“Most US adults consume more added sugar than is recommended for a healthy diet.” Sugar is found in many of products you buy and eat every day. Sometimes it is even disguised as ingredients you may not recognize including: corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, agave nectar, and sucrose. Added sugar is found in foods and beverages such as soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, granola bars, cereal, etc. Naturally occurring sugars are those sugars found in milk or fruit.
Recommendations for Added Sugar
So, how much is too much? According to the USDA, the daily recommendation from added sugar is not to exceed 10% of total calories. If you were to consume a 2000 calorie diet, this looks like 200 calories or 50 grams (12.5 teaspoons) of added sugar per day. The American Heart Association has even stricter recommendations. They suggest for women 100 calories (6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day and 150 calories (9 teaspoons) per day for men.
Label Reading
Total sugars include both naturally occurring sugar plus added sugar in the product. Added sugars reflect only additional sugar that is added to the product. It can get confusing when trying to buy foods such as canned fruit that may contain both naturally occurring sugar from the fruit itself, but also if the fruit is in syrup or juice. This can add additional unwanted calories and total sugar to your diet without you even knowing.
Tracking Intake
There are many ways to not only track your calories for the day but to also show you how much sugar you are consuming throughout the day. Apps such as My Fitness Pal, Lifesum, Fitbit, Wholesome Health, and Fooducate are great easy ways to keep an eye on your intake.
How to Reduce Sugar Intake
There are several simple ways to gradually decrease the amount of sugar you are consuming.
Lighten it up
- If you add sugar to your morning coffee or a flavored creamer, each day try to gradually reduce the amount you are adding until your taste buds naturally adapt.
Swap Outs
- If you drink soda on a regular basis, try each day to swap out regular soda for a diet soda, and eventually the end goal being water. It does take time to make behavior changes, but even reducing your soda consumption by one less can a day can make a huge difference.
- Swap out sugar for something such as date sugar. Date sugar has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar, meaning that it does not spike your blood sugar as much as regular might. This recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Brownies is a great way to give date sugar a try.
Be a Detective
- Be aware of other beverage choices. Drinks such as sports drinks, flavored water, vitamin water, iced tea, and juice are all beverages that contain added sugar. Try flavoring your water naturally with lemon or other fruits, or try an unsweetened iced tea instead of a regular one.
- Check food labels. Foods that are meant to be healthy such as granola bars may contain added sugar. Read through the ingredients list and the nutrition facts panel to compare your options in the grocery store.
Challenge yourself this week and track how much sugar you are actually consuming. You might be surprised by how much it is and which foods or drinks are actually a problem.
References
- Haley-Hadley,C. What Does the New Food Facts Label Mean for You the Consumer. University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service. http://www.uaex.edu/counties/miller/news/fcs/september-2016/What%20Does%20the%20New%20Food%20Facts%20Label%20Mean%20for%20You%20the%20Consumer.aspx
- What does the New Nutrition Facts Panel Mean for You? Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Explains Changes. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Eatrightpro.org. May 20, 2016.
- What are added sugars? United States Department of Agriculture. Choosemyplate.gov. Last updated Nov. 9,2016. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/what-are-added-sugars
- Quanhe Yang, PhD; Zefeng Zhang, MD, PhD; Edward W. Gregg, PhD; W. Dana Flanders, MD, ScD; Robert Merritt, MA; Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD. Added Sugar Intake and Cardiovascular Diseases Mortality Among US Adults. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2014; 174 (4).
- http://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars