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Smart Eating
Series
THE SWEET HABIT
Everyone has a natural
fondness for sweets. In fact, the average American consumes about 133 pounds
of sugar a year, or more than 1/2 cup every day. Health conscious eaters
know that sweets should be an occasional treat, rather than part of a daily
diet. Experts, like Registered Dietitians (RD), recommend that no more than
10 - 15 % of your total calories come from foods containing sugar.
Your Diet Is Related To
Your Dental Health.
Foods containing large amounts of sugar
combine with germs in your mouth to produce acids. These acids attack your
teeth and cause dental problems like cavities. Foods like these produce
acid:
cookies
candy jams and jellies pie
gum
mints honey and syrups soda pop
Control Your Treats
Sugars hidden in foods
account for 75% of the annual sugar intake. Use the chart below to learn how
much sugar is in some common foods.
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Food
1 can of soda pop
(12oz)
fruit drink (6 oz)
1/2 cup pudding
unfrosted cake
(1/12) cake
1 chocolate bar
Toaster pastry
Granola
Captain Crunch
Frosted Flakes |
Teaspoons Of Sugar Per Cup
10
6.5
6
6
4.5-7
4.5
4
3.5
3.5 |
Limit sweets to
special occasions or meal time to reduce your risk of dental problems and
for better health. Sugar is high in calories but has few nutrients and if
eaten in large amounts, can cut into your intake of nutritious foods. Many
of the new fat-free products coming on the market are actually higher in
sweeteners because sugar is used to give the "mouth feel" of fat.
Healthy Holiday
Alternatives To High Sugar Foods
Get in the habit of
serving fruit, preferably fresh fruit, for desserts. Offer healthier snacks
like air-popped corn, pretzels, fat-free tortilla chips with salsa and
sliced fruit and vegetables with yogurt based dips. When children expect a
holiday treat offer party favors, stickers, sugarfree candy or gum and
wrapped low fat cheeses, like string cheese. Sugar can be reduced in many of
your favorite holiday recipes. The amount of sugar can be reduced by 1/2 to
1/3 or you can sweeten with sugar substitutes or fruit purees.
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If you want to
control your sugar intake make an appointment with our dietitian. They
can help you develop a personalized nutrition program to help you
achieve your health goals. |
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