How to build a grocery cart that keeps your sugar intake under 24 grams/day
If you look at the nutrition facts label, what’s one thing that grabs your attention? If you whispered to yourself “sugar” then you’re not alone. Sugar has been getting a lot of media attention lately and rightly so. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) remarked that Americans are “eating and drinking too many added sugars” (1). The excess consumption of added sugar has been linked to many health-related issues such as obesity, heart-related issues and diabetes. If you’re wondering how to reduce your overall sugar intake then keep reading.
What is Natural Sugar versus Added Sugar?
If you take a look at a nutrition facts label you’ll notice under the carbohydrate section these words: “total sugars” and “added sugars”. Total sugars include natural sugars that occur in foods. For instance, fruit naturally contains sugar. So if you bite into a pear or an apple, you’re going to taste the natural sugars dancing on your tastebuds. Total sugars also take into consideration added sugars that are added during the processing of foods. For example, even though the sugar found in fruit is naturally occurring, if you separate the sugar from the fruit and then add it to a granola bar then that granola bar becomes an item that contains added sugars. Total sugars and added sugars are not innately bad, but as mentioned earlier, there are times when you need to decrease your sugar intake for health related reasons.
How to build a grocery cart that has sugar in mind?
The first step of building a grocery cart that keeps your sugar intake to 24 grams a day is to know which foods have the lowest total sugar content. These foods are found at the perimeter of the grocery store and include the following food groups:
- Protein: meat, chicken, fish, eggs
- Vegetables: lettuce, tomatoes, cauliflower, eggplant and a variety of other veggies
- Fruits: especially the berry family such as strawberries, blueberry, raspberry
- Nuts and seeds: Examples include almonds, sunflower seeds, pistachios and walnuts
While the above foods are in the perimeter of the grocery store don’t hesitate to check out the middle aisle. The middle aisle contains some carbohydrate staples which are important for one’s overall health and wellness. There are certain grains found in these isles in the form of breads, cereals and pasta that have a low total sugar content that you can take advantage of. Want to know exactly what I’m referring to? Keep reading.
Meals You Can Make Using the Above Grocery List:
- Veggie omelette with strawberries
- Buttered egg noodles with spinach turkey meatballs
- Fish tacos on lettuce shells
- Open-faced eggplant sandwich with parmesan cheese
- Strawberry & Avocado Smoothie with 1/4 cup nuts
- Garlic Cauliflower egg fried Rice with cashews
The benefits to shopping to lower your sugar intake:
When your sugar intake, especially your added sugar intake is too high this can result in metabolic problems. For instance, added sugars have been a major cause of concern for becoming overweight and obesity. A little weight in derriere and especially abdominal region is a cause for concern. Excess weight in the abdominal region, also known as visceral belly fat, is linked with a greater risk for developing health related problems associated with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Poor nutrition can lead to poor health, therefore using an app like VitalCary can help you sift through foods that have the lowest sugar content to meet your personal dietary needs while saving you time.
The Bottom Line:
Eating a low sugar diet may have it’s advantages. Reducing your added sugar intake makes a world of difference. If you’re someone who has type 2 diabetes, are trying to lose weight or simply health-conscious this may be something worth trying.
References:
(1) https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/sugar.html
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