Each of the cubes in the image represents one teaspoon of sugar. To figure out how much sugar is in your food/drink, look at the nutrition facts and divide the number of grams of sugar by 4. This gives the number of teaspoons, PER SERVING. For example, if a product has 12g of sugar per serving, that equals 3 teaspoons.
You'd be surprised how much sugar is added in processed foods. The nutrition facts for Kashi's "Heart to Heart" instant oatmeal in raisin-spice flavor lists 16g of sugar. That's 4 teaspoons of sugar per bowl! Way more than you would add yourself if you started with plain oats and made your own bowl of oatmeal from scratch. I don't even add sugar to mine. The dried fruit, cinnamon, and sliced almonds add plenty of flavor.
Another shocker: Yoplait Original Strawberry Yogurt has 26 grams of sugar! In one tiny cup, it packs 6.5 teaspoons of sugar. That's like half the container! You are much better off starting with plain yogurt and adding the sugar yourself. When you sweeten things yourself, you'll realize that you don't need to add that much sugar.
Another conversion you can use is grams to calories. Each gram of sugar contains 4 calories. 26 x 4 = 104. So 104 out of the 170 calories per Yoplait yogurt comes from sugar!
I'm not advocating artificial sweeteners to cut down on sugar. Nor am I against occasional desserts. Just be aware that unexpected foods can contain a lot of sugar. Be aware of how much sugar you're eating, and try to minimize it, naturally.
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4 comments:
pssst... hey lisa... why should we cut down our sugar intake? :P
this is another good post. this question was the first that came to mind.
I love your questions!
Sugar isn't always bad, but so many foods in the States are packed with added sugar, and often times in hidden places, like ketchup and bread. As a result, many are addicted to it. Some don't feel satisfied without something sweet at the end of a meal, or the first thing they reach for when they're hungry is something sweet. I used to be like that, but after cutting back on unnecessary sugar, I have more energy. When we eat something sweet, we get a quick sugar high, but then we feel drowsy afterwards. Not relying on sugar keeps our energy and mood stable.
Added sugar is also a source of empty calories, meaning there are no beneficial nutrients that come with it. Too much sugar also raises your risk of diabetes and obesity. Some say it even increases risk of heart disease and cancer.
When I want to add a little sweetness, I like to use honey or agave nectar. Although they still contain sugars, they're not as processed as white sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
I hope that helps instead of confusing you more! :)
the picture grosses me out but i can't stop drinking coke :(
there's sugar in ketchup? i need to take a closer look haha
this is great info. my grandmother had diabetes so i definitely want to keep my risk factors down.
you are always very helpful lisa. thanks.
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