More carbs, fattier meals? What's changing in hawker dishes as food costs rise

More carbs, fattier meals? What's changing in hawker dishes as food costs rise Some hawkers are absorbing higher operating costs, while others are adjusting portions or dropping ingredients. CNA looks at how these decisions could have unintended consequences for consumers' diets and what could be done. At Western Barbeque, a stall at Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre, keeping meals affordable has meant making some difficult compromises. Over the past three years, the cost of certain meats has risen by about 20 to 30 per cent, prompting the seller to reduce portions of the more expensive cuts rather than raise prices. For more expensive meats such as beef and lamb, the stall has had to reduce portions from about 320g to 280g. To make up for the smaller meat portions, it has increased the portion of sides such as fries and coleslaw, potentially changing the share of calories coming from carbohydrates and fat. An employee who wanted to be known only as Mr B K Chong said: "Customers (tend) to prioritise portion size and taste." He also noted that they generally expect their meals to be filling. His predicament reflects the pressures facing hawkers across Singapore, who are struggling to keep meals affordable and filling as ingredient, rental and labour costs rise. With limited room to raise prices, some operators have reduced portions of more expensive ingredients such as meat, while others have removed costly items from their menus. But could these cost-cutting measures also be affecting how healthy their meals are? The question has taken on greater significance following the recent release of the National Nutrition Survey 2025 by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), which painted a mixed picture of Singaporeans' diets. Although average daily sugar intake fell from 60g in 2018 to 48g in 2025, Singaporeans are consuming more calories, fat and sodium. Average daily calorie intake has risen by about 100 kilocalories, while sodium intake has reached 4,000mg a day – twice the recommended limit. About 95 per cent of residents now consume more than the recommended 2,000mg of sodium daily, equivalent to about one teaspoon of salt, up from 88 per cent in 2019. A separate HPB analysis of 182 commonly eaten dishes from food courts, coffee shops and hawker centres also found changes in their nutritional content between 2023 and 2025. About 80 per cent of the dishes showed changes in the share of calories coming from carbohydrates, protein and fat. The most common shifts were towards a higher proportion of carbohydrates or fat. The median calorie content rose by about 7 per cent, from 560 to 600 kilocalories per serving. Among dishes not known to use lower-sodium ingredients, median sodium content also rose by about 10 per cent, from 350mg to 390mg per 100g. HPB said that the higher calorie content could be due to larger portions, changes in dish composition, or a combination of both. The agency previously suggested that rising food costs could be one reason for these changes. Operators may be adding more affordable carbohydrates such as rice and noodles, while cutting back on more expensive protein to keep meals filling without raising prices. The findings raise questions about how the pressure to keep food affordable may be changing the nutritional value of what Singaporeans eat. HOW RISING COSTS ARE CHANGING HAWKER DISHES For hawkers, keeping prices affordable means balancing rising expenses against what customers are willing to pay. In figures shared by the government in parliament in July 2024, the main cost drivers for stallholders in hawker centres were raw materials and manpower, which accounted for an average of 56 per cent and 20 per cent of their operating costs respectively in 2022. Hawkers told CNA that higher energy and delivery costs stemming from the Middle East conflict have added to the pressure this year. At 216 Bedok Food Centre, the Ipoh Zai Hakka Noodle stall has seen operating costs rise by about 10 to 15 per cent this year, with noodles, cooking oil and gas among the items that have become more expensive. Yet the price of a standard bowl of its Hakka noodles has remained at S$5.60 since it was raised by 60 cents in 2025. Ms Eunice Wong, 37, who runs the family's stall, said: "We have many 'aunties' and 'uncles' as customers, so if we increase prices, people will complain." Instead, the stall has been absorbing the increases and trying to minimise food wastage. On slower days, for instance, the family may prepare just 2kg or 3kg of minced meat instead of 5kg to avoid having unsold food. To keep prices affordable, the family has decided to use five items instead of six in its standard S$5.60 bowl of noodles. The item removed was a bitter gourd ball made with minced pork, fresh bitter gourd and water chestnut. Removing it would thus change the mix of meat, vegetables and other ingredients in the dish. Ms Wong said the decision was partly driven by rising ingredient and production costs, because the bitter gourd ball required considerable manual preparation. Customer preferences and food wastage also played a part. Ms Wong said that some diners, particularly elders and children, preferred other items over the bitter gourd ball, while some elders found the six-item bowl too much to finish. At Newton Food Centre, a food seller has taken a different approach. Mr Rosli Ahmad helps run his mother's stall selling Malay dishes such as mee siam (rice vermicelli in a tangy gravy) and nasi padang (rice served with a selection of side dishes). Rather than changing recipes handed down through generations, his family has stopped selling some dishes, such as those with cuttlefish, after they became too expensive to prepare. "We used to buy cuttlefish to put in our dishes, but the price has increased a lot over the years, maybe about S$7 or S$8 a few years ago and now it's about S$14 to S$18," the 69-year-old said. "So, we don't sell it anymore because at that price, if we sell each dish at about S$3 to S$4, we cannot recover. "And if you give customers less, they'll complain because they know how much we used to put in it, and it might not be enough to fill their stomachs,” Mr Rosli added. His mee siam continues to sell for S$3.50, with portions and recipes largely unchanged from those handed down by his mother. Despite the cost pressures, both hawkers said that they have kept the recipes and portions of their remaining dishes unchanged. Ms Wong said that her family also uses some healthier ingredients, including lower-sodium options, even though these tend to be more expensive. Dr Soye Shin, an assistant professor from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore, studies how food environments such as pricing policies shape what people eat and their long-term health. She said another way that hawkers could manage costs is by changing the proportions of ingredients in their dishes. "Increasing rice or noodles while reducing relatively expensive meat or fish could help preserve the appearance of a substantial meal at a familiar price." She added that the effect on calories would depend on the quantities and ingredients involved, including cooking oil. HPB's analysis offers a glimpse of how some familiar dishes have changed. Take dry fishball noodles, for example. Between 2023 and 2025, a serving grew from 303g to 377g, while its calorie content rose from 470 to 532 kilocalories. Carbohydrates also made up a larger share of its calories, rising from 39 per cent to 58 per cent. HPB noted that the dish contained more noodles and sauce, but fewer other ingredients. It was a similar trend with mutton nasi biryani. A serving of the rice dish grew from 619g to 724g, with calories rising from 990 to 1,310 kilocalories. HPB noted more rice and gravy in the dish. These were among 69 dishes that became more calorific between 2023 and 2025. Of these, 40 had both larger portions and changes in composition, while another 20 had changes in composition alone. For 26 dishes where carbohydrates made up a larger share of calories such as nasi biryani and wanton (pork dumpling) noodles, that share rose by an average of 10 percentage points, while the share from protein or fat fell. This is how cost pressures could contribute indirectly to higher sodium content, Dr Shin said. "If operators reduce meat or fish and increase relatively neutral-tasting staples, they may use more sauces and seasonings to compensate for changes in flavour and preserve the taste customers expect. "Where those additions contain substantial sodium, this could increase the sodium content of the meal,” she added. The HPB analysis also found that some dishes had become fattier. In 27 dishes, fat accounted for a larger share of total calories, rising by an average of seven percentage points as the share from carbohydrates or protein fell. HPB said that this could be due to oilier cooking methods, the use of more oily sauces or fattier cuts of meat. Examples included fried dishes and those with gravy, such as curries and mee rebus. Although the reasons behind these changes remain unclear, some hawkers understand why cheaper carbohydrates and processed ingredients may be appealing. Mr Henry Yong, who opened his stall Woksta selling Singapore-inspired pasta dishes at ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre at Bukit Merah earlier this month, said that such ingredients could help keep prices down. Having previously worked in a Scandinavian restaurant, Mr Yong said that restaurants can generally charge more for expensive ingredients, while hawkers have to keep prices within a narrower range. "With rising food costs and the pressure on hawkers to maintain our price point to a S$4 to S$10 range, this naturally means that we will have to resort to more usage of carbohydrates … and also more processed food because that will lower our costs," the 34-year-old added. Mr Yong has not made such substitutions himself. But as a one-man operation, he has started buying pre-prepared ingredients such as peeled onions to save preparation time. Other hawkers interviewed by CNA also described cutting portions of expensive ingredients, removing dishes from their menus or saving on preparation costs. However, none said that they had deliberately added more rice, noodles or seasoning to offset rising expenses. Singapore's evolving food scene could also explain the rise in sodium consumption, which can have adverse effects on health. High sodium intake can increase the risk of hypertension, which in turn raises the risk of stroke and heart attack. Associate Professor Mary Chong, from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, pointed to the growing popularity of Chinese regional cuisines, including mala dishes. Their spicy and savoury flavours can mask high sodium levels, she said. "Some of these new cuisines are cuisines that Singaporeans are probably less familiar with. As a result, they don't realise that some of these seasonings used contain high sodium." Assoc Prof Chong is also the nutrition lead for a mother-offspring cohort study, called the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) study. She added that consumers may perceive certain dishes, such as soups, as nourishing without realising that they can be high in fat and salt. WHAT'S STOPPING CUSTOMERS FROM CHOOSING HEALTHIER MEALS? All 17 consumers interviewed by CNA felt that hawker food had become saltier or less healthy in recent years. Yet, not everyone was willing to ask hawkers to use less salt, oil or sauce. Some did not want to trouble stallholders, while others doubted their requests would make much difference. Those who ate out only occasionally were also more inclined to enjoy their meals without worrying too much about nutrition. Mr Lua Kim Lie, 75, pointed out that busy hawkers may not entertain him if he has too many requests. "I don't want to be so troublesome, so if I want something healthier, I'll just go for something lighter like soup instead of something stir-fried," the retiree said in Mandarin. Ms Lew, 33, who did not want to give her full name or her profession, said that she has never asked for less salt or oil at hawker centres. "It just never crossed my mind to do so," she said. "It's not very common (to do so), unlike how we always ask for less sugar at the drink store. "For stalls selling economic rice and fish soup, I would think it's a bit hard (to make the request) since most of the ingredients and soup base would have been pre-cooked." Not everyone leaves their dietary choices entirely to the hawker, however. Ms Regine Guo, 46, a client relations executive, started paying closer attention to what she ate after years of improving her fitness and losing weight. She now prepares several lunches a week, usually with rice, vegetables and protein such as chicken or tofu. She still eats out for dinner five or six times a week, but often asks for sauces to be served separately so she can control how much she consumes. Retiree Ronnie Soon, 76, also prefers home-cooked meals, which allow his family to control the portions of rice and vegetables, as well as the amount of seasoning used. "I feel like the food sold outside has become too salty, oily and fattening, and when I ask for less oil, it still seems like quite a lot is added," he said. Some hawkers also told CNA that few customers ask them to prepare healthier meals. At ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre, hawker Mohd Hamza estimated that in a day, only five or six of his roughly 60 customers ask for less salt, sugar or oil. This is despite his efforts to use healthier ingredients recommended by HPB. The stallholder of Habib's Power Mee, which sells items such as bee hoon goreng (fried rice vermicelli) and murtabak (pan-fried flatbread with stuffing), said: "I switched to the less-sodium sauce for my food, which is more expensive, but I don't think my customers can tell the difference, and they don't really ask for healthier options." Mr Rosli from Newton Food Centre has noticed a similar preference for familiar dishes such as mee siam and mee goreng (fried noodles), with few customers choosing the lower-calorie option on his menu. "Most of my regulars are workers and drivers looking for an affordable meal that will fill their stomachs before they return to work," he said, adding that few ask him to reduce salt or oil. For households on tighter budgets, affordability may matter more than nutritional value. Singapore's 2020 Hunger Report, based on 2019 data, found that 36.4 per cent of food-insecure respondents considered affordability their top priority when choosing food, compared with 14.5 per cent of food-secure respondents. Only 13 per cent of food-insecure respondents prioritised nutritional value, compared with 26 per cent of food-secure respondents. BRIDGING THE NUTRITIONAL GAP HPB's National Nutrition Survey 2025 found that seven in 10 residents ate out at least once a day in 2025, up from six in 10 in 2019. Residents ate out nine times a week, compared with eight in 2019. Adults aged 18 to 29 ate out most often, at a median of 10 times a week, with 78 per cent doing so at least once a day. Among those aged 30 to 49, the figure was 70 per cent. Those who ate out two or more times a day consumed more calories, saturated fat and sodium than those who ate out six times a week or less. With more Singaporeans relying on meals prepared outside the home, efforts are underway to give diners more opportunities to eat healthily and make more informed choices. HPB said earlier this month that it will push harder to make healthier options more readily available in the food-and-beverage (F&B) sector. Singapore has made progress in reducing sugar consumption, which is linked to higher risks of obesity and diabetes. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has attributed the improvement partly to measures such as the Nutri-Grade labelling, which have encouraged beverage manufacturers to reduce sugar levels and consumers to choose lower-sugar drinks. But cutting sodium from everyday meals may be harder, experts said. "For sugar, it's maybe slightly easier because I think sources of sugar are more obvious, so people can identify sweet foods, sweet drinks," Assoc Prof Chong said. "But the problem with sodium is that the nutritional information is not so readily available. "Other than packaged foods, most of the sodium comes from a lot of the cooked foods, and it's hard to tell whether one's taste preference for sodium is higher than another. "You really need somebody who is very conscious, and who makes a very deliberate effort to take less sodium, to be able to know that a particular stall sells saltier dishes," she added. Even if consumers could better identify healthier dishes, changing their eating habits may not be straightforward. I switched to the less-sodium sauce for my food, which is more expensive, but I don't think my customers can tell the difference, and they don't really ask for healthier options. Dr Tan Ern Ser, adjunct principal research fellow and academic adviser at the Institute of Policy Studies' Social Lab, said that food preferences were shaped partly by culture and acquired tastes, but personal habits also played a role. However, enjoying strongly flavoured food did not necessarily mean wanting dishes high in salt, sugar or fat, he added. Such flavours could also come naturally from the ingredients used. Dr Tan also said that dietary habits could change through education, greater awareness and exposure to healthier eating practices. However, affordability and convenience remain important considerations, particularly amid rising living costs. "I suppose few (people) ask for healthier preparations because there are few affordable, 'eating clean' options at affordable prices, in any case, in hawker centres," he said. He proposed giving hawkers incentives to reduce sodium in their dishes and introducing labels to help customers identify stalls offering lower-sodium meals. He also suggested that spot checks could help ensure compliance. But healthier meals would still need to be affordable, without compromising on portion sizes or quality. HPB has been encouraging F&B operators to switch to lower-sodium ingredients, although relatively few hawkers have done so. Its latest figures showed that only about 14 per cent of the 4,000 hawkers reached through the Healthy Ingredient Promotion Programme have switched to lower-sodium sauces and seasonings. Across the wider F&B sector, however, more businesses are making the switch. About 3,000 establishments – including hawker stalls, restaurants, canteens and caterers – used lower-sodium salt, sauces or seasonings in 2025, up from 500 in 2022. HPB said that it would step up efforts through initiatives such as the Healthier Dining Programme, which encourages F&B companies to provide healthier meals for their customers, and the "Less Salt, More Taste" movement. It also plans to work with central kitchens and mass-market operators to reduce the use of salt, sauces and seasonings. By 2028, mandatory Nutri-Grade labelling and advertising restrictions will also cover key sources of sodium and saturated fat, including pre-packed salt, sauces, seasonings, instant noodles and cooking oil. These measures now apply to beverages. Other countries have also implemented regulations to tackle excessive sodium consumption. Finland began tackling excessive salt consumption in the late 1970s through public education, cooperation with food manufacturers and mandatory warning labels for high-salt products. Based on two systematic reviews cited by the World Health Organization (WHO), daily salt intake in Finland fell by about 36 per cent between 1978 and 2007, from 13g to 8.3g among men and from 11g to 7g among women. Hungary took a different approach, introducing a public health product tax in 2011 on certain pre-packaged foods high in salt or sugar, including salty snacks and seasonings. A 2014 WHO report on the country said that an assessment conducted a year later found that 40 per cent of responding manufacturers had reformulated their products to reduce taxable ingredients, while sales of taxed products fell by 27 per cent. Closer to Singapore, Thailand is considering a tiered sodium tax on high-salt processed foods, starting with snacks before expanding to instant noodles and other packaged products. Under the proposed scheme, products containing more sodium would attract higher taxes, with the aim of encouraging manufacturers to reformulate their recipes. In its 2023 parliamentary reply on sodium taxes, MOH said that it did not intend to replicate overseas systems directly, because the main sources of sodium consumption differed. While processed foods bought from supermarkets are a major source of sodium in many Western countries, Singaporeans consume much of their sodium through salt, sauces and seasonings added to meals, particularly when eating out. MOH said that its priority was therefore to work with manufacturers to develop lower-sodium alternatives and encourage food operators – including hawkers, restaurants and caterers – to use them. Professor William Chen, the Michael Fam Chair Professor in Food Science and Technology at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), said that beyond encouraging the use of lower-sodium ingredients, making healthier meals cheaper and easier for hawkers to prepare could also help. He suggested shared vegetable preparation facilities and cold-chain distribution to cut labour costs and reduce food waste. Food technology could also help develop ingredients that provide flavour without relying as heavily on conventional seasonings, he added. Singapore is already developing such innovations. Prof Chen pointed to research at NTU's Food Science and Technology programme, where researchers have developed a fermentation method using oyster mushroom mycelium to turn okara – the pulp left over from soy milk and tofu production – into an ingredient rich in protein and umami flavour. The technology, conducted in collaboration with Japanese food manufacturer Ichimasa Kamaboko, remains at the proof-of-concept stage. Researchers have yet to establish whether it can be produced affordably on a commercial scale, with further studies planned on production costs, food safety and consumer acceptance. For now, the challenge lies in reconciling what consumers expect from an affordable meal with the nutritional quality of what ends up on their plates, Dr Shin said. She noted that consumers can easily assess portion sizes and taste, but nutritional quality is much harder to gauge. "If customers associate value mainly with quantity, increasing inexpensive staples relative to other ingredients could help operators maintain that perception. Depending on the recipe and quantities involved, this could contribute to a more calorific meal," she said. She suggested that hawkers could incorporate affordable protein sources such as tofu, tempeh, lentils and beans into suitable dishes, or replace part of a rice portion with legumes to boost protein and fibre content. However, such changes would need to be tested against preparation costs, customer acceptance and operators' profit margins. As efforts to make meals healthier gather pace, changing what Singaporeans choose to eat may take time. For instance, marketing analyst Elizabeth Teh rarely asks for less oil or salt when ordering her food. The 33-year-old said: "For most hawkers, I feel stressed asking for customisations because of the queue and the hurried pace of ordering. "I usually only do this for mala xiangguo (hot pot) because it tastes the same (if I ask for less oil) and makes it feel less sinful." For others, however, making healthier choices has become a habit, without necessarily sacrificing the taste they enjoy. Mr Aaron Chan, a 34-year-old banker, said: "I always ask for less oil at hawker centres and so far, (my experience) has been good as I'm consuming fewer calories and the taste isn't that different." [Image text:] KCAL SALT FAT