anchovies to the sautéed spices, stir until half-cooked, then add water.
- Finally, add the green chilies and eggplant, cooking until the eggplant and chilies soften.
7. Stir-Fried Kailan with Beef
Ingredients:
- 250 grams of baby kailan, roughly chopped
- 100 grams of beef, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
- 1 tbsp butter for sautéing the beef
Spices:
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 cm ginger, julienned
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- A bit of broth
- 2 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp water
Instructions:
- Boil the kailan stems until slightly tender, then add the leaves and cook until wilted. Drain and set aside.
- Marinate the beef in sweet soy sauce for 20 minutes, then coat with cornstarch and sauté in butter for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Sauté the garlic and ginger in sesame oil until fragrant, then add broth, pepper, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar, bringing it to a boil.
8. Stir-Fried Spinach with Scallops and Shrimp
Ingredients:
- 400 grams of spinach
- 100 grams of scallops or shrimp, peeled and deveined
Spices:
- 6 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- Salt to taste
- A bit of sugar
- 3 tbsp sesame oil for sautéing
Garnish:
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions:
- Sauté the garlic in sesame oil until fragrant, then add the scallops/shrimp and cook until done.
- Add the spinach and continue sautéing until the spinach wilts. Season with pepper, salt, and sugar, and mix well.
- Serve with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.
9. Steamed Fresh Anchovies
Ingredients:
- 150 grams of fresh anchovies
- 150 grams of grated coconut
- 50 grams of petai (stink beans)
- 10 whole bird’s eye chilies
- 1 red chili, thinly sliced
- 5 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
- Banana leaves for wrapping
Ground Spices:
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3 shallots
- 1 cm aromatic ginger
- 1 red chili
- 1 tsp roasted shrimp paste
- Salt and palm sugar to taste
Instructions:
- Mix the ground spices with all the ingredients, except for the banana leaves.
- Take a banana leaf, place one piece of bay leaf on top, then add 2-3 tbsp of the mixture. Wrap it up and steam for 30 minutes.
- Serve hot.
10. Spicy Water Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
- 4 small bundles of water spinach
- 50 grams of fried peanuts
- 1 lime, halved
Ground Sambal:
- 4 red chilies
- 5 bird’s eye chilies
- 4 candlenuts
- 2 tsp shrimp paste
- Salt to taste
- Oil for sautéing
Instructions:
- Sauté the sambal ingredients until fragrant, adding a bit of water. Remove from heat, then squeeze in the lime juice.
- Clean and cut the water spinach, then blanch it briefly to keep the color vibrant. Drain and set aside.
- Arrange the water spinach on a plate, drizzle with sambal, and sprinkle with fried peanuts.
These recipes are excellent options to include in your diet to strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis. Happy cooking!

