Sugar gets a bad rap, and for good reason. It is killing our bodies and contributing to numerous diseases. It's hard to avoid sugar in our diets, especially when it comes to kid-favorite foods. Cereals, fruit drinks, ice cream, breads, flavored yogurts, ketchup, canned soups...the list goes on and on, and they are all full of sugar.

 

Here are the shock-and-awe stats that will have you rethinking your next trip to the grocery store.

 

It is recommended that children limit “added” sugar to 12 grams per day. I know! Sounds nearly impossible, right? Well before you throw your hands up in frustration, let me also note that not all sugars are created equal.

 

Added sugars (those that we should limit to 12 grams/day) should be considered separate from natural sugars. Added sugars contribute no nutritional value and increase our sugar intake beyond what is healthy for our bodies.

 

Naturally occurring sugar found in food products like skim milk or fruit contribute to a healthy balanced meal because these foods provide a variety of nutritional benefits.

 

 

Perhaps this guide will help you even more. Here are just a few foods that hit the "added" sugar list:

 

 

Added Sugar thrives in kid-favorite food (and we haven’t even approached drinks yet). What's a mom to do when everything we see on the grocery shelves is jam packed with sugar? Here is a list of foods that are fine to eat because they contain natural sugars.

 

 

So keep this guide in mind during your next trip to the grocery store. And don't worry, we're not done talking about sugar. There are still a lot of unanswered questions like- how does juice factor into all of this, can I successfully limit our diets to 12 grams sugar/day, and is there such a thing as too much fruit?

 

Lots of great info to come. See you back again next week.