Many in Singapore get their daily dietary needs from hawker food, but are these dishes offering enough protein to keep us healthy? CNA finds out.By Kevin Kwang | Published Jul 8, 2026Protein is the macronutrient currently having its day in the sun.The United States in January this year unveiled new dietary guidelines urging its people to eat more protein and cut back on highly processed foods with added sugars and excess sodium. And this is not just for athletes and gym bros looking to bulk up.According to its Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025-2030), this means prioritising high-quality, nutrient-dense protein foods “as part of a healthy dietary pattern”. It also recommended having 1.2-1.6g of protein per kilogramme of one’s body weight daily.Singapore, too, has recommended that for the average adult here aged between 18 and 49, their daily protein intake should be approximately 0.8g/kg. This goes up to about 1.2g/kg for those 50 and above.Input your age and weight below to find out how much protein you should have.Agey/oWeightkgYour recommended daily intake isSo why is this macronutrient crucial for our wellbeing?The Health Promotion Board (HPB) states that protein aids in the repairing and building of parts of our body including cells and tissues, organs and muscles.In fact, it helps us maintain muscle mass and strength to perform the daily physical activities we participate in such as balancing and carrying things.Yet the national nutrition survey conducted in 2022 revealed that one in two seniors aged 50 to 69 years old did not meet the recommended protein intake.This is a worrying gap, given that as we age, our bodies will need about 50 per cent more protein than a younger person so as to have the muscle mass and strength to carry out our usual daily activities. This will also reduce the chances of falling and bone fractures.Dietitian Jaclyn Reutens from Aptima Sports and Nutrition Consultant pointed out that the older we get, the less efficient we are at building muscle into protein. “Therefore, you will need to eat more protein and exercise more,” she said.When your body does not get enough protein, it is forced to break down muscle tissue for energy, leading to progressive muscle loss and weakness.Tan Kim Fong National University Hospital (NUH) dietitianProtein deficiency compromises one’s immune system and makes people more vulnerable to infections and slows down the healing of wounds. It also causes brittle hair and nails and fluid retention, Ms Tan explained.Hawker food, so good?But getting enough protein comes down to our daily food choices.For many in Singapore, this usually means hawker food - the ubiquitous, cost-effective and tasty option for those opting to eat out.It is possible to meet one’s protein needs with hawker food, said NUH’s Tan. It just depends on what one chooses to eat and how much, the principal dietitian at NUH’s Department of Dietetics said.But how much protein is there in our favourite chicken rice, char kway teow or nasi lemak? The issue is more acutely felt by those who have to rely on budget meals offered by hawkers, as these appear to be lacking in the required nutrients.An experiment by our CNA TODAY colleagues last year found that in most of the budget meals, protein was lacking or disguised to make portions look larger than they actually were. Instead, the majority of the meals relied heavily on carbohydrates like noodles and rice.Ms Tan noted that many popular hawker dishes “prioritise flavour and satiety (the feeling of being full)” through carbohydrates and fats rather than protein. Fried rice, thosai or mee goreng can be “surprisingly low in protein” despite being filling and satisfying, she said.“This creates a false sense of nutritional adequacy that may leave individuals unknowingly falling short of their protein requirements,” Ms Tan added.How much protein is in your hawker fare?Knowing how much protein is actually in the hawker food you order can be helpful. With that in mind, here’s a curated list of local hawker favourites, using last year’s Michelin Bib Gourmand Selection for Singapore as our guide.While you might not find your favourite hawker dish here (sorry, fans of both Chinese and Indian rojak), this selection showcases some dishes from Singapore’s most celebrated, value-for-money stalls.Select up to 5 dishes to find out.Current intake0.0gWith the right choices, meeting your protein needs at the hawker centre is entirely possible.But it shouldn’t be the whole picture. If you’re planning your next meal based on the numbers above, do keep an eye on the other factors, such as total calorie intake for the meals you choose.In the end, you don’t want to max out your protein but forget to get any fibre, or eat too much sodium, for instance.Tips and tricksSo, instead of eating more hawker meals a day just to hit our numbers, how can we make smarter choices to boost our protein intake and get the most out of what we eat?Ms Reutens said one’s food preferences play a part in this. Choosing more “carb-y” dishes like bergedil or stir-fried potatoes as part of your nasi padang instead of tempeh or chicken is a “missed opportunity” to boost one’s protein intake that day.Other hawker tips she shared include adding an egg to one’s meal where possible, wash down your meal with a soya bean drink instead of the usual soda or iced lemon tea and go for egg prata instead of a plain one and pair it with a side of daal.Ms Tan said choosing chicken thigh or breast meat over wings, which contain significantly less protein, are better choices when ordering chicken rice.She also said universal strategies like opting for lean meats, fish, tofu, tau kwa, eggs, legumes and lentils, alongside strategies like ordering extra ingredients when servings are smaller, can help one consistently meet protein goals.Don’t forget to bookmark this interactive and keep this tool handy for the next time you head out for a meal at your favourite hawker centre or kopitiam.You can also refer to HPB’s Singapore Food Insights Database for the list comprising more than 3,000 items and the breakdown of their nutritional content.