Sugar. The latest buzz word when it comes to nutrition and healthy eating, and for good reason. We eat and drink waaaaay too much of it. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons/day of sugar for women and 9 teaspoons for men. That is 25 grams and 45 grams respectively. To put these amounts into perspective, 1 can of regular soda has about 8-9 teaspoons (or 39 grams) of sugar!
Limiting our sugar intake is an important step towards better health. A study in JAMA: Internal Medicine in April 2014 declared that a diet with too much sugar increases risk of death from cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. Cutting back should be as easy as skipping dessert, right? Not so fast. There is a slew of other foods sneakily contributing to our daily sugar intake.
Here are 3 ways sugar could be sneaking into your diet and what to do about it:
- Salad dressings: Ketchup-based salad dressing such as Thousand Island and French can have as much as 9-10 grams of sugar. In an effort to cut out fat, store-bought fat-free salad dressings are made with mostly water and often have significant amounts of high fructose corn syrup. You are better off making your own dressing at home. I fill these bottles with a combination of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. I keep a bottle in my fridge at work and use it on my salads throughout the week.
- Multigrain cereals or granola: Supposedly healthy breakfast choices, these can pack up to 15 grams of sugar in one cup. For example, Oats and Honey Protein Granola has 12 grams of sugar in just one half cup! If you have one cup in the morning with breakfast, you’ve already had 24 grams of sugar before lunch. Instead, look for cereals or granola with 5-6 grams of sugar such as certain Kashi cereals or even Cheerios.
- Fruit-flavored yogurt: Yogurt can be a great source of calcium and protein, but many of the flavored yogurts in the dairy aisle are full of sugar. Part of this sugar is from naturally occurring lactose but the rest is from added flavors designed to help mask the bitter taste of plain yogurt. For example, Yoplait Original Strawberry yogurt has 18 grams of sugar. Plain Greek yogurt is a better choice- one serving usually has 8-10 grams of naturally occurring sugar. Adding berries, bananas or a little honey can add subtle sweetness and flavor. I like Fage 2% – it also makes a great substitute for sour cream.
I realize that cutting back on sugar just isn’t this simple for most people. I LOVE desserts and have a killer sweet tooth. When I was little, my family joked I had a spare stomach for dessert and no matter how full I was, there was always room for a sweet treat after dinner. Over the years, as I’ve learned more about health, medicine and nutrition, I’ve become a big believer in moderation and intuitive eating. One of the food bloggers I follow regularly, Anne at Fannetastic Food, talks frequently about the power of intuitive eating. I highly recommend checking out a few of her posts, especially this one discussing sugar cravings. In future posts, I plan on sharing more about my favorite bloggers and how they have changed my nutrition and life for the better.
