Sugar many guises

Ingredients labels may indicate added sugars in numerous forms:

• sucrose
• glucose
• fructose
• maltose
• fruit juice
• molasses
• hydrolysed starch
• invert sugar
• corn syrup
• honey

Food labels tell you how much sugar a food contains:

• high in sugar – 22.5g or more of total sugar per 100g
• low in sugar – 5g or less of total sugar per 100g

Some packaging uses a colour-coded system that makes it easy to choose foods that are lower in sugar, salt and fat. Look for more “greens” and “ambers”, and fewer “reds”, in your shopping basket.

Breakfast cuts down on sugar

Many breakfast cereals are high in sugar. Try switching to lower-sugar cereals or those with no added sugar, such as:

• plain wheat biscuit cereal
• plain shredded wholegrain cereal
• no-added-sugar muesli
• plain porridge
• wholemeal toast
• plain natural yoghurt topped with chopped fruit

Porridge oats are cheap and contain vitamins, minerals and fibre. Make porridge with semi-skimmed, 1% or skimmed milk, or water.

If you usually add sugar to your porridge, try adding a few chopped dried apricots or a sliced or mashed banana instead.

For a more gradual approach, you could eat sugary cereals and plain cereals on alternate days, or mix both in the same bowl.

If you add sugar to your cereal, you could try adding less. Or you could eat a smaller portion and add some chopped fruit, such as a pear or banana, which is an easy way of getting some of your 5 A Day.

If toast is your breakfast staple, try wholemeal or granary bread, which is higher in fibre than white bread, and see if you can get by with a little less of your usual spreads like jam, marmalade, honey or chocolate. Or you could try sugar-free or lower-sugar options.

You can find breakfast recipes on the Better Health website.

Main meals

Many foods that we do not consider to be sweet contain a surprisingly large amount of sugar. Some ready-made soups, stir-in sauces and ready meals can also be higher in sugar than you think.

When eating out or buying takeaways, watch out for dishes that are typically high in sugar, such as sweet and sour dishes, sweet chilli dishes and some curry sauces, as well as salads with dressings like salad cream, which can also be high in sugar.

Condiments and sauces such as ketchup can have as much as 23g of sugar in 100g – roughly half a teaspoon per serving. These foods are usually served in small quantities, but the sugar count can add up if eaten every day.

Snacks

Healthier snack options are those without added sugar, such as fresh or tinned fruit (in juice, not syrup), unsalted mixed nuts, plain popcorn, rice cakes, crackers topped with lower-fat cheese or lower-sugar yoghurts.

If you are not ready to give up your favourite flavours, you could start by having less. Instead of 2 biscuits in 1 sitting, try having 1. If your snack has 2 bars, have 1 and share the other, or save it for another day.

If you’re an “all-or-nothing” type person, you could find something to do to take your mind off food on some days of the week.

When shopping, look out for lower-sugar (and lower-fat) versions of your favourite snacks. Buy smaller packs, or skip the family bags and just go for the normal-sized one instead.

Here are some lower-calorie substitutes for popular snacks:

• cereal bars – despite their healthy image, many cereal bars can be high in sugar and fat. Look out for bars that are lower in sugar, fat and salt.
• chocolate – swap for a lower-calorie hot instant chocolate drink. You can also get chocolate with coffee and chocolate with malt varieties.
• biscuits – swap for oatcakes, oat biscuits, or unsalted rice cakes, which also provide fibre.
• cakes – swap for a plain currant bun, fruit scone, or malt loaf. If you add toppings or spreads, use them sparingly or choose lower-fat and lower-sugar varieties.

Dried fruit, such as raisins, dates and apricots, is high in sugar and can be bad for your dental health because it sticks to your teeth.

To prevent tooth decay, dried fruit is best enjoyed at mealtimes – as part of a dessert, for example – rather than as a snack.

Drinks

Almost a quarter of our dietary added sugar comes from sugary drinks like fizzy drinks, sweetened juices, milkshakes, and cordials.

For example, a regular cola can contain 7 teaspoons of sugar (35g). Consider switching to water, sugar-free or no-added-sugar drinks, or lower-fat milks.

If you sweeten tea or coffee, gradually reduce the amount or try sweeteners. Experiment with herbal teas or flavor water with lemon or ginger.

Fruit juices can be high in sugar as sugar is released when fruit is juiced, which can harm teeth. Limit total fruit juice, vegetable juice, and smoothie intake to 150ml per day, as they count towards your 5 A Day but only as 1 portion.

Watch out for added sugar in squash or cordials; some contain up to 3 teaspoons of sugar per glass.

Consider alternatives for dessert.

Dessert

Establish some guidelines. Must dessert be a daily occurrence? Consider having it only after dinner, or on odd days, or exclusively on weekends, or solely at restaurants.

Is it necessary to consume chocolate, biscuits, and cake daily? Would you appreciate them more if consumed less frequently?

Opt for less sugary desserts like fruit (fresh, frozen, dried, or canned in juice), as well as lower-fat and lower-sugar rice pudding, and plain lower-fat yogurt.

Be mindful that lower fat doesn’t always equate to lower sugar. Some low-fat yogurts contain sweeteners like refined sugar, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, and fructose syrup.

When choosing between two desserts at the store, compare labels and opt for the one with less sugar.