It’s safe to say that we all agree that sugar should be consumed in moderation. We typically don’t allow our children to dump out their trick-or-treat bags and eat the entire contents in one night. As parents we are models to our children and what we feed and allow others to feed our children is important.
Imagine my surprise horror when I realized that my daughters’ school has provided COOKIES for afternoon snack four out of four days this week. I pick my girls up before snack each afternoon so they didn’t eat cookies as their afternoon snack, but there are 100+ children do did. My buttons were pushed and I am frustrated.
Let’s talk sugar. Sugar is:
- A carbohydrate
- Easy to acquire
- Comes in large portions (often as processed food)
- Tastes good
- Does not fill you up
- Low in valuable nutrients
- High in calories
What does One Gram of Sugar Look Like?
- There are 4 calories in one gram of sugar (source: Livestrong)
- One teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams and 16 calories (# grams of sugar X 4 = # of calories)
- If a product has 15 grams of sugar per serving, that’s 60 calories just from the sugar alone, not counting the other ingredients (15 grams x 4 = 60 calories)
- A single can of cola contains about nine teaspoons of sugar. NINE!
- U.S. adults consume 22.2 teaspoons of sugar a day — or 355 calories, according to a 2011 study (source: UPI)
How much Sugar Should We Consume Daily (According to the American Heart Association)
Children: 3 teaspoons (12 grams = 48 calories)
Adult Women: 5 teaspoons (20 grams = 80 calories)
Adult Men: 9 teaspoons (36 grams = 144 calories)
What is the Maximum Daily Recommended Amount of Sugar We Should Consume Daily
Children: Preschoolers with a daily caloric intake of 1,200 to 1,400 calories shouldn’t consume any more than 170 calories, or about 4 teaspoons, of added sugar a day. Children ages 4-8 with a daily caloric intake of 1,600 calories should consume no more than 130 calories, or about 3 teaspoons a day.
Adult Women: No more than 6.25 teaspoons/100 calories per day
Adult Men: No more than 9.375 teaspoons/150 calories per day
Let’s loop back to our kids for a minute. This is the juice box found in a Subway Kids Meal in Atlanta, Georgia in March of 2012.
Before doing my research I didn’t really question what my children were consuming. They don’t drink juice boxes often. But my eyes almost popped out of my head when I realized that this ONE juice box has 22 grams of sugar, which is 5.5 teaspoons of sugar. In that juice box – that says “No Sugar Added!!!!”
Before doing my research I could honestly say “I don’t know how much sugar we should be eating in a day.” But now I do know. What I found is a little terrifying as a girl who has a sweet tooth and a weakness for (bags of) marshmallows. As a parent and as a human I should know what I am putting into my body.
To curb sugar intake it is important to serve healthy foods that are rich in fiber, vitamins, and nutrients. Make good carbohydrate choices including whole grains, fruits, veggies, low fat milk and dairy products. There will be days when sweets are around and rather than be the terrible, no good, very bad parent allow some sweets in moderation followed by a healthy dose of EXERCISE! By being good role models our children are more likely to copy us. A healthier lifestyle can start today. I am in, are you?
Laura says
I was wondering the same thing about natural sugar which is in not just fruit but some vegetables and even milk.
Ricole Runs says
The thing I’m still most confused about, is how does natural sugar fit into the equation. A regular old apple, for instance, can have 15-23 grams of sugar in it (which is why that juice has so many grams of sugar even though it doesn’t have sugar added). I eat two apples a day, plus usually at least part of a banana and some berries. So from fruit alone, I am WAAYYYY past that recommendation from AHA. So how does that work?