If the S-word makes your mouth water and images of ice cream-filled doughnuts dance in your head, we get it. Sugar is a craveable ingredient. Show The American Heart Association’s (AHA) recommended daily sugar intake is 36 grams for men and 25 grams for women. Following these guidelines can be difficult, as sugar is in a ton of foods and added sugar is especially sneaky, popping up in places you might not even suspect. You expect it to be in a soda but maybe not in your pasta sauce. Yet there it is, being a creeper in the form of barley malt — or some other weird name. Whether you’re trying to cut down on added sugar or you just want to be more mindful about when you consume it, we’ve got this guide to show you what the recommended limits look like and how to stay under them. The average American consumes about 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day. But government dietary guidelines recommend limiting added sugar to no more than 10 percent of calories per day — in a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s about 12 teaspoons or 200 calories’ worth of sugar, and the AHA’s added sugar limits are even lower. So what does that mean, exactly? It’s confusing AF. That’s why we’ve put together two hypothetical daily menus to show you exactly what eating 50 grams and 25 grams of added sugar per day actually looks like. Share on PinterestNote: Unless the brand is noted in the graphics above, these numbers are estimates from the USDA nutrient database. We’re referring only to added sugar, not natural sugars (e.g., those found in milk or a sweet potato). You might have noticed that added sugar in those menus is highest in “healthy” items, such as whole-grain cereal, stir-fry, spinach salad with dried cranberries, and popcorn. Added sugar lurks in processed foods, dried fruit, sauces, and condiments. “That means you have to learn to be a better label reader and know the various forms of sugar so that you can identify them,” says Chicago-based dietitian and chef Sara Haas, RDN, LDN. Check your pasta sauce, ketchup, peanut butter, and basically anything else in a jar. Sugar has many aliases, such as high-fructose corn syrup, honey, molasses, malt syrup, sucrose, confectioners’ sugar, dextrose, agave, and maple syrup. The list goes on. The good news is that counting added sugar in grams is getting easier, thanks to changes in food label requirements. Many products already include an indented line for added sugars under the total sugar amount. By 2020, companies with more than $10 million in revenue will be required by law to include the total added sugar in grams. And by 2021, companies with less revenue will be required to follow suit. Our bodies don’t need added sugar to survive. DiNicolantonio JJ, et al. (2016). Added sugars drive nutrient and energy deficit in obesity: A new paradigm. DOI: 10.1136/openhrt-2016-000469 We get plenty of natural sugars from foods, including from fruit and dairy. And carbs convert to sugar, or glucose, in the bloodstream. Piling on the added sugar can lead to insulin resistance, and that can drive a whole host of problems like diabetes and coronary heart disease. DiNicolantonio JJ, et al. (2017). Added sugars drive coronary heart disease via insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia: A new paradigm. DOI: 10.1136/openhrt-2017-000729 Plus, just like booze, added sugar takes its toll on your liver. Eating it in excess puts you at a greater risk for developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), even if you’re not overweight. Jensen T, et al. (2018). Fructose and sugar: A major mediator of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2018.01.019 Does this mean you have to police your food labels all day? Of course not. Understanding added sugar is about empowerment and having the tools to cut back if you’re worried about the possible health effects. And if you’re tired of the roller coaster of sugar highs followed by the dreaded plummets and you want to get off the rickety ride, checking your daily sugar consumption can help. After a few days of reading food labels, you’ll be an added-sugar pro. Then you can eat it only when you want to — like on a dessert date with a pal — rather than having it show up uninvited in your afternoon snack. Your body doesn’t need to get any carbohydrate from added sugar. That’s why the Healthy Eating Pyramid says sugary drinks and sweets should be used sparingly, if at all, and the Healthy Eating Plate does not include foods
with added sugars. 4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoonKeep this tip in mind when reading nutrition labels to better visualize just how much added sugar the product contains. For example, one 12-ounce can of cola contains 39 grams–almost 10 teaspoons of sugar! The average American adult, teenager, and child consumes about 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day, or about 270 calories. [1] While we sometimes add sugar or sweeteners like honey to food or beverages, most added sugar comes from processed and prepared foods. The leading sources of added sugars in the U.S. diet are sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts, and sweet snacks like ice cream, pastries, and cookies. [1] Less obvious yet significant contributors are breakfast cereals and yogurt. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 advise that all Americans 2 years and older limit added sugars in the diet to less than 10% of total calories. For a 2,000 calorie/day diet, that translates into 200 calories or 50 grams of sugar daily (about 12 teaspoons of sugar). Toddlers and infants younger than 2 years should not be given solids or beverages with any added sugars. [1] The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that Americans drastically cut back on added sugar to help slow the obesity and heart disease epidemics. [2]
Spotting sugar on a food labelSpotting added sugars in processed foods is easier since the rollout of the updated Nutrition Facts label. Previously, food and beverage manufacturers in the U.S. were required to list a product’s total amount of sugar per serving on the label, but did not need to disclose how much of that was from added sugars versus naturally occurring. This was confusing for foods such as plain unsweetened milk or yogurt that listed 12 grams or more of “Sugars,” but all of which was naturally occurring lactose sugar. Lactose does not impact blood glucose or carry the same health risks as white “table” sugar and other caloric sweeteners. The updated Nutrition Facts label now lists both “Total Sugars” and underneath “Added Sugars.” The percent Daily Value (DV) for added sugars is based on the recommended limit from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans of less than 50 grams a day (about 12 teaspoons) for an average 2,000 calorie diet. The percent DV will vary: a lower amount for a lower-calorie diet, and higher for a higher-calorie diet. The DV can be an easy way to compare food products for added sugars:
Ingredient list
Food makers can also use sweeteners that aren’t technically sugar—a term which is applied only to table sugar, or sucrose—but these other sweeteners are in fact forms of added sugar. Below are some other names for sugar that you may see on food labels:
Key Sources of Added SugarSugary drinksSugary drinks are a prime source of extra calories that can contribute to weight gain and provide no nutritional benefits. Studies indicate that liquid carbohydrates such as sugar-sweetened beverages are less filling than solid food, causing people to continue to feel hungry after drinking them despite their high calories. [4] They are coming under scrutiny for their contributions to the development of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. [5]
Be careful to read serving sizes of bottled beverages. Many are sold in 20-ounce bottles, but what is considered one serving of that beverage may still vary among manufactures. For example, a popular cola drink may list the whole 20-ounce bottle as one serving containing 65 grams of added sugar. Another 20-ounce bottle of lemonade may seem a better choice, showing only 27 grams of added sugar per serving—but the label states that one bottle contains 2.5 servings! Therefore, guzzling the whole bottle would give you almost 68 grams of sugar. To reduce some confusion, the updated Nutrition Facts label mandates that manufacturers list serving sizes based on what people typically consume, rather than how much they should consume. The “typical” beverage serving is now considered 12 ounces (increased from 8 ounces), so hopefully in the near future all beverage labels will list the same standard serving size. Cereals and other foodsChoosing minimally processed breakfast foods—such as whole grain toast with nut butter, or a bowl of steel-cut or old-fashioned oatmeal—that don’t have lengthy ingredient lists is a great way to avoid added sugars. Unfortunately, many common breakfast foods such as ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, cereal bars, instant oatmeal with added flavoring, and pastries can contain high amounts of added sugars.Some ingredient lists mask the amount of sugar in a product. To avoid having “sugar” as the first ingredient, food manufacturers may use multiple forms of sugar—each with a different name—and list each one individually on the nutrient label. But don’t be fooled; your body metabolizes all added sugars the same way as it doesn’t distinguish between “brown sugar,” “molasses,” “honey,” and other caloric sweeteners. When reading a label, make sure to spot all sources of added sugars even if they’re not listed as the first few ingredients. Also be careful of foods that wear a “health halo.” For example, one popular cereal advertises that it contains whole grains, fiber, and several antioxidant vitamins like C, E, and beta-carotene. But it also contains 18 grams of added sugar (4.5 teaspoons) in just one small bowl. Keep in mind serving sizes as well. A crunchy granola bar may contain two bars per pack; just one provides 6 grams of added sugar but if the whole pack is eaten, that number doubles to 12 grams. So you can see how added sugars may add up quickly! Bottom LineThe body does not need carbohydrates from added sugars to function. A good rule of thumb is to avoid products that have a lot of added sugar, including skipping foods that list “sugar” as the first or second ingredient. However, the products may use a variety of sweeteners so be sure to scan the full ingredient list. Fortunately, the updated Nutrition Facts label in the U.S. now features a separate line for “added sugar” so it easier to know just how much is added versus naturally occurring. Some tips for reducing added sugar intake:
References
Terms of UseThe contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The Nutrition Source does not recommend or endorse any products. How much sugar per day is a low sugar diet?Choosing a healthy eating pattern low in added sugars can have important health benefits. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting calories from added sugars to no more than 10% each day. That's 200 calories, or about 12 teaspoons, for a 2,000 calorie diet.
What amount of sugar is considered low sugar?Blood sugar below 70 mg/dL is considered low. If you think you have low blood sugar, check it. If you aren't able to check it, go ahead and treat it.
Is 20 grams of sugar a lot?How Much Is Too Much? The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar a day for women and 9 teaspoons (36 grams) for men.
What is considered low sugar in food?Food labels tell you how much sugar a food contains: high in sugar – 22.5g or more of total sugar per 100g. low in sugar – 5g or less of total sugar per 100g.
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