Happy Halloween! As all the kiddos prepare to gather their candy stash for the next few months (or at least until Christmas?), it is a good time to remember that the USDA recommends that we only eat about 32gm or 4 teaspoons of added sugar daily. To reach that goal without giving up ALL of the fun Halloween candy, sometimes a few swaps or substitutes on a daily basis can do the trick. Here are few ideas to reduce the added sugar in your diet! (Note: this is an updated version of a posted I created 2 years ago, but it still rings true today!)
1. Cut out regular sodas or reduce your total amount. Currently drink 16 oz daily? Try dropping to 12 oz and keep going from there. Soda is pure added sugar.
2. Choose canned fruit in it's own juice or light syrup (not heavy!). Also, don't drink the syrup.
Last week I discussed ways to find those sneaky added sugars that creep into your favorite foods when you least realize. So once you have identified them, what are some easy swaps and substitutes to help you cut them out and not feel deprived? Here are few ideas to reduce the added sugar in your diet!
1. Cut out regular sodas or reduce your total amount. Currently drink 16 oz daily? Try dropping to 12 oz and keep going from there. Soda is pure added sugar.
2. Choose canned fruit in it's own juice or light syrup (not heavy!). And don't drink the syrup...
Halloween is that time of year when kids rejoice, parents groan and dentists cringe. The holiday by tradition is filled with sugar-glazed donuts, gooey caramel apples and chewy candies of all sorts. It is a good thing Halloween comes only once a year, as regular intake of these high-sugar foods wreaks havoc on our health in more ways than one. A study assessing the U.S. NHANES 2007-2008 data reported that added sugars provided 14.6% of total energy intake in individuals' diets with the main contributors being soda and energy/sports drinks, grain-based desserts, fruit drinks, dairy desserts and candy. The USDA recommends no more than 32gm (or 8 tsp) of added sugars/day per 2,000 Kcal of intake; this is equivalent to 6% of calories from added sugars.
So after the costumes are put away and the candy is eaten (or thrown out), what can you do on a daily basis to make sure your intake of added sugars isn't sky-high? First, lets review the facts:
Low-carbohydrate diets are all the craze. On a weekly basis athletes are telling me they limit their carbohydrate intake because "carbs are bad". I should really create company shirts that say "I [heart] Carbs" (similar to those I [heart] NY shirts). It is a shame that carbohydrates get such a bad rap. However, it is an even bigger shame that often athletes don't really know what these nutrients are for, in what foods they are found or why cutting them is a good or bad idea.
What they do
Carbohydrate (or sugar) is a source of quick energy for your body. When not slowed down by fiber, fat or protein, pure carbohydrate can be absorbed into your system and utilized for energy very quickly (15-20 minutes). This is why the calories in sports drinks, gels, gu's, chews, etc. are 100% from carbohydrate. The point of these products is for them to get out of your stomach quickly and to your muscles where you can actually utilize them. The interesting thing about an exercising muscle is that the higher the intensity of the workout, the more it relies on carbohydrate for energy.
Any of you who follow nutrition articles know that registered dietitians often recommending a "nutrient dense" eating pattern. But what is that exactly and which foods fit the bill? How do they differ from "energy dense" foods? As an athlete or active individual, why should you care?
Nutrient Dense
Nutrient dense simply means that in a relatively small quantity of a food, there is a large amount of vitamins and minerals. So, nutritionally you get more "bang for your buck". Nutrient dense foods are important because all metabolic processes in our body rely on adequate levels of vitamins and minerals - especially B-vitamins and Iron and Calcium. If you are an athlete, your body will stay better hydrated, recover more quickly and more efficiently use the food you eat if your intake is based on mainly nutrient dense foods. So which foods are nutrient dense? Here is a short list:
-100% Whole-grain or 100% whole wheat (WW) sources of carbohydrates, such as WW breads, pastas, rices, and rolls. A few great products are Raisin Bran, Kashi cereals, Triscuits, and Rhodes whole wheat bread varieties.
-Lean sources of protein such as grilled chicken, lean ground beef or steak, baked/broiled fish, tuna, beans, and tofu.
-Low-fat dairy sources such as low-fat milk, cottage cheese or yogurt. Greek yogurt is one example of a great product, though make sure it is not loaded with added sugar (same goes for regular yogurts).
-All fresh and dried fruits and vegetables or canned fruits in their own juice (drain the juice).
-Good sources of polyunsaturated fats such as salmon, walnuts, almonds, avocado and flaxseed.
Energy Dense
Energy dense means that in a relatively small quantity of food, there is a large amount of energy...or calories. There may or may not be a large amount of vitamins or minerals...though, typically this phrase is attached to foods that are low in vitamins and minerals and high in calories. Examples include cakes, cookies, ice cream, candy and other sweets as well as chips, fried foods, soda pop, juice drinks and coffee drinks. While foods such as avocado, dried fruit and nuts are in fact energy dense (small volume = high calories), they are also nutrient dense so are a great choice for athletes. Energy dense foods may more quickly replace calories burned during activity, but they lack the valuable nutrients needed for the body's repair and recovery. In addition, these foods tend to be high in saturated and trans fats, which are pro-inflammatory and place the body at an increased risk for illness and injury.
If you love your energy dense foods, choose them carefully. Plan to have 1-2 energy dense foods per week, but be sure to have them on off-days (preferably the day after competition versus the day before) and in small quantities. While they may taste good, they aren't doing any good for your body.
Until next week....Be Extraordinary,
RDKate
Last week I discussed ways to find those sneaky added sugars that creep into your favorite foods when you least realize. So once you have identified them, what are some easy swaps and substitutes to help you cut them out and not feel deprived? Here are few ideas to reduce the added sugar in your diet!
1. Cut out regular sodas. Diet soda is still the best option between the two.
2. Choose canned fruit in it's own juice or light syrup (not heavy!). And don't drink the syrup...
3. Instead of desserts like cookies, ice cream or cake, try fresh fruit with a small amount of whip cream on top.
4. Be careful choosing breakfast cereals. Use the tools you learned last week to find the cereals that are the lowest in added sugars. Sugary, frosted cereals are just as bad as cookies and cakes.
5. Opt in to drinking more water or milk and less fruit juice/drinks. Even though 100% fruit juice has lots of great nutrients, like pop or fruit drinks calories add up quickly. So, limit yourself to 1/2 cup fruit juice daily.
6. Monitor your intake candy, sugary gum or other sweets. These are not only bad for your waistline, but bad for your heart, pancreas and teeth - to name a few!
7. Beware of added sugars in condiments such as ketchup or salad dressings. Sauces such as spaghetti or pizza sauce often contain sugars as well. Try making your own!
8. Limit sugar-sweetened teas and coffee drinks with flavored syrups. Many syrups are now available in sugar-free varieties. If you must have regular, try asking for half the number of pumps of syrup; I bet you will be just as satisfied with the resulting flavor!
9. Instead of donuts and rolls, snacks on fruits, veggies, low-fat cheese, whole-grain crackers (such as Triscuits) and low-fat/low-calorie yogurt (many have LOTS of added sugar).
10. Watch for sugar in other drinks such as sports drinks and energy drinks. Sports drinks are only meant to be used during an intense level of activity. I don't ever recommend my athletes drink them outside of this (even top-level athletes). Sports drinks are not a good fluid option at meals or to sip on during the day.
My advice: Pick 2 of the above ideas and implement them for 1-2 weeks. Once you have got them down, add a couple more each week or so. Implementing all 10 ideas can be overwhelming and unsatisfying. So take it slow and steady so that the changes you make are changes that stay.
Be Extraordinary,
RDKate
Halloween is that time of year when kids rejoice, parents groan and dentists cringe. The holiday by tradition is filled with sugar-glazed donuts, gooey caramel apples and chewy candies of all sorts. It is a good thing Halloween comes only once a year, as regular intake of these high-sugar foods wreaks havoc on our health in more ways than one. A study assessing the U.S. NHANES 2007-2008 data reported that added sugars provided 14.6% of total energy intake in individuals' diets with the main contributors being soda and energy/sports drinks, grain-based desserts, fruit drinks, dairy desserts and candy. The USDA recommends no more than 32gm (or 8 tsp) of added sugars/day per 2,000 Kcal of intake; this is equivalent to 6% of calories from added sugars.
So after the costumes are put away and the candy is eaten (or thrown away), what can you do on a daily basis to make sure your intake of added sugars isn't sky-high? First, lets review the facts:
- Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages during processing or preparation
- Added sugars does not include naturally occurring sugars such as those that occur in milk and fruits.
- While the body does not metabolize added vs. natural sugars differently, sources of natural sugars often contain other nutrients such as fiber or vitamins and minerals. These other nutrients benefit our overall level of health and also affect the total metabolism of the food.
- Foods that contain added sugars include: soft drinks, candy, cakes, cookies, pies, fruit drinks (fruitades, fruit punch, Tang), milk-based desserts and products (ice cream, sweetened yogurt and sweetened milk), grain products (sweet rolls, cinnamon toast, donuts, Pop-Tarts, sweetened cereals, Toaster Strudels, etc.). Clearly this is not an all-inclusive list!
If you are confident the product contains only added sugars, you can calculate the number of teaspoons of sugar in that food or drink. For every 4 grams of sugar on a food label (look at total carbohydrate) that is equal to 1 teaspoon of sugar in the food. Here are a few examples:
- One 12 fl. oz. can of regular soda = 40 grams sugar = 10 tsp sugar
- 1 jelly-filled donut = 36 grams sugar = 9 tsp sugar
- One 2 oz. (regular-sized) Snickers candy bar = 34 grams sugar = 8.5 tsp sugar
- 1 cup chocolate ice cream = 38 grams sugar = 9.5 tsp
The problem with targeting added sugars in our diet is that finding the added sugars is sometimes not as obvious. Many products that we believe to contain only natural sugars (such as, perhaps, yogurt) actually contain added sugars as well. With these foods, looking at the food label doesn't help. While the label lists "sugars", this doesn't always mean added sugars if there are natural sugars present and so often confuses consumers.
So, be an added sugar detective! The next time you are looking at a product, find the ingredient list. If any of these ingredients are listed, the product contains added sugars:
-brown sugar -invert sugar -anhydrous dextrose
-corn sweetener -lactose -confectioners powdered sugar
-corn syrup -maltose -corn syrup solids
-dextrose -malt syrup -maple syrup
-fructose -molasses -nectars
-fruit juice concentrates -raw sugar -white granulated sugar
-glucose -sucrose -cane juice, cane sugar
-high-fructose corn syrup -sugar
-honey -syrup
Remember, too, that ingredients are listed by weight. So if an added sugar is one of the first few ingredients, the product is likely high in added sugar.
So what are some good ways to reduce added sugars in your diet? Come back next week to find out!
Be Extraordinary,
RDKate
