Eating too much sugar is a common concern, and it’s widely known to contribute to weight gain and tooth decay. However, understanding the nuances of sugar in our diet is key to making informed choices. In the UK, like many Western countries, a significant portion of sugar intake comes from “free sugars,” which are the types we need to be most mindful of.
Free sugars are defined as sugars added to foods and drinks by manufacturers, cooks, or consumers, as well as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and smoothies. These include the obvious culprits in sugary drinks, confectionery, and processed foods, but also extend to seemingly healthier options like fruit juices and honey due to the way these sugars are processed by the body. It’s important to distinguish these from the sugars found naturally in whole fruits, vegetables, and milk, which are not classified as free sugars and are part of a healthy diet.
How Much Sugar is Too Much? Daily Recommendations
Health guidelines recommend limiting free sugar intake to no more than 5% of your daily energy (calorie) intake. This translates to specific daily limits:
- Adults: No more than 30 grams of free sugars per day (approximately 7 sugar cubes).
- Children (7-10 years): No more than 24 grams of free sugars per day (6 sugar cubes).
- Children (4-6 years): No more than 19 grams of free sugars per day (5 sugar cubes).
- Children under 4: While there isn’t a specific limit, it’s advised to avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and foods with added sugar altogether to establish healthy eating habits early on.
It’s easy to exceed these limits without realizing it. Many common Sugar Foods, such as sweets, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, and fizzy drinks, are packed with free sugars. For example, a single can of cola can contain as much as 9 sugar cubes – exceeding the daily recommended limit for adults in one drink!
While naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables, and milk are not considered “free sugars” and are part of a balanced diet, it’s crucial to remember that they are still counted in the “total sugars” figure on nutrition labels. Understanding how to interpret these labels is vital for managing your overall sugar consumption.
Practical Tips to Reduce Sugar Foods in Your Diet
Cutting down on sugar foods doesn’t have to be drastic. Small, sustainable changes can make a big difference to your overall health. Here are some practical tips to reduce your intake of free sugars in both drinks and foods:
Smart Swaps for Sugary Drinks
Sugary drinks are a major source of free sugars for many people. Making simple swaps can significantly reduce your sugar intake:
- Choose water: Replace sugary fizzy drinks and squashes with water. Staying hydrated is essential, and water is the healthiest choice.
- Low-fat milk: Opt for lower-fat milk. While milk naturally contains sugar (lactose), it’s not a free sugar and milk provides essential nutrients like calcium. Choosing lower-fat versions helps reduce saturated fat intake.
- Sugar-free alternatives: Select sugar-free, diet, or no-added-sugar drinks. Be mindful of artificial sweeteners and consume them in moderation.
- Limit fruit juice and smoothies: Even unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies are high in free sugars once the fruit’s structure is broken down. Limit intake to a maximum of 150ml a day. Dilute fruit juice with water to further reduce sugar concentration.
- Sparkling water with no-added-sugar squash: For a fizzy alternative, try diluting no-added-sugar squash with sparkling water.
- Gradually reduce sugar in hot drinks and cereals: If you add sugar to tea, coffee, or breakfast cereal, gradually decrease the amount until you can eliminate it entirely. Consider using a sweetener as a temporary alternative if needed, but aim to reduce reliance on sweet tastes overall.
Healthier Food Choices to Lower Sugar
Reducing sugar in your food choices involves being more mindful of ingredients and making smarter swaps:
- Toast toppings: Instead of high-sugar jams, marmalades, syrups, chocolate spreads, or honey on toast, try lower-fat spreads, reduced-sugar jams or fruit spreads, sliced banana, or lower-fat cream cheese.
- Read nutrition labels: Become a label reader! Check nutrition labels to identify foods lower in added sugar. Opt for reduced-sugar or lower-sugar versions of your favorite products when available.
- Reduce sugar in recipes: Experiment with reducing the amount of sugar in your home-cooked recipes. This works well for many dishes, except for specific items like jam, meringues, and ice cream where sugar is crucial for texture and preservation.
- Canned fruit in juice: Choose canned fruit packed in juice rather than syrup, which is loaded with added sugar.
- Unsweetened breakfast cereals: Select unsweetened wholegrain breakfast cereals that are not frosted or coated with chocolate or honey.
- Add fruit for sweetness: Choose unsweetened cereal and add fresh fruit like sliced bananas, berries, or dried fruit (in moderation) for sweetness. This also boosts your fruit intake and contributes to your “5 a day.”
Decoding Nutrition Labels for Sugar Content
Understanding nutrition labels is essential for making informed choices about sugar foods. Labels provide information on both the front and back of packaging.
Back-of-Pack Labels: “Of Which Sugars”
Focus on the “of which sugars” figure within the carbohydrate section on the back of food packaging. This indicates the total amount of sugars present in the product, including both free sugars and naturally occurring sugars. While it doesn’t differentiate between them, it’s a valuable tool for comparing products and choosing options lower in overall sugar.
Sugar Level Thresholds (per 100g of product):
- High: More than 22.5g of total sugars.
- Medium: Between 5g and 22.5g of total sugars.
- Low: 5g or less of total sugars.
Remember that the “of which sugars” figure represents the total sugar from all sources. For example, plain yogurt may contain sugar from milk (lactose), and fruit contains natural sugars. These are not free sugars, but are included in the total. Therefore, a product with a moderate “of which sugars” value might still be a healthier choice if the sugar is primarily from natural sources like fruit or milk, rather than added free sugars.
To identify added sugars, check the ingredients list.
Ingredients List: Spotting Added Sugars
The ingredients list is crucial for identifying added sugars in sugar foods. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, meaning the ingredient present in the largest quantity is listed first. If “sugar” or other names for added sugars appear near the top of the list, the product is likely high in free sugars.
Common Names for Added Sugars to Watch Out For:
- Cane sugar
- Honey
- Brown sugar
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Fruit juice concentrate/purées
- Corn syrup
- Fructose
- Sucrose
- Glucose
- Crystalline sucrose
- Nectars (e.g., blossom nectar)
- Maple syrup
- Agave syrup
- Dextrose
- Maltose
- Molasses
- Treacle
Front-of-Pack Labels: Quick Sugar Guidance
Front-of-pack labels offer a quick visual guide to sugar content, often using color-coding:
- Red: High in sugar (more than 22.5g per 100g or 27g per portion).
- Amber: Medium in sugar (more than 5g but less than or equal to 22.5g per 100g).
- Green: Low in sugar (less than or equal to 5g per 100g).
Some labels also display sugar content as a percentage of the Reference Intake (RI). The RI for total sugars is 90g per day, including 30g of free sugars. These labels provide a snapshot of whether a food is high, medium, or low in sugar, helping you make quick, healthier choices.
Sugar Foods, Weight Gain, and Your Health
Excessive consumption of sugar foods contributes to a high calorie intake, which, if not balanced by physical activity, leads to weight gain. Being overweight or obese significantly increases the risk of serious health problems, including:
- Heart disease: Excess sugar can contribute to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and inflammation, all risk factors for heart disease.
- Certain cancers: Obesity, often linked to high sugar diets, is associated with an increased risk of several types of cancer.
- Type 2 diabetes: High sugar intake and weight gain are major contributors to insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes.
For a healthy and balanced diet, prioritize getting most of your calories from nutrient-rich foods like starchy carbohydrates (especially wholegrain options), fruits, and vegetables. Limit sugar foods high in free sugars to occasional treats or eliminate them altogether for optimal health. The Eatwell Guide provides a visual representation of a balanced diet and the recommended proportions of different food groups.
Sugar Foods and Tooth Decay: Protecting Your Smile
Sugar is a primary culprit in tooth decay. When you consume sugar foods, bacteria in your mouth feed on these sugars, producing acids that erode tooth enamel and lead to cavities.
To protect your teeth:
- Reduce free sugar intake: Limit sweets, chocolates, cakes, biscuits, sugary breakfast cereals, jams, honey, fruit smoothies, and dried fruit.
- Time your sugar intake: Confine sugary foods and drinks to mealtimes rather than snacking on them throughout the day. This reduces the frequency of acid attacks on your teeth.
- Be mindful of fruit juices and smoothies: While fruits themselves are healthy, juicing or blending them releases sugars, making them more harmful to teeth. Limit fruit juice and smoothie intake to a maximum of 150ml per day and consume them with meals.
- Avoid sugary drinks for children: Sugary squashes, fizzy drinks, soft drinks, and juice drinks have no place in a child’s daily diet. Encourage water, lower-fat milk, or sugar-free drinks instead.
Dried Fruit: A Sugary Snack for Teeth
Dried fruit, while providing some nutrients, is also high in concentrated sugars and sticky, making it particularly detrimental to teeth. It’s better for your dental health to consume dried fruit as part of a meal (e.g., in breakfast cereal or cooked dishes) rather than as a between-meal snack.
By understanding the different types of sugar foods, learning to read food labels, and implementing simple swaps, you can significantly reduce your free sugar intake and improve your overall health and well-being. Making informed choices about sugar is a crucial step towards a healthier lifestyle for you and your family.
