Sugar…It’s in Everything!

According to Statistics Canada, the average Canadian consumes 26 teaspoons of sugar per day. That works out to 40 kilograms per year, or 20 bags.

Health Canada does not have a recommended limit for how much sugar Canadians should consume in a day. That gives the food industry license to put any amount into any food they want, and with no daily recommended intake, it makes it hard to know if you’ve reached your limit.

Processed sugar contains no vitamins, minerals, or fibres, and raises your blood sugar levels.  Sugar will also disrupt your hormones and promotes free radicals, which can lead to cell damage and contribute to chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.  Sugar actually speeds up the aging process!

Sugar hides in most processed foods. Of the estimated 600,000 commercial food products, about 80% contain added sugar, so cooking from scratch  is the first step towards eliminating sugar in your diet.

The next step is to understand how to read the nutritional labels found on food products.  Consider all carbohydrates and sugar as the same thing.  All carbohydrates metabolize as blood glucose; whether is’ “good” carbohydrates, from whole grains, or “bad” carbohydrates from white rice.

Remember the golden rule: 4 grams of carbohydrates OR 4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Using this equation (divide the grams by four) you can easily look at the grams per serving for any food product for carbohydrates/sugar and convert this to a measurement of teaspoons.   This simply conversion will help you visualize how many teaspoons of sugar are actually being consumed and help you make healthier choices.

Even small changes can make the difference. Try offering plain yogurt with real fruit mixed in, and not the standard flavored yogurt which is extremely high in sugar.  You can also take any cookie/cake recipe, and reduce the amount of sugar by one third without affecting the taste or texture.  Try substituting apple sauce or honey for sugar in most recipes for a healthier choice.

Here is an example of some hidden sugar:  A homemade chicken sandwich with a glass of milk.

2 slices of 100% whole wheat bread = 6.8 tsp

2 tbsp Miracle whip = .5tsp

Lettuce = zero

Chicken breast = zero

1 cup of 3.25% Milk = 5.2 tsp

Total:  12.5 tsp of sugar

 A homemade chicken sandwich with a glass of milk is still a healthy lunch….. but definitely food for thought.