Sugar
A little sugar is okay, but many of us are have much more than we need. On average, adults in Aotearoa New Zealand have twice the recommended amount each day. This page explains how to reduce your sugar intake.
Sugar and health
There are 2 types of sugar in food — intrinsic sugars and free sugars.
Intrinsic sugars are found naturally within cells of whole, unprocessed foods such as:
- whole fruit
- vegetables
- milk.
Free sugars are:
- added to food and drinks
- naturally present in honey, syrups (golden syrup and maple syrup), unsweetened fruit juices and fruit concentrates.
Eating or drinking too many free sugars can lead to health problems, such as:
- high blood pressure
- inflammation
- weight gain
- diabetes
- fatty liver disease.
These problems can increase your risk of having a heart attack and stroke. Too much sugar can also cause tooth decay.
Foods high in free sugars provide lots of energy (calories) but little nutritional value.
Some foods high in free sugars, such as biscuits, cakes and ice cream, can also contain unhealthy fats such as butter, cream, coconut oil or palm oil.
Sugary drinks do not fill you up like solid foods. If you do not feel full you may overeat and gain weight.
You do not need to cut down on sugar found in:
- whole fruit
- vegetables
- milk.
These foods contain lots of nutrients that are good for you, such as fibre, vitamins and minerals.
How much sugar to have
You should limit free sugars to:
- no more than 6 teaspoons a day for adults
- no more than 3 teaspoons a day for tamariki.
This applies to:
- sugar you add
- sugar added in packaged foods
- sugary drinks
- sugar present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.
It does not apply to intrinsic sugars found naturally in whole fruit, vegetables and milk.
Sugary drinks and foods
Drinks
Many drinks are high in sugar. The following can contain 5 to 7 teaspoons of sugar in a 250 ml glass:
- soft drinks
- fruit juice
- cordials
- flavoured milks
- sports drinks
- energy drinks.
Foods
High-sugar foods include many:
- biscuits
- cakes
- muesli bars
- puddings
- ice cream
- yoghurt
- sweets
- chocolate
- breakfast cereals.
Some savoury foods, such as sauces, dressings, chutneys and takeaway foods, can also contain a lot of sugar.
Checking if a packaged food or drink is high in sugar
To check if a packaged food or drink is high in sugar, look at the nutrition information panel.
Look out for other common names for sugar added to foods:
- corn syrup
- dextrose
- fructose
- glucose
- sucrose
- maltose
- honey
- invert sugar
- golden syrup
- maple syrup
- treacle.
If sugar is near the top of the ingredients list, the food or drink will be high in sugar. Choose foods or drinks that have less than 10 g sugar per 100 g.
Ways to cut back on sugar
- Drink water (tap water, soda or mineral water) or milk instead of fruit juice and sugary drinks.
- Take water bottles for the whānau when you are out and about. This will save you money and avoids buying sugary drinks
- Avoid sugary breakfast cereals — check the nutrition information panel. Have a plain cereal such as porridge or Weet-Bix. Add fresh or frozen fruit for sweetness. Eating breakfast can help you curb sugar cravings later in the day.
- Choose snacks low in added sugar, such as fresh fruit, cheese and wholegrain crackers, vegetable sticks and hummus or unsalted nuts.
- Have a piece of whole fruit rather than a glass of fruit juice if you feel like something fruity and sweet.
- Swap flavoured and fruit yoghurts for plain, unsweetened yoghurt. Add fresh or frozen fruit for flavour.
- Keep cakes, biscuits, sweet pastries, chocolate, lollies, ice cream and puddings for occasional treats.
- Reduce sugar in recipes. Start by cutting back to three-quarters of the amount the recipe suggests. Many recipes work and taste fine with half the amount of sugar.
- Make gradual changes. It takes time to adjust to cutting back on sugar.