How Much Sugar Should You Eat

Whether you are dieting or not, counting your sugar consumption is always recommended. Eating too much sugar may contribute to preventable diseases. In general, it’s best to avoid added sugars when possible because they do not contain beneficial nutrients and they can damage your metabolism in the long run. But how much sugar is too much? Read on to know more.

What's better - Added or Natural Sugar?

Added sugar is more harmful to your health than the natural sugar present in whole foods like fruits and vegetables. For better health, it is best to avoid foods that contain added sugar like soft drinks, baked products etc.

Safe amount of sugar to eat per day

There’s no simple or direct answer to this as it varies with every person. According to American Health Association (AHA), the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat per day are:

• Men: 150 calories per day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons)

• Women: 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons)

How to minimize Sugars in Your Diet?

You can minimize sugar in your diet by limiting these foods, as per your preference:

1. Soft drinks as a single 12-ounce (355-mL) can of soda contain as much as 8 teaspoons of sugar.

2. Fruit juices as they contain the same amount of sugar as soft drinks. Choose whole fruit or canned fruit with no additional sweetening instead.

3. Candies and sweets

4. Baked goods including cookies, cakes, and pies, among other pastries. They tend to be very high in sugar and refined carbohydrates.

5. Low fat or diet foods as they have had the fat removed from them are often very high in sugar.

What about sugar in processed foods?

The best thing is to lower your processed food consumption and have items that contain natural sugar, like honey. Moreover, if you are out of healthy options, you must see that the sugar compound is outside the first three items in the ingredients list. If it is, then it means the sugar is high in quantity.