The Next Stage – Sugar in Your Child’s Diet

Sugars are carbohydrates that taste sweet, and our bodies use them as a quick source of energy.  It can be divided into two main categories: natural sugar and added sugar. Natural sugar is found in many foods like fruits, vegetables and milk. Natural sugars are part of a healthy diet. Added sugar is added by the manufacturer, cook or consumer.

Eating a large amount of sugar can reduce the overall quality of the diet. Foods high in sugar are often low in nutrients. It is recommended to reduce sugar intake to less than 10% of total energy. For most people this is less than 12 teaspoons of added sugar per day.³

Amount of sugar in common foods:

Food or Beverage	Grams of Sugar	Teaspoons of sugar
Apple Juice (355 ml)	39g	10
Pop (355 ml) can	40g	10
Chocolate Bar	28g	7
Granola bar	15g	3
Store-bought muffin	44g	11
Iced Cappuccino – Large (648 ml)	62 g	16
Frappuccino – Venti (710 ml)	88g	22
Soft candy (~1/4 cup)	44g	11

*4 g of Sugar = 1 tsp

Tips to reduce added sugar:

• Lead by example
• Avoid sugar sweetened drinks; offer water or white milk instead.
• Keep desserts for special occasions such as birthdays and holidays.
• Keep healthy snacks on hand:
  • Fresh, frozen or canned fruit and plain yogurt
  • Roasted chickpeas
  • Veggies and hummus
  • Cheese and multigrain crackers
  • Apples and nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, seed butter)
• Offer small portions of foods high in added sugars along with healthy foods. Example: one small scoop of frozen yogurt or ice cream with sliced bananas or fresh blueberries.
• Make homemade baked goods and allow your children to help you! There are lots of “low sugar” recipes available online.¹ https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Carbohydrate-and-Sugar/Recipe-Makeover-Reducing-Sugar-in-the-Kitchen.aspx#.VGYplvnF-So

Nutrition labels are changing to help you choose lower sugar foods

Improvements to nutrition facts tables on food products are scheduled to be released in Canada by 2021. The changes will include a daily value for total sugars. 5% daily value or less means “a little”, 15% or more means “a lot”. Choosing foods with less than 5% daily value of sugar more often will help you reduce the amount of sugar you eat.²

For more information:

https://www.healthunit.com/sugar

References

¹Dietitians of Canada, Unlock Food. (2018). Recipe Makeover: Reducing sugar in the kitchen. Retrieved from https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Carbohydrate-and-Sugar/Recipe-Makeover-Reducing-Sugar-in-the-Kitchen.aspx#.VGYplvnF-So

²Government of Canada. (2017). Food Labelling Changes. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-labelling-changes.html

³World Health Organization. (2016). WHO calls on countries to reduce intake among adults and children. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/guidelines/sugars_intake/en/

Emily Andrews, Dietetic Practicum Student, Brescia University College
Ginette Blake BASc RD (Registered Dietitian)
Middlesex-London Health Unit