Sugar is found in virtually every food. Soft drinks and candy contain a lot of it, but it also hides in frozen foods, ready-made soups, and even healthy foods that are thought to be good for you. Sugar is fine if taken in moderation; however, excessive doses cause weight gain which can lead to diabetes, hypertension or heart disease. To understand how much you eat each day, you need to read the labels and write down what you eat daily. Once you understand how much sugar you bring to your diet each day, you can decide whether or not to reduce the dose.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Read Food Labels
Step 1. Look for the portion indication
No matter what food it is or what nutrient you are tracking, the first thing you need to do is figure out what a serving size or weight is.
- This is one of the first pieces of information listed on the nutrition facts label, under the heading "Nutrition Facts".
- Report the weight / volume of a portion of food and the number of portions contained in the package.
- If the product is sold in single serving format, you may read "one serving" or "single serving".
- All information listed in the nutrition facts section refers to one serving. Consequently, if there are several servings in the package, you must consume only one to respect the described amounts of nutrients.
Step 2. Find the "total carbohydrates"
It is one of the main nutrients that is indicated with a bold title on the label.
- Total carbohydrates are typically found after sodium and before protein.
- This group includes the sugar, fiber and starches (which are not described) contained in the food you are eating.
- High doses of sugar increase total carbohydrate levels.
Step 3. Pay attention to the amount of sugar
Once you have identified the total carbohydrates, you can read the total amount of sugar present in a portion of the product.
- Note this value. If you consume more than one serving, multiply the amount of sugar by the number of meals you ate. For example, if one serving contains 5g of sugar, but you ate three, you consumed 15g of sugar in total.
- Remember that to date the dose of sugar reported in the nutritional information includes both natural and added sugar. You need to read the ingredients list to see if there are any sugars added to the food.
Step 4. Read the ingredients list
Unfortunately, food companies can add a lot of sugar without this being disclosed on the nutrition label.
- The ingredients list can be found just below or next to the nutrition facts section.
- The list is drawn up in a descending order of prevalence. For example, the first ingredient is present in larger quantities, while the last one is the one with a minimal dose.
- Study the entire list and look for any added sugars. At this stage you cannot know how many grams of sugar are added and how many are naturally present in the food.
Step 5. Calculate the sugar found in homemade products
If you cook a lot at home, you don't have a list of nutritional values to consult to calculate sugar doses; in this case, you must use the recipe as a guideline.
- Remember to carefully measure the exact amount of sugar you add (especially if it is a recipe of your own invention or if you change it during the preparation).
- Research the sugar content of the ingredients you use. For example, chocolate chips or peanut butter contain sugar. Look at the labels on these products or do some research online to find out more.
- For example, if you're making cookies, add up the entire amount of sugar you added to make the dough. If you are making 30 cookies using 200g of sugar, you can divide the total dose by the number of treats and find the sugar content in each - each cookie has about 6.7g of sugar.
- Many food apps for mobile devices allow you to type in the doses of the recipe and then calculate the amounts of nutrients per serving, including sugars.
Part 2 of 3: Calculate Total Sugar Intake
Step 1. Keep a food diary
Whenever you want to check certain components of the diet, it is worth writing them down in a diary. This continuous counting allows you to get a good picture of what you are eating.
- Use a notebook, start an online diary or use a smartphone app. Sometimes, the online versions or applications allow you to know your total sugar intake in a simple way, as they do most of the calculations.
- Write down everything you eat and drink throughout the day; every meal, snack, drink, and even small bites as you cook. By recording everything that goes into the stomach, you can get a more accurate final value.
- Try to weigh or measure foods (especially those that aren't easy to portion out) to keep a true count.
- Always keep your diary handy, so you don't forget to write down what you eat when you are not at home.
Step 2. Add up the amounts of sugar you have consumed
As the day goes by, add up the amounts of sugars found in each meal, snack, or drink.
- Calculating the amount of sugar you've consumed at the end of the day allows you to make some dietary changes. For example, if you want to reduce your sugar intake because you have found that it is too high, you can skip the afternoon snack.
- Use an online food database or app to find out how much sugar is in foods that don't have a nutrition label.
- Try to monitor your total sugar intake for a whole week, including Saturdays and Sundays; this way, you have a more complete picture of your typical diet. You can even calculate the daily average of sugar consumption, as it can fluctuate a bit.
Step 3. Distinguish added sugars from natural ones
While you are keeping track of all the sugar you eat, it may be helpful to check the doses of added and natural sugar.
- Consult the food label to understand which types they contain. The added sugar could be referred to as: sugar, brown sugar, rice syrup, corn syrup, agave syrup, sugar cane juice, honey, high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup concentrate.
- Natural sugars, although they are always sugars, generally have benefits. For example, there is sugar in fruit (fructose) and dairy products (lactose); however, fruit is also high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, while dairy products have protein and calcium, all of which are important nutrients these foods are worth consuming for.
- Added sugars are usually integrated during food processing. An example is the one that is incorporated into sweets, candies and soft drinks. Unlike natural ones, they have no nutritional value.
- Some foods have both natural and added sugars; in this case, it is difficult to understand the exact doses of both. For example, regular apple puree contains added sugars, in addition to the natural ones of the fruit.
Part 3 of 3: Change Your Sugar Intake
Step 1. Limit added sugars
If you have kept a food diary, monitored your sugar intake and noticed that it is excessive, you should reduce your daily consumption.
- Cutting down on added ones is an easy way to get started. The foods that are enriched with it are the easiest to identify and by limiting the consumption you can drastically lower the daily intake of this substance.
- Avoid sweetened drinks such as coffee-based drinks, sodas, fruit juices, spirits, energy drinks, and sports drinks.
- Don't eat sweet foods like candy, cookies, ice cream, cakes, pastries, sweetened nut butter, honey, agave syrup, and maple syrup.
- Don't use condiments and sauces like ketchup, tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, or spicy Mexican sauce.
- Pay attention to dietary or low-fat foods. Many foods are processed to be low calorie or low in fat, but the ingredients that are eliminated are often replaced with larger doses of sugar or salt. Read reviews of some of your favorite "diet" or "lean" foods to see if they contain added sugar.
Step 2. Check for natural sugar
While some of them have nutritional benefits, they can still have negative side effects when taken in excessive quantities.
- Natural sugars are found in foods such as dairy products (especially milk and yogurt), fruits and some starchy vegetables (sweet potatoes, peas and carrots).
- You don't necessarily have to reduce your consumption of these foods, but the portions you eat should stick to the recommended size.
- For example, a diabetic who eats 4-5 servings of fruit a day may have a harder time managing their blood sugar due to the fructose they eat.
Step 3. Consider alternative sweeteners
There is conflicting evidence regarding artificial sweeteners and calorie-free ones. However, if you really want to decrease your sugar intake, but still want to satisfy your palate with sweet foods or drinks, you can evaluate these products.
- Always ask your doctor for advice before adding artificial sugars or other ingredients to your diet. The doctor is able to assess whether they are appropriate products for your current health condition.
- While some sweeteners are sold under the label "calorie-free," you shouldn't overdo it anyway. There are no long-term studies on the safety of large doses; moreover, an excess of these sweeteners causes some side effects (such as migraine) in predisposed subjects.
