4 tips to help reduce your added sugar intake right now

If you are trying to consume a more nutrient-dense diet, reducing your intake of added sugar may be an important first step.

Added sugars from foods and drinks deliver excess calories with minimal nutritional value. Research shows that consuming too much added sugar increases the risk of developing chronic medical conditions like obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders. Simple everyday strategies can help you eat less sugar, but there may be more the food industry could be doing to make reducing sugar consumption easier.

The average American adult consumes about 17 teaspoons of added sugar daily. According to the American Heart Association, women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar daily and men should limit added sugar to 9 teaspoons (36 grams) or less per day.

Added sugars include those that are added in the processing of foods, syrups and honey, sugars from concentrated fruit and vegetable juices as well as sweeteners like table sugar. While some common sources of added sugars are easy to spot like sugar-sweetened drinks, desserts, pastries and sweet snacks, others like breakfast cereals, granola bars, flavored dairy products, salad dressing and packaged fruit can be surprisingly high in added sugar. Keep in mind that the Nutrition Facts food label differentiates between total sugar and added sugar in packaged foods.

To start reducing your added sugar intake now, here are four simple steps to get going:

1. Read the food label. Take a look at the Nutrition Facts food label to compare products and choose items with lower amounts of added sugar. Swapping out a yogurt that you consume regularly that contains 24 grams of added sugar with one that only contains 8 grams of added sugar can make a big difference.

2. Pay attention to serving sizes. The nutrient information on the food label is typically listed per single serving. So if you eat two and a half servings of a product that specifies added sugar as 10 grams on the food label, for example, then you are actually getting 25 grams of added sugar from that food.

3. Be aware of hidden sugars. In the ingredient list, sugar may be called other names like high fructose corn syrup, concentrated apple juice, honey, cane sugar and more. Products with any kind of sugar listed as one of the first three ingredients are likely quite high in sugar.

4. Opt for whole foods. Whole and minimally processed foods like vegetables, fruit, whole grains, plain dairy products and beans contain natural sugars, which are not linked to the same negative health effects as added sugars.

In 2020, Mexico passed a law requiring food manufacturers to place front-of-package nutrition warning labels on products containing excess amounts of certain nutrients to limit including added sugar. Subsequent studies on the impact of these black-and-white warning labels have found them to be successful in encouraging healthier eating behaviors. At the same time, Mexico passed a ban on cartoon characters on these food products to help curb unhealthy eating habits, particularly in children. These efforts simultaneously make spotting less healthy choices easier while reducing the appeal of these products to young children.

While the Nutrition Facts food label and ingredients list on the back of food packages are helpful tools for those who understand how to use them, they may not be enough. Front-of-package warning labels could help U.S. consumers steer away from unhealthy products with less effort. Implementing a combination of strategies is likely the best approach to help adults and children alike reduce their intake of added sugars for better health.

LeeAnn Weintraub, MPH, RD is a registered dietitian, providing nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and organizations. She can be reached by email at RD@halfacup.com.