Sugar
Sugar is a carbohydrate that occurs naturally in a wide range of foods (e.g. fruits, honey, milk). It is also commonly used to enhance the taste of our food.
We need some sugar in our diet to supply quick energy for our muscles and brain to function. However, consuming too much sugar causes our blood sugar levels to spike. Sugar also provides excess calories with very few nutrients.
It is easy to spot foods that are high in sugar – they can usually be identified by their sweet taste!
Sugar is found in sweetened drinks (e.g. soft drinks, packet drinks, bubble tea, tea/coffee with condensed milk), desserts (e.g. cake, chocolate, ice-cream, ice kachang), and some spreads (e.g. jam, kaya, nutella).
However there are also many hidden sugars in our meals as can be seen in the image below by the Health Promotion Board.
Added sugars should contribute no more than 10% of our daily energy intake, which is about 9-11 teaspoons of sugar.
Tips to reduce sugar intake
Ask for no or less sugar when ordering drinks.
Choose water or unsweetened drinks as much as possible.
Limit sauces and gravies.
Choose soupy dishes (e.g. sliced fish soup or mee soto) instead of dry options or dishes with thick gravies.
For a sweet treat, have a piece of fresh fruit.