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Too much on our plates: More Singapore workers opt for snacks over meals due to high-stress work environments

Over the past year, in Singapore and other countries, more people often turned to snacking instead of having meals, a 2024 survey found. 

Too much on our plates: More Singapore workers opt for snacks over meals due to high-stress work environments

Whether they are working from home or office, people are snacking more in favour of having a meal when pressed for time. (Photo: CNA/Nuria Ling)

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For two hours, the fishball noodle soup on Ms Priscilla Lee's desk sat untouched, turning from hot to lukewarm then cold.

That piping hot meal should have made it down her digestive tract, but it went down the rubbish chute in the end. 

The bank relationship manager had been typing away on her laptop at home and making calls to her customers during lunchtime. 

By the time she was done, she had lost her appetite and the bowl of noodles had become a soggy, lumpy mess. 

Whether it was fishball noodles or chicken rice, this happened so often that Ms Lee stopped bothering with “troublesome” meals at lunchtime, choosing instead to snack on whatever food items she finds in her kitchen when she works from home. 

These include nuts, potato chips or biscuits.

“It’s very hard to eat and work at the same time,” the 32-year-old said. “When I try to have a proper meal, I end up eating just a few mouthfuls before leaving it aside.”

In August 2024, London-based data analytics company Euromonitor International published a report that found that about one in 10 adult Singaporeans (11 per cent) last year replaced their meals with snacks.

The survey did not state how often they acted on this habit, but the respondents agreed that they replaced meals with snacks "with frequency". The findings also showed that the proportion has gone up from 8 per cent in 2023. 

The report, titled World Market for Snacks, defined snacks as foods falling under the following categories: 

  • Confectionery such as chocolates, sweets and gum
  • Ice cream, including frozen yoghurt
  • Savoury snacks such as nuts, chips and popcorn
  • Sweet biscuits, snack bars and processed fruit snacks

The company surveyed 1,007 Singaporeans out of a total pool of 39,235 global consumers across 39 countries.

Singapore was not the only nation where people were turning to snacks more frequently. The number was closer to one in seven adults for Vietnam (14 per cent) and Thailand (13 per cent). 

The 2024 figures for Hong Kong (10.8 per cent), the United Kingdom (13 per cent) and the United States (17 per cent) also went up by at least 3 percentage points from those in 2023.

India ranked the highest globally at 18 per cent. 

A doctor has observed that the habit of replacing meals with snacks is particularly prevalent among the younger population, who tend to have busier lifestyles now more than before. (Photo: CNA/Nuria Ling)

WORK, NOT HEALTH, IS KING

CNA TODAY spoke to seven working professionals about their choice to miss proper meals in favour of quicker and lighter bites, with the need to prioritise work during meal times given as the main reason.

Ms Lee is fully aware that her “snack for a meal” habit is unhealthy but being efficient during work hours to her is more important than a healthier meal.

“I honestly prefer to go out and eat because that’s when you can unwind,” she added.

“But because the volume of work at my job is so intense, I would rather forgo a proper lunch so I don’t have to work overtime.” 

Mr Carl Quash III, Euromonitor International's head of packaged foods, snacks and nutrition, said that global respondents between the ages of 30 and 44 – the group comprising the most working adults – are the largest age group to replace meals with snacks. 

Associate Professor Verena Tan, programme leader of the dietetics and nutrition programme at the Singapore Institute of Technology, said that hectic work schedules often leave people with little time to prepare and consume full meals.

As part of her private practice, Dr Tan has observed that the habit of replacing meals with snacks is particularly prevalent among the younger population, who tend to have busier lifestyles now more than before. 

Snacking is thus a convenient way for them to fuel up on the go, she said. 

“Research has shown that increased work hours are associated with more frequent out-of-home food purchases and reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables.

“This indicates a shift towards more convenient and often less healthy food options,” she added.

Madam Soh Wan Keem, principal dietitian of Nutrimaxx Consultancy, a coaching and counselling outfit for therapeutic diets, said that the increasing accessibility to snacks is also “changing the eating habits of many Singaporeans”. 

Working from home instead of an office, for instance, has made it easier for people to reach for a snack. 

Indeed, for Ms Huda Zainal, a 38-year-old sales administrator, potato chips and biscuits are what she has for breakfast at home on occasion.

“I know we should eat proper food and that snacks are not healthy, but it’s much easier to snack. 

“You just have to buy a basket of snacks and put them at home. You don’t even have to order food delivery and wait for it to arrive,” she said. 

However, some workers said that snacking is prevalent in the workplace, too. 

Public relations account manager Tiara Putri, 29, said that she has snacks in place of meals at least three times a week. 

Her choice of breakfast and lunch is often dictated by what food is left at the office pantry, ranging from fruits to potato chips to biscuits, and she has seen her colleagues having similar eating habits.

Ms Putri believes that this is driven mostly by people intent on clearing their workload, but that an “Asian work culture” – one where work takes precedence and where people are often afraid to speak up to their superiors – also has a part to play. 

“If one person looks around the office and sees colleagues working through lunch, then all the more the person is not going to eat,” she said. 

“If your teammates are working through lunch, getting up to leave for an hour almost feels wrong."

As for why they choose not to order meals using food delivery platforms, Ms Putri said that prices tend to be more expensive for such services.

She also recalled that the last time she ordered food for lunch, she just "ended up taking it home for dinner" because she was too busy to eat it.  

The cost-of-living crisis may also be a macroeconomic force that plays a role in snacks' rising popularity, Mr Quash of Euromonitor International said. 

“Salty snacks and biscuits have been key benefactors given their lower price points and filling feature of ingredients such as fibre, protein and vegetables,” he added.

Working from home instead of an office has made it easier for people to reach for a snack. (Photo: iStock)

SNACK SPENDING AT A HIGH

Recent statistics from London-based data analytics company Euromonitor International showed that the total sales revenue generated by the snacks category in Singapore, also referred to as its retail value, steadily increased from US$724.0 million (S$978 million) in 2019 to US$906.6 million (S$1.2 billion) in 2024. 

The report looked at the performance of snack categories across regions and markets around the world. 

This may not necessarily mean that more people in Singapore are buying snacks, since the growth in retail value might reflect increased spending on snacks by the same group of consumers, but it does suggest a growing demand for them.

Another survey by American market research firm NielsenIQ published last week found that Singapore leads Asia in snack spending. It defined snacks identically to the Euromonitor International study.

Consumers here spent an average of US$121.30 for every buyer in 2024 – the highest in the region and an increase from US$119.30 in 2023.

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Sometimes, snacks are simply the more appealing option compared to meals because they help to relieve the pressure that comes with work. 

Ms Serene Chew, a senior manager of strategic communications at a financial institution, said: “Eating snacks is comforting when the stressors get higher."

The 35-year-old, who joked that she was a “serial snacker”, eats a wide range of snacks such as chips, nuts, chocolates, or fruits on some occasions, depending on her mood. 

Being often on the move – from home to her office and to university where she is studying for a master's degree – Ms Chew added that it can be hard to stop somewhere in order to pick up warm food.

CONSEQUENCES OF SNACKING NOT FELT IMMEDIATELY 

Nutrition and health experts said that it is acceptable to have a snack instead of a proper meal once in a while, and that moderation is key.

As for the frequency and whether it becomes a problem, this would depend on several factors such as the quality of the snacks, as well as the person's overall dietary pattern, lifestyle and health goals, Mdm Soh the dietitian said. 

She also said that if the person maintains a generally balanced diet with regular nutritious meals, there is likely to be no issue. 

However, if snacks replace meals three to four times a week, there is a possibility that one will be short of essential nutrients such as protein, fibre and vitamins.

Whatever the reason, the dietitians said that replacing meals with snacks over the long term can lead to a compromise in overall health and aggravate health problems.

“Many commonly consumed snacks tend to be high in refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats and added sugars,” Mdm Soh said. These include sweet bread, cakes and curry puffs.

“They can contribute to weight gain, poor blood sugar control and an increased risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.” 

Dietitians said that replacing meals with snacks over the long term can lead to a compromise in overall health and aggravate health problems. (Photo: iStock)

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR SNACKING HABITS ARE AFFECTING YOUR HEALTH

If you regularly replace your meals with snacks, Madam Soh Wan Keem, a dietitian with over 15 years of experience, suggested watching out for the following signs.

  1. Unintended weight gain: Regular snacking on calorie-dense foods without controlling or knowing the portion size can lead to greater calorie intake than required. You may notice your weight scale going up or your clothes getting tighter.
     
  2. Frequent energy spikes and dips: This may be in the form of a sudden boost in energy level, followed by a feeling of sluggishness the next moment, after consuming high-sugar snacks, which cause glucose levels in your body to rise faster than usual.
     
  3. Difficulty concentrating: The up-and-down swings in energy can lead to trouble focusing or a constant feeling of being mentally sluggish due to poor-quality snacks that lack essential nutrients. At the same time, it may cause you to develop a dependence on sugary snacks or caffeine from tea, coffee or cola drinks to stay alert.
     
  4. Digestive problems: One may experience bloating, indigestion or constipation from excessive snacking, especially after taking high-fat foods.
     
  5. Increased cravings for unhealthy foods: Habitual eating of unhealthy snacks may cause your body to develop an acquired preference for salty, sugary or fried snacks instead of whole, nutrient-dense foods.
     
  6. Emotional eating patterns: Reaching for snacks out of boredom or stress is a craving driven by psychological needs. It is not the same as eating when your body has physical hunger pangs, signalling a cue for you to eat. Snacking due to boredom or stress may result in regretful eating, reducing self-confidence in healthier eating.
     
  7. Poor sleep quality: Difficulty falling asleep at night due to late-night snacking of sugar-rich foods. Excessive consumption of sugar may cause digestive problems. 
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When CNA TODAY asked working adults with such snacking habits if they have had any niggling health symptoms, most said that they did not, aside from the occasional gastric pains that they are used to experiencing. 

However, the experts warned that the consequences of a poor diet may not be immediate.

Ms Annabelle Johnson, an accredited dietitian in private practice here, said that this is why people are often not motivated to change their diet habits even though they intuitively know that they should. 

“You can eat a snack but you don’t fall ill straight away,” Ms Johnson added. 

“But we also know that in the long run, through years of repeating these habits as we approach our mid-life stage, our diet is very predictive of a lot of different health conditions.

“So what we eat day-in and day-out matters.” 

Even gastric pains, which is a common symptom of a bad diet and not eating enough food, should not be immediately dismissed as trivial. 

“It is hard to determine if the cause is dietary in nature without a medical assessment, but it's best to seek help if something is amiss. Pain is our body’s way of asking for help,” Ms Johnson advised.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO SNACK, MAKE IT HEALTHY 

The overarching sentiment of health professionals interviewed by CNA TODAY was this: Never skip meals or replace them with bite-sized, ultra-processed alternatives.

Yet, for workers in fast-paced, time-sensitive industries, that advice can feel painfully unrealistic. 

Ms Johnson suggested preparing snacks in advance to have something nutritious on hand.

“If you know that going out and getting a proper meal is difficult, then there are healthier snacks we can consider. 

“Simple things like nuts, fruits, vegetables and cheese are more nutritious foods that can be had as ‘snacks’ that are also really convenient. 

“The less highly processed foods we have, the better.”

Ms Michelle Perera, a senior dietitian at integrated consultancy Food & Nutrition Specialists, said that an easy way to pick healthier options when buying snacks is to look for the Healthier Choice Symbol, which is used by the health authorities here on food packaging to indicate that the item is a healthier consumer product. 

Mdm Soh the dietitian said that one should also look out for foods that provide lean protein, dietary fibre and healthy fats, because they can help to provide sustained energy and promote satiety or fullness. 

Some of these food options could be wholegrain bread with baked salmon and vegetables, flat breads such as chapati paired with hummus, or yogurt with fruit and nuts. 

The experts said that people should take a second bite of the cherry when it comes to doing better at healthier snacking. And that would be a fresh cherry, not the processed kind. 

Source: CNA/sf/ma
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