Cut Down on Added Sugars

Learn how to limit calories from added sugars—and still enjoy the foods and drinks that you love. Choosing a healthy eating pattern low in added sugars can have important health benefits.

What Are Added Sugars

Just like it sounds, added sugars aren’t in foods naturally—they’re added. They include: • Sugars and syrups that food manufacturers add to products like sodas, yogurt, candies, cereals, and cookies • Sugar, you add yourself—like the teaspoon of sugar in your coffee. Some foods have sugar naturally—like fruits, vegetables, and milk. The sugars in these foods are not added sugars. The average American gets 270 calories of added sugars each day. That’s about 17 teaspoons of sugar.

What’s the Problem with Added Sugars

Eating and drinking too many foods and beverages with added sugars makes it difficult to achieve a healthy eating pattern without taking in too many calories. Added sugars contribute calories, but no essential nutrients. Also, the negative effects it has on your body and your mind. Read https://bethshealthtips.wordpress.com/2023/01/02/insulin-resistance/(opens in a new tab)

What Foods Have Added Sugars

Lots of them. Some include: • Regular sodas, energy drinks, and sports drinks • Candy • Fruit drinks, such as fruit-ades and fruit punch • Cakes, cookies, and brownies • Pies and cobblers • Sweet rolls, pastries, and doughnuts • Dairy desserts, such as ice cream.

How Can I Cut Down on Added Sugars

You don’t have to give up the foods you love completely. Instead, you can limit added sugars by making some smart, small changes to how you eat.

Three Things You Can do to Limit Sugar Consumption

1. Find Out How Many Calories You’re Getting from Added Sugars Now. You can use the USDA’s Supertracker.usda.gov/ to get an idea. Once you know, you can make changes.
2. Make Some Healthy Shifts. Replace foods and drinks high in added sugars with healthier options.
3. Eat fruit for dessert instead of cookies or cakes
4. Swap sugary cereals for unsweetened cereal with fruit
5. Drink water or low-fat milk with meals instead of sodas You can still have foods and drinks with added sugars—just choose smaller portions or have them less often.
6. If you choose to have a soda, select a smaller size
7. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar to your tea or coffee instead of 2

• Check the Ingredients. Look for added sugars in the ingredients list. The higher up added sugars are on the list, the more added sugar is in the product. Added sugars go by a lot of different names: brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, sucrose, trehalose, and turbinado sugar.

Added sugars hide in foods that you might not expect. They’re common in foods such as pasta sauces, breads, crackers, pizzas, and more. Added Sugars Add Up– See below for examples.

• 1 Tablespoon of Tomato Ketchup = 12 Calories of Added Sugars
• 1 Cup of Flavored Cereal = 48 Calories of Added Sugars
• 1 Serving of Flavored Yogurt (6 Ounces) = 72 Calories of Added Sugars
• 1 Chocolate Bar (1.6 Ounces) = 74 Calories of Added Sugars
• 1 Bottle of Sports Drink (20 Ounces) = 122 Calories of Added Sugars
• 1 Can of Regular Soda (12 Fluid Ounces) = 126 Calories of Added Sugars
• 1 Piece of Chocolate Cake = 196 Calories of Added Sugars

What About Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners—like saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), dextrose, sucralose—can help you cut down on calories. But they have been shown in studies to be more harmful than good. I won’t go into all the studies. I will, however, give you healthy alternative sugar substitutes. All of these have zero glycemic index. That means they will not increase insulin.

• Monk fruit (this is my favorite)                                  
• Erythritol
• Stevia

Xylitol is another healthier alternative, however, on the glycemic index is 30. That is low but will cause a little spike. If consumed in smaller amounts, does not increase insulin to a dangerous level.

What is the Limit for Added Sugars

A simple rule is to aim for less (or much less) than 50 grams a day. (This is according to Office of Disease Prevention and Health Protection Dietary guidelines.) Read your food labels! Check the nutrition facts label to see if foods are low or high in Added Sugars. Look at the % Daily Value (DV):

• 5 % DV or less is a lowsource of added sugars
• 20 % DV or more is a high source of added sugars

Remember, small changes make a big difference! Start simple –One change at a time, one day at a time! Begin cutting down on added sugars TODAY!!