5 Tips for Reducing Added Sugar in your Diet
We’ve all heard the advice: cut down on sugar. Reducing your consumption of added sugars can help prevent inflammation, weight gain, and chronic conditions like Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease. But what exactly are added sugars? And how do you get started?
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What are added sugars?
Added sugars are any sugars that have been added to a food product or beverage, to improve the taste, texture, or shelf-life. This is different than sugars that are naturally occurring in fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
How much added sugar should I consume?
Our bodies do not need any added sugars to function well, and consuming too much sugar can lead to several chronic conditions. That’s why health officials recommend using added sugars sparingly, or not at all. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends sugar should account for less than 10% of your energy. The average American, however, consumes around 17 teaspoons of added sugars, which is well above this guideline.
Tips for reducing added sugars
You probably have a pretty good idea already of some ways to cut down on your sugar. But it always helps to have a few more ideas!
Highlighted area shows where you can find the content of added sugars. Remember to check the ingredients list, too!
Read the food label
This is one of the best habits you can have for making healthy, informed choices! The nutrition label on packaged foods contains a wealth of information about the contents of the food that enable you to make healthier choices. Food labels are now required to report any ‘added sugar,’ or any sugar or sweeteners that are used in food processing and preparation that would otherwise not occur naturally in the foods.
A lot of times it is easier when you visualize how much sugar is actually in the food. There are about 4 grams of sugar in a teaspoon.Be aware that added sugars may be listed under different names in the ingredients list
It would be nice if the sugar content was written plainly on the ingredients list, but sugar goes by several names! Some examples of other names sugar may be listed as include:
- Agave nectar
- Dextrose
- Fructose
- Glucose
- Sucrose
- Maltose
- Honey
- Molasses
- Corn syrup
- Malt syrup
- High fructose corn syrup
- Fruit juice concentrates
- And many more! Check this list for some more names for added sweeteners.Be on the lookout for foods with hidden added sugars
We intuitively know that sweets like brownies and cookies will have substantial sugar in them. But there are plenty of other foods that have sugar added that we may not expect: salad dressings, yogurts, pasta sauces, sparkling water, breads, and even some canned vegetables are common culprits!
Reading the nutrition facts label ensures you understand the ingredients and sugar content, and will help you avoid being surprised by unhealthy, sugary products that are marketed as ‘healthy.’Try making whole food substitutions for processed snacks, sweets, and beverages
Whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, and legumes contain many nutrients to keep you healthy and feeling satisfied. Try swapping fruits and unsweetened yogurt for the sweets, or vegetables and hummus for your crunchy snacks, or herbal teas instead of fruity drinks. Remember you don’t have to cut it out all at one time, you can make one small change and then build off of it!
Use healthy activities instead of sugar as a coping mechanism
We all know what it’s like to feel stressed and exhausted and reach for the chocolate, or want to relax and reach for the sugary mixed drinks. But there are always other options that can be healthier for you both physically, and socio-emotionally. Maybe if you want to celebrate, you could go for a bike ride with your friends and family, or if you need to relax, you could try yoga, gardening, or nature walks with a family. Get creative! What works for you may not be the same as what works for your friends and neighbors.