Sugar and the Holidays
Are all sugars bad?
No, but sugars add calories and zero nutrients to food. Adding a limited amount of sugars to foods that provide important nutrients—such as whole-grain cereal, flavored milk or yogurt—to improve their taste, especially for children, is a better use of added sugars than nutrient-poor, highly sweetened foods.
How can I tell by looking at a Nutritions Facts panel if a product has added sugars?
Current nutrition labels don’t list the amount of added sugars (alone) in a product. The line for “sugars” you see on a nutrition label includes both added and naturally occurring sugars in the product. Naturally occurring sugars are found in milk (lactose) and fruit (fructose). Any product that contains milk (such as yogurt, milk, cream) or fruit (fresh, dried) contains some natural sugars. But you can read the ingredient list on a processed food’s label to tell if the product contains added sugars. Names for added sugars on labels include:Brown sugar, Corn sweetener, Corn syrup,Sugar molecules ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose), High-fructose corn syrup, Fruit juice concentrates, Honey, Invert sugar, Malt sugar, Molasses, Raw sugar, Sugar and Syrup.
What are added sugars?
Added sugars (or added sweeteners) include natural sugars (such as white sugar, brown sugar and honey) as well as other caloric sweeteners that are chemically manufactured (such as high fructose corn syrup).
Why are sugars added to food?
Sugars are often added to food during processing to improve the taste of certain foods.
What does the AHA recommend as a limit for daily added sugars intake?
Your daily discretionary calorie allowance consists of calories available after meeting nutrient needs—these calories don’t contribute to weight gain. The American Heart Association recommends that no more than half of your daily discretionary calorie allowance come from added sugars. For most American women, this is no more than 100 calories per day and no more than 150 per day for men (or about 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 teaspoons a day for men). Sugar’s primary role in the body is to provide energy (calories). To get the nutrients you need, eat a diet that’s rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, poultry and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Typically, foods high in added sugars do not have the nutrients the body needs and only contain extra calories.
How many calories are in 1 teaspoon (tsp) of sugar?
One teaspoon (tsp) of sugar has about 4 grams of sugar and 16 calories.
What foods and beverages are the main sources of added sugars in Americans' diets?
Regular soft drinks; sugars and candy; cakes, cookies, pies; fruit drinks (fruitades and fruit punch); dairy desserts and milk products (ice cream, sweetened yogurt, and sweetened milk); and other grains (cinnamon toast and honey-nut waffles). Regular soft drinks; sugars and candy; cakes, cookies, pies; fruit drinks (fruitades and fruit punch); dairy desserts and milk products (ice cream, sweetened yogurt, and sweetened milk); and other grains (cinnamon toast and honey-nut waffles).
To learn more about sugar, click here: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Frequently-Asked-Questions-About-Sugar_UCM_306725_Article.jsp
To donate to the Go Red for Women Campaign, click here tto help: http://www.goredforwomen.org/WearRedDay/donate/advocatedonationform.html?kwoAdvocateId=3YGPPJ3
Janet Bolin
No, but sugars add calories and zero nutrients to food. Adding a limited amount of sugars to foods that provide important nutrients—such as whole-grain cereal, flavored milk or yogurt—to improve their taste, especially for children, is a better use of added sugars than nutrient-poor, highly sweetened foods.
How can I tell by looking at a Nutritions Facts panel if a product has added sugars?
Current nutrition labels don’t list the amount of added sugars (alone) in a product. The line for “sugars” you see on a nutrition label includes both added and naturally occurring sugars in the product. Naturally occurring sugars are found in milk (lactose) and fruit (fructose). Any product that contains milk (such as yogurt, milk, cream) or fruit (fresh, dried) contains some natural sugars. But you can read the ingredient list on a processed food’s label to tell if the product contains added sugars. Names for added sugars on labels include:Brown sugar, Corn sweetener, Corn syrup,Sugar molecules ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose), High-fructose corn syrup, Fruit juice concentrates, Honey, Invert sugar, Malt sugar, Molasses, Raw sugar, Sugar and Syrup.
What are added sugars?
Added sugars (or added sweeteners) include natural sugars (such as white sugar, brown sugar and honey) as well as other caloric sweeteners that are chemically manufactured (such as high fructose corn syrup).
Why are sugars added to food?
Sugars are often added to food during processing to improve the taste of certain foods.
What does the AHA recommend as a limit for daily added sugars intake?
Your daily discretionary calorie allowance consists of calories available after meeting nutrient needs—these calories don’t contribute to weight gain. The American Heart Association recommends that no more than half of your daily discretionary calorie allowance come from added sugars. For most American women, this is no more than 100 calories per day and no more than 150 per day for men (or about 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 teaspoons a day for men). Sugar’s primary role in the body is to provide energy (calories). To get the nutrients you need, eat a diet that’s rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, poultry and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Typically, foods high in added sugars do not have the nutrients the body needs and only contain extra calories.
How many calories are in 1 teaspoon (tsp) of sugar?
One teaspoon (tsp) of sugar has about 4 grams of sugar and 16 calories.
What foods and beverages are the main sources of added sugars in Americans' diets?
Regular soft drinks; sugars and candy; cakes, cookies, pies; fruit drinks (fruitades and fruit punch); dairy desserts and milk products (ice cream, sweetened yogurt, and sweetened milk); and other grains (cinnamon toast and honey-nut waffles). Regular soft drinks; sugars and candy; cakes, cookies, pies; fruit drinks (fruitades and fruit punch); dairy desserts and milk products (ice cream, sweetened yogurt, and sweetened milk); and other grains (cinnamon toast and honey-nut waffles).
To learn more about sugar, click here: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Frequently-Asked-Questions-About-Sugar_UCM_306725_Article.jsp
To donate to the Go Red for Women Campaign, click here tto help: http://www.goredforwomen.org/WearRedDay/donate/advocatedonationform.html?kwoAdvocateId=3YGPPJ3
Janet Bolin
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