5 easy ways to cut down on sugar

If you feel like you’re eating too much sugar, you’re not alone. More than 50% of Aussies are exceeding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended intake of sugar.¹

But before you start throwing out everything in your pantry, it’s important to know the difference between healthy sugars and the less healthy options. While we want to keep a close eye on how much sugar we consume in the shape of cakes, biscuits and lollies, our body actually needs some healthy sugars for energy and overall performance.²

So, what’s the difference between natural and added sugars?

Pick up a bottle of milk and the nutrition information panel will list sugar.

If your favourite fruit came with a nutrition information panel, it would list sugar too.

Sugar that’s found in foods such as milk and fruit occurs naturally and isn’t added. Because those types of foods are rich in other important nutrients, and sugar is just a small part of the total package, it’s not something to be overly concerned about. It’s the sugar that’s added to food (by manufacturers and by us) that we need to limit.

So, what’s the difference between natural and added sugars?

In small amounts, sugar doesn’t hurt us. A small sprinkling of brown sugar on your porridge or one to 2 pieces of dark chocolate after dinner is a treat you can keep.

Sugar only becomes a problem when we have too much. There’s evidence a high sugar diet is linked to heart disease, increased blood pressure and chronic inflammation.

Sugar is also a major player in poor dental health, feeding the bacteria in our mouths that can lead to tooth decay.

Too much sugar can add extra kilojoules, without the nutrients found in other, healthier foods. The resulting weight gain can lead to obesity, which also increases the risk of conditions including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

So, what’s the difference between natural and added sugars?

The WHO recommends adults and children limit added sugar to less than 10% (ideally under 5%) of their total daily energy consumption.³ For most of us, that’s around 12 teaspoons (or 50 grams) of sugar per day. That includes fruit juice, honey and syrups. It sounds like a lot, but much of it can be hidden in processed foods that don’t even taste sweet.

Sugar isn’t just added to foods for its sweetness. It’s also there for texture, bulk, colour, and as a preservative, which is why you find it in so many foods including cereal, pasta sauce, soups and salad dressings.

Food labels state how much sugar is added, but it can be listed under different names, including dextrose, maltose, coconut sugar, date sugar, and rice malt syrup.

If you’re confused about how much sugar is in the foods you buy, download the FoodSwitch App. Scan the barcode of the food and the app will suggest similar lower sugar options. The FoodSwitch app can be downloaded here:

• FoodSwitch Australia on Android
• FoodSwitch Australia on iOS

One can of soft drink can contain as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar. Studies have found people who drink one to 2 cans of sugary drinks or more a day have a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.⁴ Stick to plain or sparkling water, tea, coffee or herbal teas.

Fruit is a valuable part of a well-balanced diet. It contains fibre, valuable nutrients, and is low in kilojoules. However, fruit juice is a different story. Juicing removes fruit pulp and skin and concentrates the sugar, without the beneficial fibre that makes you feel fuller for longer.

Sugar has an important role in baking, so it’s hard to eliminate it completely. But there are ways of reducing it. Start off by halving the quantity in your favourite recipes or replace some sugar with naturally sweet fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, sweet potatoes and apples.

Cooking from scratch takes time but does mean you’re in control of how much sugar you use. Many processed foods that contain added sugar (such as pasta sauces, soups, granola, instant porridge sachets and muesli) are easy to make yourself