Healthier Food Options in SAF Cookhouses

We thank Dr Lynn Low and Mr Kevin Tong Weng Jin for their suggestions on healthier food options for Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) servicemen ("Time for SAF to take nutrition a step further" and "Make soldiers part of 'war on diabetes'", 30 September 2017).

The SAF conducts regular reviews to improve the nutritional value and palatability of our cookhouse meals. The SAF refers to the Health Promotion Board (HPB)’s healthy eating initiatives, and has in place measures such as limiting fried food, using healthier cooking oil, serving low-sugar drinks, and making plain water and fruits available at every meal. SAF cookhouses have also reduced the use of processed foods, and since September 2017, have started serving mixed brown rice.

Later this month, the SAF will establish an Institutional Catering Advisory Panel, which will advise on dietary and food safety matters for meals in the SAF. The panel will include members from the SAF, Defence Science and Technology Agency, DSO National Laboratories, tertiary institutions, and other Government agencies such as HPB.

The SAF takes the long-term well-being of our servicemen seriously, and strives to inculcate in them an enduring fitness culture and good eating habits. To achieve this, the SAF continuously enhances our training system, bringing together subject matter experts from the domains of sports science, nutrition, psychology, human factors engineering and rehabilitation to develop holistic programmes that cater to all our servicemen.

COL Terry Tan
Chief Supply Officer