Does a spoonful of sugar help the medicine go down? While that adage certainly may be true, it doesn’t mean that a lot of sugar is a good thing. Today we’re going to discuss how much sugar is too much, and where to find hidden added sugars in our food.

Let’s start by talking about what sugar does for your body. The good news is sugar gives you energy, which we need to perform daily tasks in our lives. The bad news is that if you eat too much of it, it turns to fat. Fat can lead to inflammation and generally unhealthy bodies. 

How much sugar is too much?

For a person over the age of two, the MAXIMUM recommended amount of added sugar that should be consumed is seven teaspoons per day or approximately 30 grams. Please note that this is “added sugar,” which is not the same as the sugar you consume eating a piece of fruit.

You may think that seven teaspoons sound like a lot, but sugar is sneaky and can be found in many unexpected places. 

Let’s take a portion of healthy food, like yogurt, for example.

If you compare a cup of yogurt with fruit on the bottom and a cup of plain yogurt, it may surprise you that the yogurt with fruit has 9 grams of added sugar! The cup of plain yogurt has 0. 

Which should you pick?

Of course, we have to take taste into consideration, and most people find that yogurt with fruit tastes better than just plain yogurt. A great healthy alternative could be adding cut-up apples, blueberries, or strawberries to your yogurt. While fruit contains natural sugar, it also contains fiber which is good for your health. Adding fruit instead of purchasing yogurt with added sugar is a healthy yet flavorful alternative. 

Let’s compare two seemingly healthy drinks.

If you look at a lightly flavored seltzer water versus a flavored iced tea, you may think the tea is the better option since tea is generally considered a healthy beverage. However, the flavoring in the tea sneaks in a shocking amount of added sugar. In fact, some teas contain up to 36 grams of sugar! That’s over the entire maximum recommendation in one drink! 

As you can see, it can be tricky to see where sugar is hidden in foods that we consider healthy. It’s always very important to check the nutrition labels on a package anytime you consider buying that food.

In conclusion, we want to remind everyone that sugar is sweet but don’t be too sweet! 30 g of sugar is the max that you or your child should be taking in each day, but less is better. Kids under two should get no added sugar. Try to offer a sugarless alternative to your very young kids and add pureed or very cut-up fruit to make their food more flavorful. 

Remember that at The Wellness Center at Progress Pediatrics, our goal is to keep you and your child healthy. We want you to love your body and feel great in it. Please make an appointment with us today, so we can help you steer clear of those high sugar foods and work with you to create a plan that meets your goals. Make an appointment today!

To make an appointment, please visit:https://progressivepediatrics.com/wellness/

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