We’ve heard it numerous times and from various sources “Americans consume too much sugar.”
But how much is actually too much sugar? After all, everything we eat isn’t technically sweet.
The American Heart Association suggests a daily maximum limit for added sugars, as displayed in the table below.
Most Men | 9 teaspoons | 36 grams | 150 calories |
Most Women | 6 teaspoons | 24 grams | 100 calories |
Most Children | 5 teaspoons or less | 23 grams or less | 99 calories or less |
Added sugars are the sugars and syrups put in food and drinks, such as the table sugar we add when baking a cake and the syrup added to the caramel macchiato from our go-to cafe. Those are the obvious products, but foods with a lot of sugar go beyond the obvious choices. For example, a lot of processed food contains added sugars. And now, with the updated nutrition facts label, it’s easier to identify if the sugar is naturally occurring or added.
So, let’s determine how much sugar is too much sugar.
Nicole wakes up each morning, gets ready for work, stops at her local cafe for a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese, and grabs a caramel macchiato. She tends to have a sandwich, an iced tea-sweetened lemonade, and a banana for lunch. Her dinner varies, but her favorite is a pasta dish like lasagna, a leafy vegetable, and a dinner roll. Is Nicole consuming too much sugar?
Breakfast | Cinnamon raisin bagel (10 grams) | Caramel machiato (15 grams) | Total (25 grams) |
Lunch | Sandwich (5 grams) | Lemonade (15 grams) | Total (20 grams) |
Dinner | Lasagna (3 grams) | Dinner roll (5 grams) | Total (8 grams) |
4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon
The items listed in the table include all of the added sugar Nicole consumes daily. Fifty-three grams of sugar is 100%+ more than the recommended amount of 24 grams for women. She had nearly 212 teaspoons of added sugar in 1 day.
Changing our eating habits can be challenging, especially if our food choices are connected to a routine or family tradition. However, there are many alternatives and other choices to swap much of the sugar consumed throughout the day. Start with finding options for one meal, and you will find yourself aligning your food choices with your health goals.