Why NutriKaki Uses HPB Singapore Data | NutriKaki
Hawker food is hard to track: the same dish changes from stall to stall and plate to plate. This page explains where NutriKaki's numbers for local dishes come from.
NutriKaki's numbers for local dishes come from the Health Promotion Board (HPB) of Singapore — the country's national public health authority.
What Is the HPB Singapore Food Composition Database?
The Health Promotion Board (HPB) is Singapore's government agency responsible for national public health programmes, including the Healthier Choice Symbol and the many "Eat, Drink, Shop Healthy" initiatives you see at hawker centres across the island.
As part of this mission, HPB maintains the Singapore Food Composition Database — a comprehensive, continuously updated library of the nutritional content of foods commonly eaten in Singapore. What makes it uniquely valuable:
- Lab-tested, not estimated. HPB nutritionists physically purchase food samples from hawker centres, kopitiam, and food courts across Singapore. Those samples are then sent for chemical laboratory analysis — not estimated, not scaled from generic databases.
- Singapore-specific portions. A plate of chicken rice here is not the same portion as "chicken rice" entered by someone in Australia. HPB tests actual Singapore hawker centre portions.
- Multi-stall sampling. HPB purchases the same dish from multiple different stalls to capture realistic variation across Singapore's diverse hawker landscape, then uses representative averages.
- Full nutrient panel. Results include calories, protein, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates, sugar, dietary fibre, and sodium — not just calories.
What HPB Data Reveals About Singapore Hawker Food
With HPB data, the picture of Singapore's hawker food landscape becomes clearer — and sometimes surprising.
Sodium Is the Hidden Problem
Most Singaporeans focus on calories, but HPB data reveals that sodium is an equally serious concern. A bowl of laksa contains ~3,086mg sodium — more than a full day's recommended intake in a single dish. Char kway teow comes in at around 2,107mg. Our Singapore Hawker Sodium Guide breaks down the worst offenders using HPB figures.
Know the Real Numbers Before You Order
Hokkien mee — despite its "lighter" reputation — clocks in at 830 kcal per HPB's official plate, only somewhat less than char kway teow at 989 kcal. A plain roti prata is 496 kcal per piece. HPB's data consistently shows these dishes running heavier than the popular perception.
Portion Control Is the Main Variable
The HPB database makes clear that the biggest calorie driver at the hawker centre is often not the dish itself, but how much you order. Cai png (economy rice) with two meats and two vegetables can range from 400 to over 900 kcal depending purely on your topping choices — not the stall you visit. Our Cai Png Calories Guide uses HPB data to help you build a smarter plate.
Why This Matters for Weight Loss and Health Goals
Knowing the sodium, sugar and carbohydrate content of a meal helps when you are tracking your food for a health goal. NutriKaki is a tracking tool, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about your condition.
NutriKaki's numbers for local dishes come from HPB data. Whether you are eating hawker food three times a day or working towards a daily calorie target, you can see where each number comes from.
Frequently Asked Questions
HPB stands for the Health Promotion Board, Singapore's national authority for public health. Their nutrition data is collected through laboratory analysis of food samples purchased directly from hawker centres and food courts across Singapore — the same actual dishes you eat.
HPB nutritionists physically purchase food samples from multiple stalls across Singapore, then send them for laboratory chemical analysis. This process measures exact calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, sodium, and sugar content. Results are published in the Singapore Food Composition Database, which NutriKaki is built upon.
For local hawker dishes, NutriKaki's calorie and nutrient numbers come from the HPB Singapore Food Composition Database, which is based on laboratory analysis of food samples.
NutriKaki is primarily powered by the HPB Singapore Food Composition Database for local hawker and Asian foods. For international foods and restaurant items not in HPB's database, NutriKaki supplements with nutritional data from other sources.
Yes, NutriKaki has a free tier that lets you track calories for hawker food using HPB Singapore data. The app is available on iOS and Android. Pro adds more AI food logs and coach messages, sodium and sugar in every meal, and longer trends.
All hawker and local Asian foods in NutriKaki that appear in the HPB database are sourced from the published HPB Singapore Food Composition Database. The calorie and nutrition values shown reflect real Singapore portions.
Nutrition values referenced in this article are based on the HPB Singapore Food Composition Database. Individual dish variations across different stalls may produce slightly different results. NutriKaki is not a medical nutrition service — consult a registered dietitian for personalised dietary advice. Nutrition data referenced in this article is used under licence from the Health Promotion Board (HPB) of Singapore and may not be redistributed, republished, or reused commercially without NutriKaki's prior written permission.