Sugar... How Much Is Too Much?

I was chatting with my engineering team, and one of the guys asked Steve if he could tell what percent of daily sugar he was getting from his Yoplait yogurt? Innocent enough question, right? Steve looked at the label and while it said the number of grams of sugar, it didn't have a percent value, though every other ingredient did! Turns out sugar is the ingredient they don't report the daily percent on, and at 26 grams in that little, supposedly healthy, cup of yogurt it's no wonder. So what percent was it of Steve's daily sugar? The American Heart Association told us... and it was not pretty!

According to the AHA, men are allowed 9 teaspoons of sugar (37.5 grams) a day and woman are allowed 6 teaspoons (25 grams) a day! In one small meal, Steve had unknowingly consumed almost 70% of his daily sugar allowance. If a woman ate a Yoplait, she would be done for the day! In 2014, the average amount of sugar Americans were consuming a day was 19 teaspoons (76.7 grams) a day. And this is only forms of processed sugar, which is the kind that is bad for you. Check out the American Heart Association website for a list of all the hidden forms of sugar, some average food sugar amounts that you might not have expected, some information on the difference between processed and natural sugars and some quick and easy ways to change the way you eat to cut down your sugar intake right away!!! I know I saw a few new foods I will be avoiding!