Healthy Sweet Pleasures?

BY: Tara DelloIacono Thies

Is eating less sugar a 2006 New Year resolution for you? These days, we have too much “sweet” with too little nutritional value at our fingertips. The good thing is we’re more aware of sugar content in foods than ever before. Is there a common ground between sweet and healthy? You bet there is!

Are you surprised to hear that some sugar in your menu is healthy? Sugar has a bad rep because sugar is easy to overeat, readily available (soda, sweets) and, let’s be honest, provides little nutritional value other than energy. But sugar is not bad for you when—and here’s the key—it’s eaten in the context of a healthy menu. Everyone is born with a palate that desires some degree of sweetness. So, allowing room for some in your menu is not only natural and healthy, but also pleasing to the senses.

Sugar can deliver both taste and nutrition when balanced with other healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, milk, and whole grains. Fruits contain natural sugars, called fructose. Nature knew what she was doing when she pre-portioned naturally occurring sweetener into foods providing valuable nutrients such as vitamin C and fiber. Dairy products, which deliver our daily doses of calcium, vitamin D, and pro-biotics, also contain natural sugars (called lactose). Adding a little sugar in various forms to foods can make the difference between including or not including them in your meal plan altogether. If it takes a little honey for you to eat whole-grain oatmeal or a little chocolate to drink your milk, then, by all means, add a few extra grams of sugar without sweating it.

Not All Added Sweeteners are Equal

High fructose corn syrup is a sneaky sweetener and common in packaged foods and drinks. Because it’s a cheap and easy way to improve flavor it also shows up in unsuspecting places like sauces, salad dressings, soups, and even bread. You could be consuming more than you know. High fructose corn syrup is suspected to contribute to higher cholesterol and weight gain. Additionally, high fructose corn syrup is about as far from natural as sugar can get because it’s produced from bio-engineered corn and subject to multiple processing steps.

Avoiding foods containing high-fructose corn syrup is a sure way to cut back on excess calories from sugar and likely to lead you to healthier food choices. If you are looking to eat foods with more natural sugars such as you will find in LUNA nutrition bars, alternatives like honey, brown rice syrup, barely malt, and cane sugar are good choices. These sweeteners go through less processing and may retain some minerals. “Moderation” is still the word because even natural sweeteners can add excess calories.

When to Say When

According to the National Academy of Science, if sugar makes up more than 25% of your day’s intake it is highly likely that you are eating too many foods with too few nutrients like calcium, fiber, folate, and antioxidants, and not meeting your Recommend Daily Allowances (RDAs). For example, if you eat 2000 calories per day and more than 500 calories is from added sugar, whatever the form, you’re replacing well-balanced foods containing vitamins, minerals, and fiber with too many sugar-laden foods.

The million-dollar question: how much added sugar is “OK?” The answer will vary for each individual; but generally 30-40 grams per day is a healthy limit. If you drink soda, one 12-ounce can is all it takes to get you there. Picture this: a 24-ounce fountain drink delivers 60 grams of sugar, 300 extra calories, and zero nutrition. Is it really worth it?

Don’t deny yourself the pleasure of sweetness. Simply be mindful of how much sugar is in your food. Fill up on nutrient dense foods first like whole grains, dairy, lean meat/beans, vegetables and fruit leaving a little room for sweet pleasures. Sugar is a natural part of well-balanced meal plan. In this world of sweetness, find your “sweet” spot where you satisfy both your taste buds and your daily nutrient need for overall wellness.