Sweeteners
It is important to note the difference between naturally occurring sugar and added sugar because our brains do need sugar every day to function. Our brain cells require twice the amount of energy needed by all the other cells in the body. That amounts to almost 10% of our total daily energy requirements. This energy is derived from glucose (blood sugar), the gasoline of our brains. Sugar is not the brain’s enemy — added sugar is.
A healthy diet containing fruit and grains has a significant amount of naturally occurring sugar, however, the average American eats about 130 pounds of sugar a year. Consuming added sugar in processed foods can pose problems with your health. According to the USDA, the average American ate the equivalent of 52 teaspoonfuls of sugar a day in 2000, compared to the 10 teaspoonful daily maximum recommended. Per capita consumption was up 39 percent from the 1950s.
You might not realize that sugars are hidden in most beverages, breads, cakes, cereals, condiments, cookies, pies and processed snack foods. To find hidden sugars when reading a nutrition label, look for these sweeteners: brown sugar, confectioner's sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrates, glucose, granulated sugar, honey, lactose, maltose, malt syrup, molasses, cane juice, cane syrup and sucrose.
Of course we're not going to cut out added sugar from our diets all together, but by making your own meals and reading labels you will be able to control how much sugar you and your family are eating. Try to eat foods with 5 grams of sugar or less per serving and only 25-37 grams of sugar a day. Even though fruit is high in sugar, remember our brains do need it to function properly so enjoy fresh fruit with meals, as a snack or in desserts and cut down on added sugars.
A healthy diet containing fruit and grains has a significant amount of naturally occurring sugar, however, the average American eats about 130 pounds of sugar a year. Consuming added sugar in processed foods can pose problems with your health. According to the USDA, the average American ate the equivalent of 52 teaspoonfuls of sugar a day in 2000, compared to the 10 teaspoonful daily maximum recommended. Per capita consumption was up 39 percent from the 1950s.
You might not realize that sugars are hidden in most beverages, breads, cakes, cereals, condiments, cookies, pies and processed snack foods. To find hidden sugars when reading a nutrition label, look for these sweeteners: brown sugar, confectioner's sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrates, glucose, granulated sugar, honey, lactose, maltose, malt syrup, molasses, cane juice, cane syrup and sucrose.
Of course we're not going to cut out added sugar from our diets all together, but by making your own meals and reading labels you will be able to control how much sugar you and your family are eating. Try to eat foods with 5 grams of sugar or less per serving and only 25-37 grams of sugar a day. Even though fruit is high in sugar, remember our brains do need it to function properly so enjoy fresh fruit with meals, as a snack or in desserts and cut down on added sugars.
| Amount of sugar grams per 1/2 cup fresh fruit: Apple 6.5 grams Apricot 7 grams Banana 9 grams Blackberries 3.5 grams Blueberries 7.5 grams Cherries 9 grams Grapes 13 grams Grapefruit 8 grams Nectarine 5.5 grams Orange 7 grams Peach 6.5 grams Pear 7 grams Strawberries 3.5 grams Watermelon 4.8 grams |
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