Halloween signals the start of the ‘sugar season’ with Thanksgiving and Christmas not far behind.
Sugar is naturally present in fruit and honey and in the form of fructose and in milk as lactose. Though no definitive link has been found between sweeteners, obesity and good health the optimal goal is to find the right balance of food choices and remember to keep your body moving.
Growing up I heard the stories about the sugar ration coupons during World War II. Some years ago when I visited Poland sugar was rationed and our hosts were ecstatic that we brought chocolate bars for the children. In America today sugar is used in food processing and stirred in and sprinkled on foods made at home.
The average person’s daily sugar intake has increased to about 25 teaspoons of sugar a day from all forms of sugar. Regular soft drinks contribute 33 percent of the sugar in our diet, followed by candy, cakes, cookies and pies, each of which add 13 to 16 percent of the total sugar we consume.
Sugar comes in many forms.
White table sugar is made from sugar beets or sugar cane. One teaspoon of granulated sugar equals 16 calories, and those teaspoons can add up quickly.
Honey contains 22 calories per teaspoon, sweeter than the same amount of table sugar because it has a higher fructose content.
High fructose corn syrup or HFCS is made from corn and can be found in many processed foods and beverages.
Nonnutritive sweeteners — or alternative and artificial sweeteners — are another option for those counting calories. Some nonnutritive sweeteners can be used in cooking and baking, but not all of them, so it is important to check their labels before using them in that way. All nonnutritive sweeteners are considered safe for a healthy person, but pregnant women and children should be cautious.
There are many other forms of sugar such as dextrose, maltose and invert sugar. Though the chemical structures may differ, all sugars provide calories without an added nutritional benefit. Check the labels and cue in on ingredients ending in “-ose”, which means sugar.
If sugar in some form is the first, second or third ingredient listed on the label, it means it’s one of the most prevalent ingredients in the product. Consider another product. Also, note that more than one form of sugar can be in one processed food.
Shirley Perryman, M.S., R.D., is an Extension Specialist at Colorado State University’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition