‘Eat salad every day?’: Man shocked after plate of economic rice sends sodium intake over daily limit
A man was shocked to learn that a single plate of economic rice could push his sodium intake over the recommended daily limit.
In a TikTok video posted on Oct 4, user @fai_star_restaurant said he had just eaten a plate of cai fan and logged it in the Healthy 365 app, only to discover that he had exceeded the daily sodium limit.
“One plate overshot already eh. What you want me to eat ah?” he questioned.
The video has since garnered more than 28,000 views and dozens of comments.
‘Am I supposed to eat salad every day?’
In the video, fai_star_restaurant, who also goes by Fai, showed a screenshot of his nutrient intake, which indicated that he had consumed 2,125mg of sodium, exceeding the recommended daily limit of 2,000mg.
“Am I supposed to eat salad every day?” he asked.
He then showed another screenshot of his meal, which consisted of economic rice with two vegetables and one meat, totalling 854 calories. He also had a kopi C kosong, which contained 93 calories.
Fai asked viewers how those who manage to stay within the 2,000mg daily sodium limit do so when dining out, jokingly wondering if they cook chicken breast every day.
“I don’t think I can eh,” he said.
He suggested that local dishes could be offered in smaller or half portions, saying he might not want to finish an entire plate of mee goreng.
“I’m very happy with half the size,” Fai said, adding that there were likely others with smaller appetites who would not mind paying for smaller portions.
He stressed that eating out could be difficult for those trying to stay within the recommended sodium limit, as many dishes could cause them to exceed it.
“Local food might be unhealthy, but it doesn’t mean that we cannot eat because we just have to eat less,” said Fai.
‘I want to feel energetic and healthy again’
Speaking to Stomp, Fai, a 39-year-old livestreamer, said he used to track his calorie intake but eventually stopped.
After watching a Daily Ketchup interview with the Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) CEO, he said he was motivated to start tracking his nutrient intake again.
With a BMI of 30, which falls within the obese range, Fai said he often feels lethargic.
“I want to feel energetic and healthy again,” he said.
He added that he was shocked that a simple plate of economic rice could cause him to exceed his daily sodium limit.
As a longer-term solution, Fai said he plans to meal-prep and freeze batches of food so he can have at least one home-cooked meal a day.
“I will always support our local hawkers and food culture, just probably pick healthier options if available,” he said.
Netizens encourage him to cook at home
Many netizens urged Fai to cook more meals at home to reduce his sodium intake.
“My trick is eat at least 1 meal per day that’s cooked by yourself,” a user said.
Others agreed with his suggestion for hawkers to offer half portions.
One user suggested that he ask for his meal to be packed in a container, eat half and save the rest for another meal.
Several commenters pointed out that economic rice dishes tend to be high in calories and sodium.
One user said even the vegetables contain a lot of oil and salt, adding: “If I have to, I’ll pick the steamed dishes.”
Sodium, calorie intakes have gone up: Survey
Singaporeans are consuming more calories and sodium, with average daily calorie intake rising from 2,360kcal in 2019 to 2,460kcal in 2025.
Average sodium intake also increased from 3,480mg to 4,000mg — double the recommended 2,000mg daily limit — with 95% of Singaporeans exceeding the limit.
This is according to findings from the Ministry of Health’s National Population Health Survey and the Health Promotion Board’s National Nutrition Survey.
Responding to the survey findings, former Nominated Member of Parliament Calvin Cheng said in an Oct 4 Facebook post that the “problem unfortunately is hawker food”.
“Especially Singapore local food,” he said.
Cheng pointed out that local and hawker food is often tasty and affordable, but can also be high in calories and sodium.
This year, he said he had been limiting his intake of local and hawker food to once every two weeks.
The rise comes as more people eat out, with Health Minister Ong Ye Kung noting that seven in 10 Singaporeans now eat out at least once a day, up from six in 10 in 2019.
He urged consumers to ask for less salt and soya sauce, while calling on food and beverage businesses to reduce sodium in their dishes.
On the positive side, Singaporeans are consuming less sugar and becoming more proactive about their health. Daily sugar intake fell from 60g in 2018 to 48g in 2025, while more people stayed within the recommended limit.
Screening for chronic diseases and cancers, as well as participation in physical activity, also increased.
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