- Aug. 4, 2008
- Sugar Sweet
According a recent survey of Americans, the first nutrient to get your attention when reading food labels is the Total Sugar. We all know we need to limit intake of sugar but many aren’t so certain about what “limit” means.
What's too much? After surveying my label-reading-friends, I found most have arbitrary numbers all over the board in mind. I like using common sense when it comes to sugar. For example, if it takes honey on your toast to get you to eat whole grain bread, enjoy a dab and add a dab of butter while you are at it. If it takes some chocolate added to milk to get you to drink it, do it. This is called eating with moderation and intention so that you may enjoy both pleasure and good health at the same time.
Many foods that are part of a healthy diet are made up of naturally occurring sugars from milk, yogurt, fruit, juice, and vegetables. These foods can provide all the sugar your body needs for energy in addition to other nutrients your body needs such calcium, fiber, vitamin C, and many more. So please don’t concern yourself too much with their sugar content if they are providing a good amount of other nutrients.
Sugars from other added sources such as honey, brown rice syrup, cane juice, and fructose provide only a pleasurable experience and calories. A balanced, healthy way of eating can have some added sugars, just not TOO much.
For all you avid label readers out there, let me give you a few numbers I use to guide my food choices:
Limit added sugars to about 6-8 teaspoons per day. This is about 30-45 grams per day. These are the numbers consistent with the USDA Dietary Guidelines and truly we mean when the say choose foods low in sugar.
So stress on sugar a little less and let moderation guide you to eat; enjoy the pleasure of tasty, healthy food.
Oh yeah, and don’t forget to brush your teeth
What's too much? After surveying my label-reading-friends, I found most have arbitrary numbers all over the board in mind. I like using common sense when it comes to sugar. For example, if it takes honey on your toast to get you to eat whole grain bread, enjoy a dab and add a dab of butter while you are at it. If it takes some chocolate added to milk to get you to drink it, do it. This is called eating with moderation and intention so that you may enjoy both pleasure and good health at the same time.
Many foods that are part of a healthy diet are made up of naturally occurring sugars from milk, yogurt, fruit, juice, and vegetables. These foods can provide all the sugar your body needs for energy in addition to other nutrients your body needs such calcium, fiber, vitamin C, and many more. So please don’t concern yourself too much with their sugar content if they are providing a good amount of other nutrients.
Sugars from other added sources such as honey, brown rice syrup, cane juice, and fructose provide only a pleasurable experience and calories. A balanced, healthy way of eating can have some added sugars, just not TOO much.
For all you avid label readers out there, let me give you a few numbers I use to guide my food choices:
Limit added sugars to about 6-8 teaspoons per day. This is about 30-45 grams per day. These are the numbers consistent with the USDA Dietary Guidelines and truly we mean when the say choose foods low in sugar.
So stress on sugar a little less and let moderation guide you to eat; enjoy the pleasure of tasty, healthy food.
Oh yeah, and don’t forget to brush your teeth
- Posted by:
- Tara, the RD
- Category:
- Food Matters
- Add A Comment
Interesting perspective. At the same time, there is more and more research regarding the hazards of sugar and the many diseases that are associated with a hgh intake of sugar. Clif Bar, has 21 grams of sugar in it. Given 30-45 gram of sugar per day guideline, after eating one Clif Bar, you are already at half of what you should be eating, regarding sugar. I love your bars, and they are the only energy bars that I would eat. However, have you ever considered using Stevia or Agrave Nectar as your sweetner? I am sure you are informed about the negative effects of sugar, however, here are some sites that speak about it;
http://www.naturalnews.com/022504.html
http://www.coffeecupfriends.com/PDF/sugardangers.pdf
Hi there. All good points. Tara’s the in-house expert on this subject and I’m sure would love to respond. She’s off enjoying her sabbatical but will try to chime in when she returns to the office in about six weeks.
I eat a Clifbar every day at my coffee break… Love them and the fact that they are made from mostly organic ingredients.
As for the sugar, I consider myself athletic… My weekly walking mileage is up to 40 at this time, I also cycle from 20 to 40 miles a week. When my walk lasts longer than an hour, easily digested carbs are necessary to fuel the activity. Clif shot blocks, which are all sugar, do the trick for me. I would much rather have the Clif products than that sports drink that some people seems to think is so great. I also eat Clif bars that I have cut up into little pieces when the walk will be longer than 90 minutes.
Anyway, I guess I should get to the point… if you exercise a lot, sugar is a necessity.
Interesting information.
I enjoy both the Clif and the Luna bars. I’m not so much concerned with sugar as I am with getting enough protein and fiber. But I would like to mention that I find the Clif bars overly sweet. You’re probably trying to mask some of the less pleasurably tasting ingredients. However, I can never finish a Clif bar in one session so I nibble bits of it throughout the day with a beverage. The Luna bars are not as sweet tasting.
Sugar comes in many forms and is added to food to provide, texture, taste, and sweetness. It is does not cause illness. Adding sugar to foods like oatmeal, yogurt, cranberries, or squash increase the odds of enjoyment while delivering some really great nutrition.
With so many “self-proclaimed” nutrition experts giving out information on topics like sugar it is hard for anyone to differentiate fact from fiction. A quick web search of “sugar” and you will find yourself down right scared to eat, period.
The points in the links provided by PC are inaccurate and related to effects overeating foods with added sugar. Over eating of just about anything in the long term will lead to poor health effects.
Stevia is a sweetener from a shrub that is calories free and hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. It is only approved as a supplement at this time and not as a food additive. Toxicity concerns need to be further research and to put minds at ease before it can be food additive.
Agave syrup is something we have used in our foods in the past and could consider again but keep in mind that it is made up of fructose and glucose (same sugars as high fructose corn syrup) and is 70% sweeter than table sugar.
If you are an active person that eats meals that includes foods from all major groups to meet your nutrient needs and you still need more carbohydrates to satisfy you energy needs, then you will benefit from the sugar content of a CLIF BAR. If you aren’t very active then you may want fewer calories from sugar and go with a MOJO BAR or Z Bar.
Tara,
A good message to get out! I hear too often that an individual will choose a processed food option over something as simple and pure as a piece of fruit because it “has less sugar”. I believe a lot of people view sugar and high fructose corn syrup as being one in the same. The mixed media messages about sugar causing obesity only fuel the fire. Thanks for supporting moderation, education and getting the word out.