Tag: sugar

Larabars: Healthy Snack or Sweet Treat?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Simon writes:
lara-50934

“These days many people are eating date-based snack bars as they are perceived to be healthier than some other snacks. I love them and eat one every day after I was advised by a nutritionist to eat one instead of dessert. My concern is the effect the fructose may have on us, including our microbiota.”

The question about snack bars sweetened with dates has come up before. As I’ve written previously, “Because dates are a fruit, products sweetened with dates and date puree can legitimately claim to have zero added sugars. But, frankly, dates are about as close as you can get to pure sugar and still call yourself a fruit.”

I agree with your nutritionist that if a LARABAR satisfies the urge for candy or baked goods, that’s a pretty good upgrade.  But the fact that snack bars are sweetened only with fruit doesn’t mean that they can be eaten in unlimited quantities. Continue reading “Larabars: Healthy Snack or Sweet Treat?” >

Diet soda vs regular soda? There’s a third option

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Jill sent me a link to this New York Times article asking for my take.

strawman

The author’s friends are engaged in what he feels to be a nonsensical debate over whether artificial sweeteners are better or worse for you than sugar. “There appears to be a correlation between sugar consumption and health problems,” he states. “None can be detected with artificial sweeteners.” Continue reading “Diet soda vs regular soda? There’s a third option” >

Safe sweeteners for those with fructose malabsorption

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Golden granulated, light muscovado and dark muscovado sugarQ. My doctor says I have fructose malabsorption.  There is mixed information on whether cane sugar/ syrup as a “safe” sugar for those with this problem. A lot of health food products seem to use it. Is it considered gut friendly, friendly in limited amounts, or to be avoided altogether?

A. While being diagnosed with a medical condition is never fun, finding out that you suffer from fructose malabsorption (or lactose intolerance, or Celiac disease…) can be a real turning point! The dietary changes that such a diagnosis triggers can finally bring relief from mysterious, long-standing, and sometimes crippling symptoms. Most people are so happy to finally feel better that they don’t even mind going without certain foods. And often, identifying the true culprit allows them to resume eating other “falsely accused” foods. Continue reading “Safe sweeteners for those with fructose malabsorption” >

Is Sugar Nutritionally Necessary?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

sugar-free[1]Q.  I work with girls with eating disorders and the topic of sugar keeps coming up. There is a lot of info in the media targeting sugar, and diets that encourage you to “quit” sugar completely. I’d really like to be able to give the girls I work with an evidence-based explanation for why cutting out sugar completely isn’t a good idea. So far I mostly take the line that food is not simply about nutrition. If you avoid sugar at all costs then you are going to miss out on life (you can’t share a cupcake at a friends birthday, you’re too worried about ingredients to enjoy your food etc.). But I’d love your perspective on whether low to moderate amounts of sugar is OK.  Continue reading “Is Sugar Nutritionally Necessary?” >

Fructose leaves you hungrier than glucose: Why this doesn’t matter

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Glasses of various juicesA new study found that people who consumed a beverage sweetened with glucose were less hungry afterwards than people who drank a beverage sweetened with fructose.  This makes a lot of sense. Some of the hormones that regulate your desire for food are cued by rising blood sugar and insulin levels. Because fructose causes a much lower rise in both, it doesn’t send as strong a signal to your brain that you’ve eaten. Continue reading “Fructose leaves you hungrier than glucose: Why this doesn’t matter” >

Molasses and maple syrup: more nutritious sweeteners?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. I have read that all concentrated sweeteners are devoid of nutrients and count as “empty calories,” but Racing Car in Motionsome less refined sweeteners, such as maple syrup and molasses, are high in many minerals. Considering that Americans eat almost a 1/2 cup of sweetener a day (mostly as refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup), wouldn’t we better off nutritionally if we assuaged our sweet tooth with half a cup of maple syrup or molasses instead?

A. If you insist on driving 200 miles per hour, you’d make yourself a little safer by wearing your seat belt. But if you really want to improve your chances of surviving, you’d be better off slowing down–AND wearing your seat belt!

By the same token, replacing white sugar with maple or molasses might offer a slight nutritional upgrade. But if you’re looking to improve your health, I think you’d accomplish more by  cutting back on sugar–as well as, perhaps, using less refined sources.

See also: Why is sugar bad?

How Nutritious Are Natural Sweeteners?

Let’s take a closer look at the nutrients in molasses.

One-half cup of molasses supplies:

  • 35% of DV for calcium
  • 44% of DV for iron
  • 56% of DV for vitamin B6
  • 70% of DV for potassium
  • 100% of DV for magnesium
  • 129% of DV for manganese

Not so shabby!  On the other hand, , a half cup of molasses also contains 93 grams of sugar, about four times the amount suggested in the latest recommendations from the AHA and 489 calories (about 25% of the average daily calorie needs). Obviously, you can get those nutrients with a lot less calories and sugar from other foods.

Now, let’s say you cut your consumption of added sugar to something closer to the level recommended by the AHA. Two tablespoons of molasses would only provide:

  • 9% of DV for calcium
  • 11% of DV for iron
  • 14% of DV for vitamin B6
  • 18% of DV for potassium
  • 25% of DV for magnesium
  • 32% of DV for manganese

Not quite as impressive. But, sure, why not choose the sweetener with the added nutrients over nutritionally devoid white table sugar? Just don’t let it seduce you into thinking that more is better!

Maple syrup, by the way, is not quite as nutritious as molasses. Two tablespoons supplies:

  • 2% of DV for magnesium
  • 2% of DV for potassium
  • 3% of DV for calcium and iron
  • 11% of DV for zinc
  • 66% of DV for manganese

See also: How to Cut Your Added Sugar Intake

Halloween Survival Guide

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Halloween is coming and that usually means a big increase in how much sugar our kids are eating. And I don’t know about your house, but the kids aren’t the only ones that get into the Halloween candy around here!

Obviously, the ideal amount of candy for kids (and kids-at-heart) is NO candy.  But this is not the time to play the hard cop. Here are some tips and strategies for allowing everyone to enjoy the holiday while containing the damage.

  • Don’t let your kids start eating the candy they collect while they are still out trick or treating. If they’re eager to get home to have a piece of candy, they might be willing to stop with a slightly smaller payload.
  • Set (and enforce) limits on how much candy may be eaten each day and when (e.g., only after meals).
  • Halloween candy should be enjoyed instead of and not in addition to other sweets that the kids might otherwise have. Limit other sources of sugar such as sodas and sweetened drinks, sugary breakfast cereals, cookies, and desserts, while the Halloween candy is around.
  • The World Health Organization recommends limiting added sugars to 10% of total calories. For a 90-pound 11-year-old, that’s about 50 grams of sugar per day. For a 40-pound six-year-old, it’s closer to 25 grams of sugar.

To see the amount of sugar and calories in those little “fun-size” Halloween candies, be sure to save the package they come in–they aren’t individually labeled.  You can also look them up online.   Candies that are lowest in calories are not necessarily the lowest in sugar. Candies with peanuts or other nuts, for example, are higher in calories but lower in sugar, because more of the calories come from protein and fat.

By the way, although they are low in sugar and calories, I don’t recommend giving sugar-free (“diabetic”) candy to kids…the sugar alcohols can cause diarrhea, especially if they eat too much.

Candies that are lower in sugar (less than 20 g per “fun size” serving):

  • Hershey’s Reeses Sticks
  • Nutrageous
  • Chocolate covered peanuts
  • Hershey’s Chocolate Almond Bites
  • Mr. Goodbar
  • Reeses Pieces
  • Kit Kat

Candies that are lower in calories (fewer than 100 calories per “fun size” serving):

  • Bubble gum
  • Twizzler’s Bites
  • Jelly Beans
  • Bit-o-Honey
  • York Peppermint Patty
  • Tootsie Rolls
  • Raisinets
  • Gumdrops
  • Skittles
  • Starburst

 

Caffeine and Sugar: An Unexpected Link

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Did you know that caffeine reduces our perception of sweetness?  Researchers found that if they took the caffeine out of a sweetened beverage, they could then remove about 10% of the sugar without altering the taste.  I had no idea!  The researchers  go on to suggest that removing caffeine from sweetened beverages could allow manufacturers to lower the amount of sugar in those products, thereby reducing the amount consumed by the general population and aiding in the fight against obesity.

That doesn’t seem terribly likely. First of all,  people who consume caffeinated beverages are usually looking for that caffeine bump.  (See also: Benefits of Caffeine) Secondly, we already have caffeine-free versions of many sweetened beverages.  And interestingly, caffeine-free Coca-Cola and Sprite both contain the same amount of sugar as regular Coca-cola.

Nonetheless, it’s an interesting finding.   Have you ever noticed this effect? For example, does caffeine-free Coke taste sweeter than regular? (I find both types to be unpleasantly sweet so I’m not a good judge.)  If you drink sugar in your coffee, does it take less sugar to sweeten decaf to your liking?