Many people eat sugar because they like the sweet taste. Actually, sugars, along with starch and fiber, are carbohydrates, which provide energy and are used by the body as fuel. Carbohydrates also provide other nutrients when consumed in the form of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Sugars and sugary foods, on the other hand, are often referred to as “empty calories” because they provide little else other than energy. Health authorities recommend eating carbohydrate foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grain more often than foods abundant in sugars.

Hidden Sugar
Even if you try to watch your diet, you may be getting more sugar than you think. To most people, sugar is sucrose, otherwise known as table sugar. But sugars can be found in other forms in many food products. They are listed in the ingredient line as sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltose or lactose, and of course, honey, molasses, brown sugars, invert sugars, raw sugars and more. Read the Nutrition Fact panel to determine the total amount of sugar in a serving to help you manage your diet. Health authorities recommend limiting added sugar intake to less than 25% of your total calories each day. So in moderation, sugars can provide a pleasant sweet taste and are acceptable for good health.

If you’re trying to cut back on sugar, try these tips that may help to satisfy your sweet tooth:

Eat whole fresh fruit. It’ll provide fiber, vitamins and minerals as well as sweetness.

Try unsweetened cereal for breakfast.

Go 50/50 – only eat ½ portions and ½ serving sizes of sweets. 

Enjoy a Cottage Doubles – a sweet snack, which will also provide protein and calcium

Sugar Myths and Facts
MYTH: Sugar is fat.
FACT: Sugars are carbohydrates, which the body can burn as energy. Sugars can be fattening only when a person consistently eats more calories than needed.

MYTH: Sugar doesn’t do anything but make things sweet.
FACT: Sugar acts as a preservative in foods, aids in the fermentation of yeast, produces browning in baked goods and provides crispness in foods with limited moisture such as cookies.

MYTH: Sugar makes you fat.
FACT: Excess calories from virtually any source will make you fat.

MYTH: Sugar causes diabetes. 
FACT: Sugar does not cause diabetes. Diabetes is a condition where the body cannot manage blood sugar normally and it is not caused by eating sugar. Genetics plays a role, being overweight, having a sedentary activity level, and simply getting older may lead to the development of diabetes as well.