Reduce Your Salt And Sugar Intake

Salt & Sodium

Less Salt, More Taste

9 in 10 Singapore residents exceed the daily recommended intake of sodium. On average, we consume 3,620 mg of sodium, nearly twice the recommended daily limit of 2,000 mg¹. Over time, consuming excess sodium causes our taste buds to be less sensitive to saltiness, leading us to consume even more salt. This dulling of taste buds also causes us to equate saltiness with tastiness, preventing us from tasting the natural flavours of food.

Rediscover natural flavours and reduce your risk of hypertension by using less salt. Did you know that according to the Singapore Heart Foundation, cutting your salt intake by just 1 teaspoon daily can have the same effect as taking an anti-hypertensive pill? However, always consult your doctor before stopping any medication and continue to monitor your blood pressure regularly, at least once every 6 months. A lower-sodium diet, coupled with an active lifestyle can help you manage your blood pressure effectively.

Follow these easy tips to manage your sodium intake and restore your true sense of taste.

¹Source: National Nutrition Survey, 2022, Health Promotion Board

Spotting hidden sodium

Where does all this sodium come from?

While “salt” and “sodium” are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. Sodium is a mineral that is found in salt and occurs naturally in foods. Salt, also known as sodium chloride, is a compound comprising about 40% sodium and 60% chloride.

Most people think that the main source of sodium is processed foods.

In reality, 64%² of our sodium intake comes from salt, sauces and seasonings added when preparing food like stir-fries, marinades, or stocks. Another 10% comes from instant noodles, and the remaining comes from other categories such as processed meats and seafood, bread products, convenience meals and snacks.

Many of us may have the misconception that we can taste excessive saltiness (an ability that diminishes as our taste buds get desensitised over time). While this may be true for some foods, what about the hidden sodium content in deceptively sweet or sour foods like cornflakes and tomato ketchup?

In a study by NUS³, respondents were largely able to identify hidden sources of sodium in processed meats, instant noodles, savoury snacks and cooking condiments. However, only 4 in 10 knew that sweeter-tasting dipping sauces and foods are higher in sodium.

Moreover, 31% of dine-out dishes exceed the recommended daily sodium intake of 2,000 mg. This means that you easily consume more sodium than recommended for the day in just a single meal.

Rather than relying on your tongue, use the Sodium Calculator to check the sodium content of your favourite dishes.

²Source: HPB, triangulated with information from NielsenIQ and Euromonitor

³Source: Knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to dietary sodium among residents in Singapore, Cindy Chan, Dr. Mary Chong, March 2021, NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health

Read this article to learn more about sauces and how you can cook healthier:

All About Sauces

Dangers of excessive sodium intake

While our bodies need sodium for normal bodily functions, excessive salt intake can dull our taste buds over time and increases the risk of hypertension or high blood pressure.

Consuming excess sodium causes our bodies to retain more water, raising blood pressure. The increased pressure can cause the blood vessel walls to be damaged and as the walls of the damaged vessels thicken to cope with the strain, the space within each vessel becomes narrower, increasing the risk of heart and kidney diseases.

Narrowed vessels are also more prone to clot formation. If a clot partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart or brain, a heart attack or stroke can occur.

Studies consistently show that reducing salt and sodium intake helps lower blood pressure in those diagnosed with hypertension and even healthy individuals, which then eases the workload on the heart and kidneys, reducing the risk of stroke.

Contrary to popular belief, diseases caused by consuming too much salt and sodium are not just a problem for older people but also younger Singapore residents, from as young as 30 years old.

1 in 3 Singapore residents have high blood pressure?

³Source: National Population Health Survey 2022 (NPHS 2022), Health Promotion Board

Some of the negative effects of excessive salt intake include:

Hypertension
Cardiovascular disease (e.g. stroke, heart attack)
Kidney disease (e.g. kidney stones)
Stomach cancer
Osteoporosis
Water retention
Weight gain
Headaches
Low sleep quality
Decline in mental wellness

Consuming less sodium at home

1. Know that not all salts are the same

Many people are under the wrong impression that gourmet salts such as sea salt and Himalayan pink salt have a lower sodium content and contain more minerals because of their claims to be “all-natural”. Other than trace amounts of additional minerals, these salts provide no health advantages compared to table salt and contain comparable amounts of sodium by weight.

Sodium Content Across Different Types Of Salt
Excessive consumption of any type of salt will inevitably lead to higher risks of high blood pressure and other ailments. To reduce sodium intake, take a look at the Nutrition Information Panel and choose lower-sodium salts.

Read this article to learn more about lower-sodium salt:

Try Lower-Sodium Salt To
Lower Your Sodium Intake

Learn More

2. Make the healthier choice

Products carrying the “Lower in Sodium” Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS) contain at least 25% less sodium compared to similar products in the same food category. Reducing your sodium intake is easy when you choose such lower-sodium products.

Foods that are lower in sodium doesn’t mean that they will taste bland. You can find the “Lower in Sodium” HCS identifier on many of your favourite sauces, seasonings, cooking mixes and pastes that are not only tasty but also healthier! These lower-sodium products can be used as 1-for-1 substitutes of the regular versions, so you do not need to add more of them when cooking to achieve the same flavour.

Choosing healthier earns you sure-win rewards too!

Learn more about the Eat, Drink, Shop Healthy challenge

Join the Eat, Drink, Shop Healthy Challenge today
Start Winning

3. Spice up your dishes with herbs and more

Natural herbs, spices and aromatics like onion, ginger, garlic, chilli, parsley, spring onions, cinnamon, and pepper all help to enhance the taste and aroma of food. As a common Chinese saying goes, a delicious dish is one that is rich in colour, fragrance and flavour. Jazzing up your dish with herbs or spices adds flavour, colour and fragrance while reducing the need to use too much salt or seasonings, hence reducing your sodium intake.

Recommended Reads:

Spice Up Your Cooking with Spices

Spice Up Your Life: Get Fresh with Herbs

Healthy Herbs and Spices for Cooking

4. Oomph with umami

Dried mushrooms, seaweed and kelp are often added to soups and stews to impart a savoury deliciousness, known as “umami”. This can be translated to “essence of deliciousness” and is actually the taste of glutamate, a naturally occurring amino acid.

Sources of “umami” also include Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) which is a food additive. Contrary to popular belief, decades of research have shown no evidence linking MSG to commonly purported symptoms such as hair loss and palpitations. MSG is generally recognised as safe and not as unhealthy as one might think. Both sources of glutamate, naturally occurring glutamate and MSG, are processed by the body in the same way. In fact, a teaspoon of MSG contains 615 mg of sodium, less than a third of sodium content in a teaspoon of table salt which contains 1,960 mg.

To add a healthier umami flavour, you can use MSG or foods such as tomatoes, mushrooms, seaweed, meats, seafood and even aged cheeses, instead of adding more salt or seasonings.

Get inspired with our delicious, lower-sodium recipes!

Consuming or cooking with less salt allows you to restore your true sense of taste to enjoy the natural flavours your food has to offer. This opens up a whole new appreciation for your food and reduces the dependency of using only salt to flavour food.

Singapore Fish Head Curry

View Recipe

Laksa Fried Rice

View Recipe

Braised Chicken Bee Hoon

View Recipe

Classic Spaghetti Bolognese

View Recipe

Grilled Meatball Skewers with Vegetables

View Recipe

Herb Baked Chicken with Tomatoes

View Recipe

Cold Tofu with Braised Mushrooms

View Recipe

Sayur Lodeh

View Recipe

Char Kway Teow

View Recipe

Chicken Briyani

View Recipe

Tamil Style Vegetable Kurma

View Recipe

Masala Ginger Prawn Curry

View Recipe

3. Choose fresh instead of preserved foods

An excessive consumption of preserved, cured or smoked food has also been associated with higher risk of stomach and nasopharyngeal cancers. The higher risk is attributed to salt and sodium nitrates commonly used as preservatives in these products.

Choose fresh meats and other protein sources instead and limit your intake of processed foods such as sausages, luncheon meat, ham and burger patties as much as possible.

Reducing sodium intake when dining out

1. Take less sauces and gravy

Sauces, gravy and soups often contain high levels of sodium. To reduce your sodium consumption, take less sauces and gravy and avoid drinking all the soup in soup-based dishes. Alternatively, ask for sauces and gravy to be served on the side. Taste your food first - you may not need to add any sauces (e.g. chilli sauce, ketchup, soya sauce).

To reduce your sodium consumption, avoid drinking all the soup in soup-based dishes, and ask for less gravy and sauce. Alternatively, we can ask for these to be served on the side. Taste your food first - we may not need to add extra salt, more sauce (e.g. chilli sauce, ketchup, soya sauce), or use too much dipping sauce.

We can also look out for dishes marked with the Healthier Choice Lower-Sodium identifier.

Here’s some tips to cut your sodium intake:

Savouring Duck Rice?
(Sodium content: 1,446 mg)

Ask for gravy on the side and pour sparingly to reduce sodium consumption!

Savouring Duck Rice?
(Sodium content: 1,446 mg)

Ask for gravy on the side and pour sparingly to reduce sodium consumption!

2. Choose healthier choice lower-sodium options

Look out for the lower-sodium healthier dining identifier at our F&B partners. These outlets offer dishes prepared with lower-sodium salt, sauces and seasonings.

Look out for dishes marked with the Healthier Choice Lower-Sodium identifier.

Kickstart your lower-sodium journey

Rediscover the natural flavours that your food has to offer with these lower-sodium products:

Dian Xiao Er
Ginseng Kampong Chicken

Kang Kang
Wholegrain Noodles

Kikkoman
Less Salt
Soya Sauce

Kimly
Mixed Rice 2 Veg
+ 1 Fish

Knorr
Chicken Cubes

Lam Soon
Naturel Pasta Sauce
with Kale

Lee Kum Kee
Panda Brand Reduced
Salt Oyster Sauce

McDonald’s
French Fries (Medium) –
customised no salt

Sheng Siong
Happy Family Organic
Roasted Chestnuts

Sim Soon Heng
Premium Chilli Crab
Sauce

The Soup Spoon
Velvety Mushroom Stroganoff & Sandwich Set

Supported by

Supporters of the 'Less Salt, More Taste' Initiative

When you see the ‘We support Less Salt, More Taste’ identifier, it means the F&B establishment has started taking steps to reduce the sodium content in their dishes. These include replacing ingredients with lower-sodium alternatives or changing recipes, to help make healthier, lower-sodium dining available for everyone.

Supporters

How much salt and sodium should we consume?

You do not have to deprive yourself of all salt and sodium. Just stick to a limit of 2,000 mg of sodium per day, or about 1 teaspoon (about 5g) of salt daily, to help you achieve better health.

Why do we need to reduce salt intake?

According to the 2018/19 National Nutrition Survey, 90% of Singapore residents are consuming too much salt, with an average intake of 9g/day. That’s almost double the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended intake of 5g/day!

90% of Singaporeans consume too much salt

While our bodies do need sodium for normal bodily functions, excessive salt intake can cause high blood pressure, which often leads to the development of heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems.

High blood pressure or hypertension refers to blood being pumped around the body at a higher-than-normal pressure. Studies consistently show that the reduction of salt and sodium intake helps lower blood pressure in both healthy individuals and individuals diagnosed with hypertension.

There may be little to no signs during the early onset of hypertension. While most Singaporeans know that excessive salt intake can cause health issues, many assume that they are in good health, which stops them from taking action.

Some of the negative effects of excessive salt intake include:

Low sleep quality

Decline in
mental wellness

Puffy face due to
water retention

Contrary to popular belief, diseases caused by consuming too much salt are not just a problem for the elderly, but also for younger Singaporeans.

30% increase in stroke and heart diseases caused by excessive salt intake

¹Source: National Nutrition Survey (NNS) 2018, National Registry of Disease Office, Health Promotion Board

Sodium Calculator

Not sure how much sodium is in your food? Find out with the Sodium Calculator to check your daily sodium intake and stay healthy.

Find out your daily sodium intake

Start Calculating

Get inspired with our delicious, lower-sodium recipes!

Singapore Fish Head Curry

View Recipe

Laksa Fried Rice

View Recipe

Braised Chicken Bee Hoon

View Recipe

Classic Spaghetti Bolognese

View Recipe

Grilled Meatball Skewers with Vegetables

View Recipe

Herb Baked Chicken with Tomatoes

View Recipe

Cold Tofu with Braised Mushrooms

View Recipe

Sayur Lodeh

View Recipe

Char Kway Teow

View Recipe

Chicken Briyani

View Recipe

Tamil Style Vegetable Kurma

View Recipe

Masala Ginger Prawn Curry

View Recipe

What is salt and sodium?

While the words “salt” and “sodium” are often used interchangeably, they actually do not mean the same thing.

Sodium is a mineral and is required in small amounts for normal bodily functions like fluid balance, nerve conduction and muscle contraction. It occurs naturally in foods or is added during food processing to enhance the texture of foods or preserve them.

Salt, also known as sodium chloride, is a compound comprising about 40% sodium and 60% chloride. It is often referred to as table salt.

Whether it’s salt or sodium, excessive consumption can cause high blood pressure, often leading to cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Sugar

What is sugar?

Sugar is essentially a carbohydrate that occurs naturally in a wide range of nutritious foods such as fruit, vegetables, grains and dairy.

Sugar is often added during food processing to enhance flavours or act as a preservative. Added sugars are largely empty calories that provide little to no nutrients and should be consumed in moderation.

How much sugar should we consume?

Our sugar consumption should be no more than 10 percent of our daily energy intake. For most adults, that is about 10 teaspoons (50g) of sugar based on a 2000-daily calorie intake. For those who would like to reap additional health benefits such as a decrease in weight, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a further reduction to 5 teaspoons (25g) of sugar a day.

Why do we need to reduce intake?

Dangers of excessive sugar intake

Consuming too much added sugar sets up a vicious cycle:

Furthermore, our body converts any excess sugar that we eat into fat, storing it as a future fuel source. By eating large amounts of sugary foods, we place ourselves at risk of various health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

Consuming less sugar

Spotting hidden sugar

Sugar comes in many forms, with names that do not actually include the word “sugar”. They include fructose, corn syrup, sucrose, maltose, and many more.

Just like consuming sugar, having all these added extra calories in our diet can harm our health. Learn to spot different kinds of added sugars on food labels to help cut down on our sugar intake.

Here’s a list of common added sugar and their calorie count per 100g:

The sugar myths

Some added sugars are marketed as healthier options but are actually no different from simple white sugar.

While brown sugar does contain additional minerals such as magnesium, potassium and iron, nutritional benefits are miniscule.

Read this article to learn more about the common sugar myths:

How Well Do You Know
Your Sugar?

How can we consume less sugar?

1. Read the labels

A single can of sugar-sweetened soda can contain as much as 7 teaspoons (35g) of added sugar (140 kcal). Check the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) to find out the sugar content in our beverages.

Limit your intake of Nutri-Grade C or D drinks. Look out for products with the Healthier Choice Symbol as these are at least 25% lower in sugar than similar products within the same category. Or choose Nutri-Grade A or B drinks that are lower in sugar and saturated fat.

Discover if your favourite drinks are Nutri-Grade A or B or find similar alternatives that are lower in sugar and saturated fat here.

Want to earn sure-win rewards every time you choose healthier?

Join the Eat, Drink, Shop Healthy Challenge today
Start Winning

2. Make water the default drink option

Choose water as our beverage of choice. Water is needed for essential bodily functions and the excretion of waste, and forms up to 60% of the human body.

Replace fluid losses and keep our body functioning well by drinking water. This can be made even more enjoyable by infusing water with fresh fruit and herbs for great taste and a dose of vitamins!

Read this article to learn more about how to make drinking water more enjoyable:

Plainly Good Ways To Make
Water Tasty

3. Ask for “less sugar” or “no sugar” when ordering freshly-prepared beverages or desserts

Freshly-prepared beverages such as kopi and teh, and desserts such as ice kachang and chendol can add lots of sugar to our diet.

Ask for less or no syrup, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk in our drink or dessert.

Kopi or teh - Ask for less (siu dai) or no sugar (kosong), enjoy more flavour with less sugar
Bubble tea - If not already ordering less sugar, start small and ask for 50% sugar level. To enjoy more benefits, go for 25% level or less.
Ice kachang - Ask for less sugar syrup

4. Portion control

There are certain sweet drinks, snacks or desserts that we may find irresistible and tend to overindulge. Rather than depriving ourselves completely, we can portion control by:

Choosing a smaller pack size (e.g. 250ml instead of a 500ml bottle)
Using a smaller plate - it tricks us into thinking that we are enjoying more food than what is really on our plate
Sharing with friends and family
Enjoying such sweet treats in moderation or making it an occasional treat

5. Replace sugar with alternatives/substitutes in our home cooked meals

We use sugar in our home-cooked meals; whether it’s baking or stir-frying, sugar is added to our food as a way to enhance the flavours of our dishes.

Instead, use fresh, chopped, pureed fruit and vegetables to give our desserts flavour and a fibre boost.

We can also try sweeteners like stevia or xylitol that contain fewer to no calories, and won’t cause a spike to our blood glucose levels. Try to gradually adjust and decrease the amount of sweetners we use. Train our palate and learn to enjoy the natural flavours in food.

6. Watch out for the sugar trap

Watching our sugar intake may not be easy when some sugar traps are hard to detect. Seemingly savoury foods could contain more added sugar than what we expect.

Here are some examples of the sugar content hiding in our favourite hawker dishes.

Recommended Lower-Sugar Recipes:

Mango Tofu Pudding

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Berry Yoghurt Surprise

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Pom Pom Parade

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What are sweeteners?

These sugar substitutes offer a sweet taste with fewer calories than sugar. They fall into two categories – (i) low-caloric sweeteners and (ii) non-caloric sweeteners.

Low-caloric Sweeteners (Sugar Alcohols)

Naturally present in plants, sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and xylitol are often used in sugar-free sweets, beverages and desserts.

Non-caloric Sweeteners

Chemical-based and containing almost no calories, their intense sweetness somewhat differs from the taste of simple white sugar. These are used less often or in combination with other sweeteners for a more palatable flavour.

Some names of non-caloric sweeteners that may be familiar to us include:

Acesulfame K
Aspartame
Stevia
Sucralose

Both categories of sweeteners do not cause tooth decay nor affect blood glucose levels, the way regular sugar does. There are no proven health risks to consuming sweeteners when taken in moderate amounts.

Can we cook with sweeteners?

We can replace sugar with sweeteners in recipes, but do take note:

Aspartame is not heat stable

For baking and cooking, avoid aspartame as it is the only sweetener that breaks down and loses sweetness in prolonged or high heat. Use sweeteners like acesulfame K and sucralose instead.

Less bulk and browning

Compared to sweeteners, sugar offers more bulk, browning, colour and aroma to baked goods. Simply replace 50% of the sugar with sweetener for healthier, yet appealing bakes.

Use the right amount

Check the sugar equivalent of the sweetener for the right amount to convert in your recipe.

Are sweeteners safe to consume?

For most people safe

Sweeteners in our food products are safe for consumption. Any food containing sweeteners can only be sold if it follows regulatory requirements and is approved by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

For those managing weight safe

For individuals concerned about weight management, the transient use of a small amount of sweeteners can be a gradual means to help reduce intake of free sugars in the short term. However, the long-term use of non-sugar sweeteners is not ideal and sustained improvements in overall diet quality will be better for weight control in the long run.

For diabetics safe

Sweeteners can be safely consumed by diabetics as they do not increase blood sugar levels.

For people with
Phenylketonuria (PKU) unsafe

People with PKU cannot consume aspartame as it breaks down into phenylalanine upon digestion.

PKU is a rare condition where the body cannot break down amino acid phenylalanine, which causes it to build up and become toxic.

Alcohol

Drinking in moderation

Having drinks with your friends? Healthy adult men should drink no more than 2 standard drinks a day, and women should drink no more than 1 standard drink a day. A standard drink is 1 can (330ml) of regular beer with 5% alcohol content, ½ glass (100ml) of wine with 15% alcohol content, where the glass height is not more than 15cm, or 1 shot (30ml) of spirits with 40% alcohol content.

Better yet, drink something other than alcohol, which is a concentrated source of calories. To view the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for adults in Singapore, click here.

Trans & Saturated Fats

What are the different types of fats?

While we all know fats are a concentrated source of calories, it’s still essential for our body’s needs. Let us learn more about fats and how to get the most out of it.

There are 4 different types of fats - polyunsaturated fats (PUFA), monounsaturated fats (MUFA), trans fats, and saturated fats (SFA). These fats can affect our health differently so be sure to choose healthier options!

What are trans fats?

Trans fats are formed when unsaturated fats undergo hydrogenation. Trans fats come from two sources - natural and artificial. Natural trans fats occur in dairy products and red meats such as beef and lamb; while artificial trans fats come mainly from partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in processed foods like snacks, baked goods, prepared meals and fat spreads. Currently, there is a ban on PHOs in Singapore, so products like frozen cakes and fat spread have been reformulated to be PHO-free.

Learn more about healthier oils & fats you can consume here.

Why do we need to reduce intake of unhealthy fats?

Trans and saturated fats are unhealthy fats that increase the risk of heart disease. Some sources of saturated fats include animal fats (e.g. butter, lard), full-fat dairy products (e.g. full-cream milk), and some plant-based oils.

Healthy fats

Lowers risk of heart disease

Lowers low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol levels

Unhealthy fats

Increases risk of heart disease

Raises low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol levels

Lowers high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol levels

How can we consume less unhealthy fats?

When preparing meals at home

Choose healthier oils

Look out for healthier oils with the Healthier Choice Symbol as these are at least 25% lower in saturated fats than similar products within the same category.

Read the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) to check for the calorie content and quality of fats

Pick food items with less saturated fats.

Use controlled amounts of oil

Use a teaspoon to control the amount of oil added into the pan instead of pouring it straight from the bottle. Using non-stick cookware also means less oil is needed.

Pick food products lower in saturated fats

Healthier choices include low-fat dairy products, lean meats, and fish. Remove visible fats from poultry or meat too.

Include fish in your diet

Oily fish such as mackerel and ikan tenggiri or batang pack lots of healthy fats such as Omega-3 which is good for the heart. Frozen fish are budget-friendly. Include fish in your diet twice a week.