Natural sugar is in many everyday foods, including fresh fruit and milk products. Some snacks and treats include added sugar to make them taste better. Desserts and chocolate are delicious because they’re sweet, but how much sugar is too much?
Let us teach you to spot too much sugar in your ingredients and pantry products. If you’re a baker, some sweeteners and baking chocolate will have less sugar than others. By understanding what food is high in sugar, you can make healthier meals and choose more thoughtful food options.
Table of Contents
The Problem with Having Too Much Sugar
A high-sugar diet can have adverse effects on your health. When you consume too much sugar, you may experience weight gain and other health problems. If you eat too many sugary foods, you could develop high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Sweet beverages and snacks can increase your chances of getting cavities or gum disease. Too much sugar can even impact your sleep or mood.
Setting Daily Limits for Sugar
It’s best for your health to eat sugar in moderation. Still, it’s essential to know the recommended daily value. Most Americans exceed their daily sugar recommendation. The CDC recommends that less than 10% of your daily calories come from added sugars. An adult who consumes a 2,000-calorie diet should have no more than 200 calories from added sugars. This amount is equal to 12 teaspoons of sugar per day. It may sound like a lot, but dietary sugar can add up quickly.
Sweet drinks are a primary reason why people consume sugar in excess. It’s easy to get too much sugar from desserts and sweet snacks, but don’t forget to check the nutritional facts on your cereals and breakfast bars. Many breakfast foods are seemingly healthy but contain a lot of added sugar.
Choosing Low-Sugar Alternatives
One of the best things you can do for a sweet tooth is make healthier food and beverage choices. Some easy low-sugar swaps and lower-sugar alternatives include:
Swap Sugary Drinks for Flavored Water
Minimize sugar immediately when you swap sugary drinks for cold drinking water. Reduce your intake of soda and sports drinks. Instead, enjoy chilled water infused with sliced lemon or cucumber.
For refreshing fruit flavor, try your water with lime or strawberries. More delicious and satisfying fruit options include berries or oranges. As a bonus, you’ll remove unnecessary calories from your diet.
Choose Plant-Based Chocolate
Sweet, delicious chocolate is in classic desserts and tasty snack recipes, including chocolate chip cookies and brownies. You can’t make chocolate fudge or a decadent chocolate cake without some sugar. Thankfully, you won’t have to stop eating dessert if you’re watching your health. No matter what chocolatey treats you like, you can take steps to lower their sugar content. First, choose plant-based and vegan chocolate made with organic cacao beans and cocoa butter. Organic coconut oil and vanilla beans will give plant-based chocolate bars a smooth texture and flavor.
Vegan chocolate also includes organic cane sugar. You need some sugar to flavor chocolate, but many plant-based products feature less added sugar than other options. Some dark chocolate bars have only six or seven grams of sugar. Lower your sugar intake with the best dark chocolate bars featuring world-renowned cacao with plenty of flavor. Explore lush, fruity notes or rich, fudgy chocolate without excess sugar. Quality chocolate lets you get your sweet fix without going overboard.
Unsweetened, non-alkalized cocoa powder and unsweetened baking chocolate will take your chocolate recipes to the next level. Best of all, there’s no added sugar. Take control of your daily sugar intake while melting chocolate or making chocolate-covered fruit. If you like sweet chocolate beverages such as hot cocoa, all you need is the right product. Plant-based drinking chocolate is an elevated hot chocolate with a modest amount of sugar. Flavor your dark chocolate beverage with spices like turmeric or cinnamon. With so much flavor, you won’t need any more sweetener.
Eat Smarter Desserts
Instead of eating packaged desserts, choose healthier options. It’s easy to DIY sweet treats at home. Baked apple slices and fresh fruit salad are quick and satisfying. Do you like outdoor cooking? You can grill your favorite fruit and eat it with plain yogurt. Some of the best grilled fruits include peaches and pineapples. Fruit smoothies and parfaits can satisfy your sweet tooth without the added sugar.
When making chocolate desserts, pick plant-based and low-sugar recipes. Chocolate-covered fruit combines melted dark chocolate with beloved fruits like bananas and strawberries. Have a little fun with chocolate-covered fruit on a stick or chocolate-drizzled fruit kabobs. If you’re searching for something cool and refreshing, you can make dark chocolate mousse and vegan ice cream without overdoing your daily sugar intake.
Read Nutrition Labels
Always read nutritional information before you consume a product or use an ingredient in your recipe. You may be surprised to see how much sugar is in your favorite treats or snacks. Food may seem healthy but can also include too much added sugar.
Be Smart About Sugar
Sugar makes for sweet and delicious treats. However, eating too much added sugar can lead to poor health. Make sure that you’re watching your daily sugar intake and making healthy choices for desserts and snacks. Smart swaps such as flavored water and vegan chocolate can make a big difference in how much sugar you eat on a given day. Keeping your nutrition in check will make you feel better over the short and long term.
