Download Sweet Treats Alternatives to Sugar

How to Limit Added Sugar
Sweet Treats
Sugar is found in foods in two ways: as naturally occurring and as added sugar. Naturally occurring sugars
occur in foods without being added in manufacturing or processing. Examples of this are the lactose in
milk or the fructose in fruit. Added sugars are any sugars or caloric sweeteners that are added to foods or
beverages during processing or preparation. Examples of added sugars might be the teaspoon of sugar you
add to your coffee or tea or the sweeteners added during manufacturing of food, like high fructose corn
syrup or cane sugar.
All sugars, both naturally occurring and processed, are simple carbohydrates that your body uses as energy.
Natural sugars are found in fruits, vegetables and dairy products. These foods provide nutritional benefits
including vitamins, minerals and fiber. Sugars are may also be added to food during preparation or processing
such as in desserts (candy cakes, cookies, and pies), regular soft drinks, fruit drinks, energy and sports drinks,
salad dressings and condiments, milk products and grain products such as breakfast cereal. Sugar is added
to improve taste and provide texture to baked goods, preserve foods such as in fruit jam, provide bulk to ice
cream and balance the flavor of acid ingredients such as vinegar. The latest government diet questionnaire
found the top sources of added sugars among children and adolescents were soda, fruit drinks, grain desserts,
dairy desserts and candy. Consuming too many calories from any source can contribute to overweight and
obesity. The US Dietary Guidelines recommend reducing the intake of added sugars and solid fats.
How to Find Sugar on a Food Label
Both natural and added sugars are included in the sugar listed on the nutrition facts label. Added sugars
that you may see on the ingredient list of a packaged food include: sugar, syrup, sucrose, dextrose, fructose,
lactose, maltose, sucrose, molasses, malt sugar, high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, nectars
such as peach or pear nectar, corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, corn sweetener or brown sugar.
Labeling Terms: What do they mean?
Sugar free: less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving. If you eat more than one serving, you could be
eating added sugars even though the label says “sugar free.”
Reduced Sugar or Less Sugar: at least 25% less sugar per serving compared to the traditional variety.
No Added Sugars or Without Added Sugars: no sugars or sugar-containing ingredients like juice
or dry fruit were added in making the product.
Low Sugar: not defined or allowed as a claim on food labels.
To figure out how many calories from sugars are in a serving, multiply the grams of sugar by four since
there are four calories in every gram. So if a product has 20 grams of sugar, it has 80 calories from sugar.
PCNA
Preventive Cardiovascular
Nurses Association
Healthy Eating Resources: How to Limit Added Sugar
©2013 PCNA
How to Limit Added Sugar
Sweet Treats
Recommendations
The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of added sugars you eat to no more than
100 calories or 6 teaspoons a day for women and no more than 150 calories or 9 teaspoons a day for men.
The average American in 2010 ate 23 teaspoons of sugar a day or about 367 calories down from a high in
1999 of 26 teaspoons and 422 calories. The Dietary Guidelines state “Reduce the intake of calories from solid
fats and added sugars and limit the consumption of foods that contain refined grains, especially refined
grain foods that contain solid fats, added sugars, and sodium.”
Alternatives to Sugar
Using non-nutritive sweeteners is one way to reduce sugar calories. There are many types of sugar substitutes
on the market. A great deal of research has been done on the benefits and possible risks of sugar substitutes.
They are some of the most studied food products and that research is continuing. One category of sugar
substitute that has received a great deal of research attention is non-nutritive sweeteners. Experts must
submit required research on the safety of non-nutritive sweeteners for human consumption. These sweeteners
are reviewed and approved as safe by the Food and Drug Administration prior to being sold.
Sweetener Type Ingredients/Brand Names
Characteristics
®
Non-Nutritive Acesulfame potassium (Sunett , Sweet • No calories;
One®) Aspartame (Equal®, NutraSweet®), • No promotion of tooth decay;
Sweeteners
Polyols
and Others
Nutritive
Sweeteners
Neotame, Saccharin (SugarTwin®,
Sweet’NLow®), Sucralose (Splenda®),
steviol glycosides (PureVia®, Truvia®)
Isomalt, Lactitol, Maltitol,
Mannitol, Sorbitol, Xylitol,
Erythritol, Tagatose
(Naturlose®)
Agave nectar, date sugar, fruit juice
concentrate, honey, maple syrup,
corn syrup, pancake syrup, molasses,
brown sugar and raw sugar.
• T
astes sweeter than sugar so small
amounts are needed for sweet flavor
• No promotion of tooth decay;
• Lower in calories than sugar;
• Isomalt, Lactitol, Sorbitol, Xylitol and
Maltitol have a potential laxative effect;
• Sorbitol in excess may cause abdominal pain,
gas and diarrhea.
• C
ontain calories and may promote
tooth decay like sugar
• Any food or beverage that contains fermentable
carbohydrates (sugars and some starches) can
play a role in the development of tooth decay,
if proper dental hygiene is not practiced.
• No health advantage over sugar
When choosing and using non-nutritive and nutritive sweeteners, choose wisely. Be sure to check the label
for calorie content. Foods that are sugar free may still contain calories and should be consumed in moderation.
PCNA
Preventive Cardiovascular
Nurses Association
Healthy Eating Resources: How to Limit Added Sugar
©2013 PCNA