The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans won’t be released for several more months, but the new Dietary Guidelines Committee report released today from the Department of Health and Human Services give insights into what the 2015 Dietary Guidelines 215 will include. The good news is that for the first time, the guidelines will recommend limits to added sugar to no more than 10% of total calories.
National nutrition surveys show that U.S. women eat 239 calories, on average, per day from added sugars while men eat an average of 335 calories. That equals about 13% of our daily calories is from empty sugar calories that can cause dramatic increases in blood sugar, insulin and metabolic disorders. Children and teens get, on average, about 16% of their daily calories from added sugars. Excess sugar is linked to overweight and obesity and it may increase markers for aging and chronic inflammation.
For the average woman, limiting added sugars to less than 10% of your daily calories means eating about 150-200 calories per day from added sugars. Since many packaged foods contain added sugars, you’ll need to check the Nutrition Facts panel to see how much “sugar” is in the food you’re eating. This does not include natural sugars that are found in foods like fruits, vegetables and dairy foods.
The first step in reducing added sugars is identifying them in processed foods and beverages. Use our infographic, 46 Sneaky Names for Sugar,” to help you identify added sugars in the ingredient lists so you can keep better tabs on sources of added sugars in your diet.
click here to download the infographic
