Free Sugars vs Natural Sugars

#SugarAwarenessWeek 

14-19 November 

This year the theme of the #SugarAwarenessWeek is focusing on reducing calories and sugar in the out of home (OOH) sector. This includes: restaurants, cafes, take away, fast foods, street food stands. 

When eating out or simply going out with your toddler/child you may face this challenge:  what shall we order for him/her to avoid excessive calories and added sugar intake?

Free Sugar and higher calories intake can have a dramatic impact to your little one’s health,  increasing the risk of:

• Tooth decay

• Obesity 

What are free sugars?

Free sugars are those that are added into foods and drinks by manufacturers, cooks and/or when preparing something at home. Free sugars include honey, syrups, white and brown sugar, and molasses.

What are natural sugars?

Natural sugars are instead those that are within the cell walls of fruits, vegetables,dairy. The impact of natural sugars on health is different from added sugars. This is because foods containing natural sugars also have other nutritious components such as fibre, minerals, vitamins and water. Fibre helps to release the sugar contained in these foods slowly. 

Therefore, juicing and/or blended fruits can lead to the loss of fibre and therefore it is best to offer a whole fruit rather than a smoothie alone. 

Moreover, offering smoothies can increase an overconsumption as not such an effort is needed to eat a smoothie compared to a piece of banana. Offering a smoothie alongside a meal is a different story because fibre are likely to be within the meal you are offering.

Where do we find free sugars?

• Fizzy drinks

• Cookies

• Cakes

• Flavoured yoghurt

• Flavoured water

• Flavoured milks

• Ice-cream

• Juice

• Chocolate

• Cereal bars

• Breakfast cereals

• Buns

• Sweets

Tips to cut down and/or avoid free sugar intake at home:

• Snack on Fruits

• Drink water and/or milk

• Avoid adding sugar to milk and/or coat fruits

• Swap your cereals for oat or puffed rice/barley

• Add some bananas to 

• Swap your flavoured yoghurt to plain yoghurt by adding some fruits/dried fruit and oat/puffed cereals

• If having a smoothie try to keep it to one glass and have it as a part of a meal

• Try to add spices to your oatmeal like vanilla and/or cinnamon

• Reduce the amount of sugar in your cooking preparation by adding fruits and/or dates/raisins

When shopping:

Have a look at labels and opt for products that have a green/amber traffic light labels

Scan the product to see how much sugar products contain

When out and about try to:

• Ask for a balanced meal by having carbohydrates, protein, fibre from vegetables and dairy

• Role model

• Try to ask for fruits when it comes to dessert or ask your little one to share the dessert he/she likes

• Try to ask for yoghurt and some fruits on the side as a dessert

• Order water and/or milk

• When at a party it can be very difficult to, but my advice is to have a meal at home so that your little one is full and have something to share if she/he asks.

• Do not demonise food categories in front of your child but try to explain that we need to limit the consumption and/or eat little amounts.

• Pack nutritious snacks for your little one, maybe something you have prepared with him/her beforehand so that you little one is looking forward to have it and/or something you haven’t offered in a while.