Instead of sugar in recipes, you can try things like cinnamon, nutmeg, almond extract, vanilla, ginger, or lemon.

Foods that have had the fat removed from them are often very high in sugar.ĭrink water instead of soda or juices and don’t add sugar to your coffee or tea.

They tend to be very high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. These include cookies, cakes, and pies, among other pastries. Choose whole fruit or canned fruit with no additional sweetening instead. Fruit juices contain the same amount of sugar as soft drinks. A single 12-ounce (355-mL) can of soda contains as much as 8 teaspoons of sugar ( 12). Limit these foods, in order of importance: The American Heart Association advises men to get no more than 150 calories from added sugar per day and women to get no more than 100 calories. Still, it’s important to note that there’s no need for added sugars in the diet. You’ll probably burn off these small amounts of sugar without them causing you any harm. If you’re healthy and active, these are reasonable recommendations. For a person eating 2,000 calories per day, this would equal 50 grams of sugar, or about 12.5 teaspoons ( 10). In contrast, the US dietary guidelines advise people to limit their intake to less than 10% of their daily calorie intake. To put that into perspective, one 12-ounce (355-mL) can of Coke contains 140 calories from sugar, while a regular-sized Snickers bar contains 120 calories from sugar. Women: 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons).Men: 150 calories per day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons).Some people can eat a lot of sugar without harm, while others should avoid it as much as possible.Īccording to the American Heart Association (AHA), the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a day are ( 9): Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to this question. What is a safe amount of sugar to eat per day? Sugar that’s added to processed foods is much more harmful to your health than the natural sugar in whole foods like fruits and vegetables. For instance, if you add honey to your oatmeal, your oatmeal contains added sugar from a natural source. Even the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting calories from added sugars to less than 10 percent of total calories per day ( 2).Īlso, remember that added sugars can also include natural sugars. To optimize your health, do your best to avoid foods that contain added sugars.

The most common added sugars are regular table sugar (sucrose) and high fructose corn syrup.

Naturally occurring sugars are absolutely fine, but the same does not apply to added sugar.Īdded sugar is the main ingredient in candy and abundant in many processed foods, such as soft drinks and baked products. These foods contain water, fiber, and various micronutrients. It’s very important to make the distinction between added sugars and sugars that occur naturally in foods like fruits and vegetables.

Sugar & Spice by Lisa Swinton