First things first, how many grams of sugar per day are actually OK?
“For women, the daily recommended allowance [of sugar] is six teaspoons, and for men, nine teaspoons. Children should have less than six teaspoons per day,” says Nicole Avena, PhD, a research neuroscientist, food addiction expert, and author of What to Feed Your Baby and Toddler. There are roughly four grams of sugar per teaspoon, meaning women and children should get no more than 25 grams of added sugar each day (those under 2 should get no added sugar) and men should get no more than 36 grams per day. “It’s important to note that sugar provides no nutritional value,” Avena adds. “It’s simply empty calories, devoid of vitamins, minerals, protein, or fiber.” So how much is the average American actually getting? “The American Heart Association says American adults get, on average, 77 grams a day or 60 pounds a year,” says Mark Drucker, MD, a doctor specializing in preventative medicine, healthy aging, and natural hormone therapies. “Children are getting more: 81 grams per day or 65 pounds a year, which, while only a modest increase, is much worse since children are smaller.”
Sugar substitutes are not get-out-of-jail-free cards
While sugar substitutes can be beneficial and safe, they can also mess with your metabolism and fuel hunger. “Substitutes can help people who are dieting, who suffer from diabetes (because some artificial sweeteners don’t cause a sharp spike in blood sugar), and those who are worried about cavities and tooth decay caused by sugar,” says Avena. Just like with regular white sugar, Avena underlines that it’s very important to consume artificial sweeteners in moderation and get most of your calories from whole foods. But how to do this? Read on for expert-approved tactics for eating (and drinking) less sugar. “You can also try to replace that craving with a healthy substitute,” says Kien Vuu, MD, a performance and longevity doctor and the author of Thrive State. Whenever I experience a craving, I’ll either go for a walk or sip on sparkling water. I find that if I don’t act on my initial craving and allow some time to pass, my craving will usually dissipate on its own." When flavored water doesn’t do the trick, Cassetty tells her clients that one of the easiest ways to lower your added sugar intake is to swap out your usual dessert for something like Lily’s Sweets. “They’re botanically sweetened chocolate treats with no added sugar. A sweet like this doesn’t count toward your daily added sugar intake.” Note, however, even botanically sweetened treats—aka stevia-sweetened ones—should be consumed in moderation, as previously mentioned. RELATED: 9 Good-for-You Dessert Ingredients That Taste Sweet, Without All the Sugar In fact, according to Dr. Drucker, manufacturers add sugar to 74 percent of packaged foods! “Sugar is the most popular ingredient added to packaged foods; a breakfast bar made with ‘real fruit and whole grains’ may contain 15 grams or more of added sugar—sugar is literally hidden everywhere in our food supply. Adults, children, toddlers and even babies are unknowingly conditioned to desire sugar.” Making a habit of checking ingredient labels will open your eyes to just how much sugar is added to some of the most unexpected foods. In the same vein, it’s worth noting that sweetened drinks, like soda, lemonade and sports drinks, are the number-one source of added sugar in our diets. “One of the best things you can do is to trade your sugary drink for an unsweetened one,” says Cassetty. “If you have trouble doing this, you can start by cutting the amount you drink, for instance, by having a soda every other day instead of every day. Then, continue to reduce the amount you drink each week until you’ve dropped the habit.” RELATED: 7 Healthy Foods That’ll Help You Stay Hydrated
