Sweet enough?
Sweetness is one of the first tastes we learn to recognise and appreciate as babies. Our innate preference for sweet foods, combined with their ready availability, relative cheapness and the usefulness of added sugars, are all contributing factors in the steady increase of our sugar consumption.
Sugars are either naturally present in food and drink like fruit, vegetables and milk, or are added by manufacturers, cooks or consumers to improve taste, texture and shelf-life. Sugars naturally present in foods typically account for just half of our sugar intake. The rest comes from added sugars. In fact, sugar is having such a dramatic effect on our general health that the World Health organisation (WHO) has called for a limit on the consumption of added sugar in our diet as part of its global strategy to reduce obesity, chronic diseases and dental problems. However, as with all other foods, it’s excessive consumption that poses a problem to health. Sugar is no different from other carbohydrates when it comes to appetite control or obesity, as long as it forms part of a balanced diet.
Snack attack
At home or work, sometimes you simply fancy a snack – but you can still make a healthy choice:
- Use natural sugar sources such as fruit, providing vitamins and an energy boost.
- Need a soft drink? Choose a diet or light version or fruit and herbal teas.
- If you do choose drinks containing sugar, don’t sip over a long period of time, as they often trigger tooth decay.
- Watch out for fruit 'drinks' rather than fruit juice – you will see sugar listed as an added ingredient in fruit drinks on the label.
- Low-fat does not necessarily mean low-sugar – check the label.
- Eat regular meals and don't skip breakfast.
- Consider snacks using artificial sweeteners – they have higher sweetness levels than sugar, so you only need small amounts that will barely contribute to the energy content of your food or drink.
- Slice fresh fruit into cereals or milk puddings instead of sugar.
- Check out where food manufacturers are introducing reduced sugar versions of favourites.
