Sugary foods and drinks include all items that are rich in added sugar such as cakes, ice-cream, biscuits, sweets, chocolate, soft drinks, pastries and puddings. At the same time as being high in sugar they will often be high in fat as well (particularly saturated and trans fats, which are linked with a range of chronic health problems).
Foods which are high in sugar can be perfectly acceptable components of a healthy, balanced diet providing they are not consumed in large quantities or too frequently. As occasional treats they provide energy and make the diet more varied, palatable and convenient. Too much, however, contributes to unwanted weight gain (and all the health risks associated with this), fluctuations in energy levels (characterised by extreme highs and lows), mood swings and tooth decay.
How Much Sugar is Too Much?
There is no RDA (recommended daily amount) for sugar in the diet, as setting such a value would suggest that an individual has to achieve the specified intake in order to maintain good health, but this is not the case. Previously, the UK Panel on Dietary Reference Values proposed that the population's average daily intake of added sugar should not exceed 60g, but this now seems alot in light of the American Heart Association's new guidelines. They are recommending that a woman's daily intake of added sugar should not exceed 25g (6 teaspoons providing 100kcal) and a man's daily intake should not be in excess of 37.5g (9 teaspoons providing 150kcal). Start reading food labels and you will soon see that sticking to these guidelines is no easy feat.
UK guidelines are not so stringent proposing that no more than 11% of energy in the diet come from added sugars, but what does this mean in practical terms?
Sugar-rich and fat-rich foods should comprise no more than about one-twelfth of the total volume of the diet. This allows for up to one modest treat each day, i.e. one small bar of chocolate OR one small slice of cake OR one scoop of ice-cream.
Obviously there will be occasions where you have more than one portion of sugary food/drink in a day and this is generally fine as long as it is an infrequent occurrence. Try to maintain overall dietary balance by excluding any sugary treats from the preceding or following day (or days depending on the degree of indulgence!), but make sure this all-or-nothing habit does not become your normal routine. Balance and moderation, without doubt, form the solid foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.
Cutting Down on Sugar
Advice given to help reduce the amount of added sugar in the diet is often very simple, but nevertheless can be extremely effective. Helpful hints include to:
- Plan ahead - At the beginning of the day have a rough idea what you are going to eat and when. Stock up on healthy ingredients and snacks to have at hand.
- Choose fruit - As much as possible turn to fruit to satisfy the urge for something sweet.
- Have fewer sugary drinks - Not only are these dreadful for dental health, they also rate very high in the empty calorie stakes by providing lots of calories but very few beneficial nutrients. Instead, opt for plenty of water, unsweetened herbal teas, and pure fruit juices diluted with still or sparkling water.
- Start comparing food labels. Anything with less than 5g of sugar per 100g is considered low in sugar, whilst anything containing more than 15g per 100g is high.
- If you tend to add sugar to things like tea, coffee and cereals gradually reduce the amount you use. It may take a while for your taste buds to adapt, but in time they will change.
- Try not to rely on artificially sweetened alternatives. Research suggests that for many people these can significantly increase sugar cravings.
For more useful information refer to websites for the UK Food Standards Agency or the British Nutrition Foundation.
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