Sugar

There is no reason to be afraid of sugars, but for your own health and that of your family, it is worth understanding the dietary role of sugars.

In some foods, sugars occur naturally. Sometimes, however, sugars are added to foods and drinks in the production process – these are known as added sugars.

Added sugars should not be the source of more than 10% of your daily recommended energy intake. Ideally, it should be less than 5%. For a person whose daily energy need is 2,000 kcal, carbohydrates should make up 250–300 g of the daily diet. Meanwhile, the amount of added sugars in all foods should not exceed 50 grams per day.

A varied and balanced diet with reduced added sugars and sufficient exercise are the keys to better health for life!

How many sweets can I eat?

Depending on individual energy needs (e.g. 2,000 kcal or 3,000 kcal), adults should not consume more than 50–75 grams of added sugars per day, which amounts to roughly 10–15 teaspoonfuls. For children, the recommended amount is even lower.

We always get a part of the added sugars from foods in the five main groups of the food pyramid; however, most of them are generally obtained from the uppermost food group consisting of sugar, sweets and salty snacks. Due to this, separate recommendations are provided for the foods in this group, taking into account that added sugars can also come from other food groups. In any single day, adults should not consume more than four portions of the foods in this group, while children should stay below two.When calculating the portions of consumed sweets, you should also take into account the sugars and honey added during cooking (e.g. in porridges and desserts) and when preparing drinks (e.g. in coffee and tea). You should also add to this the amount of sugar contained in sweetened yoghurts and curd cheese products, which can be as high as one portion per 100 grams. In order to avoid consuming excessive amounts of sugar, you should primarily limit the consumption of the foods at the top of the food pyramid.

Here is an example of four portions of sweets – the maximum daily recommended amount.

Why limit the consumption of added sugars?

The constant overconsumption of added sugars and foods containing added sugars makes it impossible to eat a varied and balanced diet and get all the necessary nutrients.

 

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