Healthy eating
Sugar and sweet drinks: where it hides and how to cut back
- Published
The World Health Organization advises keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy, and suggests that going below 5% may bring further benefits. For an adult eating about 2,000 kcal a day, 10% is about 50 grams, roughly 12 teaspoons, and 5% is about 25 grams.
What counts as free sugars
Free sugars are the sugars added to food and drinks by the manufacturer, the cook or you, plus the sugars in honey, syrups and fruit juices. The sugars inside whole fruit, vegetables and milk do not count.
Where sugar hides
- Several cups a day of tea or coffee with sugar.
- Soft drinks, energy drinks and packaged juices.
- Sweets (mishti), cakes, biscuits and pastries.
- Sweet yoghurt (mishti doi), payesh and other desserts.
Practical ways to cut back
- Reduce the sugar in tea gradually, half a spoon at a time.
- Drink water instead of soft drinks, and eat whole fruit instead of juice.
- Keep sweets for special occasions, and share them.
- Read labels: glucose, sucrose and syrups are sugars too.
People with diabetes need a plan that fits their treatment. Do not change diabetes medicine or insulin because of a change in diet without your doctor.
This article is general information, not personal advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or take regular medicine, ask your doctor or a dietitian before making major changes to your diet.
Sources
- World Health Organization. Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children. 2015.