Did you know that almost half of the added sugar in our diets comes from beverages such as sodas, fruit drinks, and other sweetened beverages?

The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting calories from added sugars to no more than 10 percent each day.  On a 2,000 calorie eating pattern, this would equal 12 teaspoons or about 200 calories.

Added sugars are added to a food or food product when they are processed or prepared.  They can include ingredients such as sugars (brown, raw, turbinado, granulated), corn syrups, molasses, honey, and nectars to name a few.  Added sugars contribute calories but do not provide essential nutrients.

Some foods have naturally occurring sugar like fruits, vegetables, and milk, these foods are not added sugar.  Replacing foods and drinks high in added sugars is a step to establishing a healthy eating pattern for our children and family.

You can make a few choices throughout the day by replacing foods high in added sugars.  Here are a few options:

• Eat fruit for dessert instead of cakes, cookies, or ice cream.
• Flavor water with fresh fruit instead of sodas or sweetened tea.
• Try choosing a smaller size of a food with added sugar.
• Reduce the amount of sugar in an original recipe by one third.

Making small steps to reduce the amount of added sugar is a step in establishing a healthy eating pattern.

Watch this video to learn how to limit calories from added sugars.