Who here cringes when they go to the grocery store these days? No, I am not talking about the ever-increasing price of food but instead the bombardment of labels claiming low carb this, Keto that. It leaves me saying I love my carbs, what’s so wrong with them anyways? Well carbohydrates as a whole aren’t so bad, they are beneficial for our health as an energy source, gut health and even heart health. But not all carbohydrates are created equal. Sugar is a carbohydrate and it is naturally found in many foods. Fruits, whole grains and beans are great examples of foods that are naturally high in carbohydrates but they are considered nutrient dense foods, because those sugars are naturally occurring. Foods like soft drinks, candy, desserts and sweetened coffee and tea tend to contain large amounts of added sugar and little nutritional value and make up over half of all added sugar consumption in the U.S populations diet. The U.S Dietary guidelines recommends to limit your added sugar intake to less than 10% of your daily calorie intake. And the new food label helps us determine how much added sugar is in a food, with it being its own line on the nutrition facts panel.
So, can reducing our carbohydrate intake reduce weight and improve health. Maybe, it depends on what foods you are choosing to consume. Reducing nutrient dense foods like fruits, whole grains and beans are going to drastically reduce your fiber intake and potentially lead to digestive health issues. However, limiting our added sugar intake means that we are probably increasing our consumption of nutrient dense foods, which I am confident will improve health markers.
Limiting added sugar is important but eliminating it completely is challenging and possibly unrealistic and unnecessary. Honey or sugar can make a nutrient dense food more enjoyable, plus foods like chocolate bring joy to our lives. And eating foods that make us happy is just as important as foods that are nutrient dense. If consuming foods that are high in added sugars is one of your biggest challenges follow these five tips for reducing added sugar intake.
• Reduce your consumption of sugar sweetened beverages. Maybe this means, drink one less soft drink per day or ask for half unsweetened tea with sweetened tea in the drive through.
• Share a dessert or sweet treat with a friend. I enjoy going on an ice cream date with my husband. But sometimes those portions are way too large, so we share.
• Flip the food item over to the back and check the added sugar line on the nutrition facts panel. Compare and purchase the one with less added sugar.
• Eat fruit for a sweet treat. There is nothing better than grilled pineapple. When cooking fruit, you caramelize the natural sugars and create a nice tasty after dinner treat.
• Use sugar alternatives when possible. Wait, did you think those were bad for you too. Tune in to an upcoming Bite by Bite Nutrition for Life podcast episode to learn more about alternative sweeteners.
And remember just because you are following a trendy new diet, doesn’t mean that it is automatically low in added sugars. If this article was interesting to you, listen to Purdue Extension Health and Human Science Educators on their podcast Bite by Bite Nutrition for life, where we help you ask questions, challenge the myths and stay true to you. You can find us on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Anchor FM and Radio Public.
Monica Nagele is the Montgomery County Extension Educator and County Extension Director, Health and Human Science. She is a registered dietitian. The Extension office is at 400 Parke Ave., Crawfordsville; 765-364-6363. She may be reached by email at mwilhoit@purdue.edu.
