Reducing sugar in anyone’s diet can be tough. Today, we have an easy way to find out how much “added sugar” is in food. The new food label requires all manufactures to show the amount of sugar added to food in terms of grams of carbohydrates. This helps to separate added sugar in food from natural sugars.

The word gram is a measure of weight. One teaspoon of sugar equals 16 calories and is 4 grams of carbohydrates.

Added sugars are sugars and syrups added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared. This does not include natural sugars found in milk and fruits. Added sugar includes “sugar” but also other types of added syrup are:

Corn syrup

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Dextrose

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)

Honey

Invert sugar

Malt syrup

Maltose

Maple syrup

Molasses

Nectars (e.g., peach nectar)

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines recommend keeping our consumption of added to sugars to less than 10% of total calories. Added sugar gives us calories with no added nutrients. Ten percent of 2,000 calories is 200 calories.

Look at the food label and the serving size. Understand how much you are eating, then find the number of grams of added sugar. See how many teaspoons of sugar are in the serving of the food item.

Here are some tips to reduce sugar in your diet:

• Read the food label

• Know the ingredient names for added sugar

• Think about eating smaller portions.

Have a sweet tooth? Here is a recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth. It is a small amount of chocolate covering naturally sweet fruit. Enjoy!

Fudgy Fruit

6 teaspoons chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

2 banana (large, peeled and cut into quarters)

8 strawberries (large)

1⁄4 cup peanuts (chopped, unsalted)

Place chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 10 seconds and stir. Repeat until chocolate is melted, about 30 seconds.

Place fruit on a small tray covered with a piece of waxed paper. Use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate on top of the fruit.

Sprinkle the fruit with chopped nuts. Cover the fruit and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or until the chocolate hardens. Serve chilled.

Nutrition Corner Mary Ehret
https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Ehret.CMYK_-2.jpg.optimal.jpgNutrition Corner Mary Ehret

Mary R. Ehret, M.S.,R.D.,L.D.N., is the Nutrition Links Supervisor in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Carbon, Schuylkill, Sullivan and Bradford Counties for the Penn State Extension.