If you have bought a canned drink, a bubble tea or a carton of juice lately, you have probably spotted a small colour-coded label with a letter from A to D. That is the Nutri-Grade mark, and understanding Nutri-Grade drinks in Singapore is one of the easiest ways to cut down on added sugar without giving up the flavours you love. This guide explains what the label means, how to read it at the supermarket or the drinks stall, and simple swaps that add up over a week. It is general information to help you make everyday choices, not medical or nutrition advice.
What the Nutri-Grade Label Actually Means
Nutri-Grade is a front-of-pack label required on certain pre-packed and freshly prepared beverages sold in Singapore. It sorts drinks into four grades, A, B, C and D, based mainly on their sugar content and, to a lesser degree, their saturated fat content per 100ml. Grade A drinks have the least sugar and saturated fat, and Grade D drinks have the most.
The idea is not to ban any drink. It is to make the sugar level visible at a glance so you can compare two products quickly and decide for yourself. The colour coding runs from a darker green for A to a red-orange for D, so even without reading the letter you get an instant sense of where a drink sits.
A few practical points worth remembering:
- The grade reflects the drink as sold, so a sweeter recipe scores worse than a lighter one.
- Drinks graded C and D carry the label on the pack or menu, and D drinks also face advertising limits.
- Freshly prepared drinks, such as those from bubble tea chains and some coffee outlets, may show a grade for the default recipe, which can change once you adjust the sugar level or add toppings.
For the official grade thresholds and the latest rules, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) is the authority to check, since the scheme is updated from time to time.
How to Read the Grade Without Overthinking It
You do not need to memorise numbers to use Nutri-Grade well. Treat the letter as a nudge rather than a verdict. A useful habit is to glance at the grade, then look at the sugar figure on the nutrition information panel if you want the detail.
Here is a simple way to think about the grades in daily life:
- Grade A drinks are your everyday-friendly options, such as plain water, plain soda water, and many unsweetened or lightly sweetened choices.
- Grade B drinks are a reasonable step up in sweetness, fine in moderation.
- Grade C drinks are noticeably sweeter, better kept as an occasional treat.
- Grade D drinks are the sweetest, worth saving for now and then rather than daily.
Remember that the grade only compares beverages with other beverages. A Grade A drink is not automatically a health food, and a small treat now and then is perfectly normal. The goal is balance across the day and the week, not a single perfect choice.
Reading the Grades at a Glance
The table below shows roughly how the grades tend to line up with familiar drinks. Treat it as an illustrative guide only, because the actual grade depends on each product’s recipe and can change, so always check the label on the pack or the menu.
| Grade | Sugar level | Typical everyday examples | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Lowest | Plain water, plain soda water, unsweetened tea or coffee | Daily choice |
| B | Low to moderate | Lightly sweetened teas, some reduced-sugar drinks | Regularly, in moderation |
| C | Higher | Many soft drinks, sweeter packaged juices | Occasional treat |
| D | Highest | Full-sugar bubble tea, rich sweetened drinks | Now and then |
Simple Swaps to Cut Down on Added Sugar
Cutting sugar does not have to mean drinking only water, although water is genuinely the best default in our tropical heat, and it is free at hawker centres if you bring a bottle. Small changes are easier to keep up than dramatic ones.
Try a few of these:
- Adjust the sugar level. At bubble tea and kopitiam counters, ask for less sugar. Many bubble tea shops let you pick 25 or 50 per cent sugar, and a kopitiam will happily make your kopi or teh with less sweetened condensed milk if you order kopi siew dai or teh siew dai.
- Downsize. A smaller cup means less sugar even if the recipe stays the same. Skip the upsize.
- Swap the base. Choose plain water, plain tea, or unsweetened options as your regular drink, and keep sweeter grades for treats.
- Watch the toppings. Pearls, syrups and cream toppings add sugar on top of the drink itself, so going lighter on toppings helps.
- Read before you buy. In the supermarket, compare two similar products and pick the better grade, or the one with less sugar per 100ml.
Because the label is per 100ml, a large bottle can hold a lot more sugar than the number suggests at first glance, so portion size matters as much as the grade.
Making It Work in Everyday Singapore Life
The drinks landscape here is wonderfully varied, from kopitiam classics to cafe menus, food court stalls, convenience stores and delivery apps. That variety is good news, because there is almost always a lighter choice nearby.
- At the kopitiam or food court, learn the local sugar codes. Siew dai means less sweet, kosong means no sugar, and plain water or Chinese tea is usually the cheapest option on the board.
- At bubble tea and cafe chains, use the sugar-level buttons and check the posted grade for the default recipe. Your customised drink may differ from what is shown.
- At the supermarket, stock the fridge with Grade A and B options so the easy choice at home is also the lighter one.
- When ordering delivery, many apps show drink options and sizes clearly, so you can pick a smaller size or a less sweet variant before you check out.
Cutting down on sugar is a gradual thing. Taste buds adjust over a few weeks, and drinks that once seemed just right can start to taste too sweet once you get used to less. If you have a medical condition such as diabetes, or you are planning a specific eating plan, speak to your doctor or an accredited dietitian for advice tailored to you, and keep checking the label as recipes and rules are updated.
Explore more
For more on decoding what you eat and drink, see our guide on how to read food labels in Singapore, which walks through the nutrition panel in detail. If you are trying to eat and drink more mindfully overall, pair this with building a balanced plate and our practical take on eating out on a diet so your meals and drinks work together.