According to the Food & Drink Federation’s Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA), women should restrict their calorie intake to 90g of sugar per day (approx 22.5 teaspoons) and men to 120g (30 teaspoons).

 

Sound easy?

 

It may be simple to control your sweet tooth, and cut down on sweets and adding excess sugar to your tea, but what about the foods that contain sugars that you don’t even think about? Let’s take a look at the below example and the approximate sugar contents:

 

BREAKFAST

Porridge with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup – 3 teaspoons

Banana – 5 teaspoons

250ml glass of orange juice – 5 teaspoons

 

SNACK

Can of cola – 8 teaspoons

Cereal bar – 3 teaspoons

 

LUNCH

50cl bottle of flavoured water – 7 teaspoons

300g tomato and mascarpone soup & mini baguette – 4 teaspoons

 

SNACK

Medium mocha Frappuccino with whipped cream – 13 teaspoons

 

DINNER

Chicken teriyaki & rice – 8 teaspoons

Two scoops of vanilla ice cream – 4 teaspoons

Glass of 250ml white wine – 2 teaspoons

 

TOTAL DAILY SUGAR INTAKE: 89 teaspoons = 373g!!!

 

So how can you cut down on/ be aware of sugar intake?

 

Here are few things to remember:

• When products say “low fat” it is likely to be high in sugar.
• Look out for sugar in disguise – fructose, sucrose, maltose, syrup, glucose.
• Look out for “carbohydrates… of which… sugars” on the nutrition label (high – over 22.5g of total sugars per 100g,  low – 5g of total sugars or less per 100g)
• Not all sugars are naughty – those that are found in natural products such as fruit and vegetables provide slow-releasing energy throughout the day! It is the added sugars that hold no nutritional value.

 

Please do not hesitate to talk to one of our self-employed personal trainers who is qualified in nutrition on the gym floor!