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| Sugar & Salt: Hidden in Food
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| What about sugars?
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Choosing a diet low in sugars is important for people who have low calorie needs.
Sugar come in many sources including white sugar, brown sugar, icing sugar, maple syrup,
honey, and molasses; these supply calories and little else nutritionally.
To avoid getting too many calories from sugars, try to limit your added sugars to 6
teaspoons a day if you eat about 1,600 calories, 12 teaspoons at 2,200 caloires, or 18
teaspoons at 2,800 calories. These amounts are intended to be averages over time.
The patterns are illustrations of healthy proportions in the diet, not rigid
prescriptions.
Sugars are also hidden in foods like candy and soft drinks, as well as sweetened
desserts, in addition to the sugars you add at the table. The chart below
shows the approximate amount of sugars in some popular foods. Take note of how
easy it is to have too much sugar in your diet.
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WHERE ARE THE HIDDEN SUGARS?
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Food Groups
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Hidden Sugars
(teaspoons)
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Rice and Alternatives
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Bread, 1 slice
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0
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Muffin, 1 medium
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x
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1
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Danish pasty, 1 medium
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x
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1
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Kaya bun, 1 medium
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xx
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2
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Doughnut, 1 medium
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xx
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2
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Ready-to-eat cereal, sweetened, 1 oz.
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x
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*
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Mango pudding
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xxx
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3
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Pound cake, 1 slice
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xxxx
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4
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Cake, frosted, 1/16 average
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xxxxxx
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6
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Fruit
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Fruit, canned in juice, 1/2 cup
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0
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Fruit, canned in light syrup, 1/2 cup
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xx
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2
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Fruit, canned in heavy syrup, 1/2 cup
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xxxx
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4
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Dairy Product
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Milk, plain, 1 cup
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0
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Chocolate milk, 1 cup
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xxx
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3
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Lowfat yogurt, unsweetened, 6 oz.
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0
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Lowfat yogurt, fruit, 6 oz.
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xxxxxxx
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7
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Bandong
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xxxxxxxx
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8
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Chocolate shake, 10 fl. oz.
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xxxxxxxxx
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9
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Other
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Sugar, jam, or jelly, 1 tsp.
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x
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1
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Coffee 3-in-1, 1 pkt.
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xx
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2
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Syrup or honey, 1 tbsp.
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xxx
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3
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Chocolate bar, 1 oz.
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xxx
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3
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Gelatin dessert, 1/2 cup
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xxxx
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4
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Cola, 11 fl. oz.
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xxxxxxxx
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9
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Water chestnut drink, 12 fl. oz.
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xxxxxxxxx
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9
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Ice kachang, 1 bowl
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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14
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*Check product label; x = 1 teaspoon sugar (4 grams or 16 calories)
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Do I have to give up salt?
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No. But most people eat more than they need. The Ministry of Health recommends that sodium intake should
not be more than 2,000 mg per day. Much of the sodium in people's diets comes from salt they add while cooking and at the table. (One teaspoon
of salt provides about 2,000 mg of sodium.)
Go easy on salt and foods that are high in sodium, including cured meats, canned meats like luncheon meats, pickled vegetables, salted
egg, canned soups, and seasoning like stock cube, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Use less or look for lower salt versions of these
products eg. low-sodium soy sauce at your supermarket.
The table below will give you an idea of the amount of sodium in different types of foods. Information on food labels can also help
you make food choices to keep sodium moderate.
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WHERE'S THE SALT?
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Food Groups
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Sodium, mg
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Rice and Alternatives
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Bread, 1 slice
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110-175
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Potato chips, 1 oz.
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180-220
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French fries, 1 small serving
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200-250
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Curry puff, beef / mutton, 1 piece
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400-700
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Roti John, with sauce, 1 piece
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1600
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Vegetables
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Vegetables, fresh or frozen, cooked without salt, 1/2 cup
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Less than 70
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Vegetables, canned, 1/2 cup
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140-460
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Tomato juice, canned, 3/4 cup
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660
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Chinese salted cabbage (hum choy), 1 portion
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1800
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Fruit
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Fruit, fresh, frozen, canned, 1/2 cup
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Trace
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Meat and Alternatives
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Fresh meat, poultry, fish, 3 oz.
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Less than 90
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Tuna, canned, water pack, 3 oz.
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300
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Process cheese slice, 2 oz.
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800
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Luncheon meat, 2 slices
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1,000
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Peanuts, roasted, salted, 1/2 cup
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380
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Other
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Ketchup, chilli sauce, 1 tbsp.
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160-210
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Sambal belachan, 1 tsp.
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230
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Soy sauce, 1 tsp.
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370
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Stock cube, 1 each
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900
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Salt, 1 tsp.
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1950
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