Sugar is a type of carbohydrate that gives your body quick energy. Natural sugars are found in fruits, vegetables, and dairy products like milk and yogurt. Added sugars are different — they are put into foods during processing or cooking, and they show up in things like candy, soda, cookies, and even ketchup. Learning to tell the difference between natural and added sugars is an important part of making healthy food choices.
The average American child consumes about 17 teaspoons, or 68 grams, of added sugar per day. The World Health Organization recommends that children eat less than 6 teaspoons, or 25 grams, of added sugar daily. That means most kids are eating almost three times more added sugar than they should. A single can of soda can contain about 10 teaspoons of sugar, which is already more than a full day’s recommended amount.
Eating too much sugar over time can lead to serious health problems. Excess sugar is a leading cause of tooth decay because bacteria in your mouth feed on sugar and produce acid that damages your enamel. It is also linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and fatty liver disease. Sugar can cause your blood sugar levels to spike and crash quickly, which leaves you feeling tired and hungry again soon after eating.
The food and drink industry uses over 50 different names for sugar on ingredient labels, which can make it tricky to know how much sugar is really in your food. Some common names include high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, sucrose, and agave nectar. If you see words ending in “-ose” on a food label, that is almost always a type of sugar. Checking the nutrition facts panel for “added sugars” is the easiest way to see how much extra sugar a product contains.
Processed foods are foods that have been changed from their natural state in some way. Some processing is minimal and perfectly healthy — for example, frozen vegetables, whole grain bread, and canned beans are all lightly processed. Ultra-processed foods like chips, cookies, sugary cereals, and fast food have been heavily changed and often contain long lists of ingredients you would not find in a home kitchen. The difference between minimally processed and ultra-processed matters a lot for your health.
Ultra-processed foods often contain high amounts of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats while being low in fiber, vitamins, and minerals your body needs. A 2019 study using the NOVA classification system found that ultra-processed foods make up about 58% of all calories consumed in the United States. Research has linked eating large amounts of ultra-processed food to higher rates of obesity, certain cancers, and other serious health conditions. These foods are designed to taste so good that it can be hard to stop eating them, which is one reason people tend to overeat them.
Learning to read food labels is one of the best ways to make smarter choices about sugar and processed foods. Start by looking at the ingredient list — ingredients are listed in order from most to least, so if sugar appears near the top, the product is mostly sugar. Check the “added sugars” line on the nutrition facts panel to see how many grams of extra sugar have been added. Comparing labels between different brands of the same product can help you find options with less sugar and fewer artificial ingredients.
You do not have to give up all sweet or convenient foods to eat healthier. Try swapping soda for water with fruit slices, or replace sugary cereal with oatmeal topped with fresh berries. Instead of reaching for chips, try apple slices with peanut butter or whole grain crackers with cheese. Small changes add up over time, and your taste buds will actually adjust — after a few weeks of eating less sugar, overly sweet foods will start to taste too sweet.
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