How much Sugar do we REALLY Need?

By Christine Haas

More and more people are becoming conscious of their sugar intake and with good reasons! Sugar is high in calories and low in nutrient value which can lead to weight gain.  It is OK to enjoy sweet tasting foods and sugar gives us energy, but with one-third of Americans obese and over two-thirds overweight we may be eating more sugar than our bodies need.

Many healthy foods contain natural sugars. The three major food groups that contribute natural sugars to the diet include starch, dairy and fruit.  Foods with natural sugars have a variety of vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, foods with added sugar such as; sweets and desserts have less nutritional value. It is OK to have some added sugar in the diet although the average American consumes 22 teaspoons, or 350 calories, of added sugars each day. This amount far exceeds the current daily added sugar recommendations which is 3 teaspoons a day for children, 6 added teaspoons a day for women and 9 teaspoons a day for men.

To detect the amount of sugar in a food, look at the total amount of carbohydrates in a food. Without taking fiber into consideration, one teaspoon of sugar is equal to four grams of carbohydrates.  Unfortunately, food labels are not required to distinguish between “natural” and “added” sugar but the ingredient list on the food label will give you a good idea. If sugar or another fancy word for sugar such as agave nectar, fructose, honey, molasses, ingredients that contain “syrup,” or “sweetener” or end in “ose” is one of the top three ingredients on the nutrition label you can assume the food is high in added sugar. To put it all in prospective, view the table of foods with added sugar to see how YOUR intake stacks up:

To avoid added sugar in your diet choose lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, oils and unprocessed nuts and nut butters, low sugar cereals with 3 grams of sugar or less, and make sure your whole grain starches and dairy or non-dairy products do not have “sugar” or another code word for sugar listed as one of the first three ingredients on the food label.

Christine Haas, M.S., L.D.N., C.N.S., C.P.T., is the president and director of NuWeights Nutrition and Personal Training, a nutrition and fitness business established in 2005 with six office locations in the D.C. Metro area. Haas is also a licensed nutritionist in Maryland and D.C., certified through the American College of Nutrition, and is a personal trainer certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Haas is a member of the American Dietetic Association and holds a number of fitness and nutrition certifications, including The Certificate of Training in Adult Weight Management from the American Dietetic Association. She has also received a Masters of Science Degree in Health and Fitness Management from The American University in D.C. and a Masters Degree in Nutrition Education from The University of Vermont.