Coffee & Sugar Facts The current health recommendation is that we consume no more than 24 grams or six teaspoons of sugar a day. How much are we consuming every day? The average adult consumes 22 teaspoons per day. That is 3X more than recommended! Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee per day, equivalent to 146 billion cups of coffee per year! 30% of coffee drinkers sweeten their coffee with sugar or some other form of sweetener. 72% of coffee drinkers take their coffee with dairy or non-dairy creamer. Many non-dairy creamers are loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners. The sugar in milk is natural but a ¼ of a cup of milk will have up to 4 grams of sugar. Only about 28% drink their coffee black. More on our coffee obsession. How do you take your coffee? Black or doctored up? Maybe it's time to make some healthier changes without giving up your coffee. So how much sugar is in your morning caffeine fix? Check out the sugar content from Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts. No typos, this is the actual sugar content. Many have over twice the amount you should have in one day. Rethink your caffeine fix Getting calories from beverages vs. solid real foods Liquids don’t provide the same feeling of fullness or satisfaction as solid foods, as the body doesn’t “register” liquid calories as it does calories from solid food. This can prompt a person to keep eating even after an intake of a high-calorie drink. Did you know we have a weight problem? Today, more than 2 in 3 adults are considered to be overweight or obese. More than 1 in 3 adults are considered to be obese. Changing what we eat and drink can make a huge difference in our health and how we feel. So how much sugar is in your drink? Take a couple minutes NOW and go online and check out the nutrition or ingredients list of your beverage of choice. Check out how many grams of sugar are listed per serving. If it’s a packaged drink, many list out the grams for the total bottle, not per servings. So, if it has 2 servings per bottle, multiply the grams of sugar by 2. Do this for any of your beverages that you routinely drink. Sports drinks, energy drinks, tea, juice, soda… Be aware of how much sugar is in juice. Even if the sugar is coming from all-natural sources, sugar is sugar. It’s always a good idea to know how much you are consuming. Here are some links Starbucks , Dunkin' Donuts, Panera Bread, McDonalds Ways to cut out the sugar. Start with ordering just black coffee. If you want milk, choose whole milk, It will have a little less sugar than 2% or skim and you will need less to make your drink creamy. ¼ of a cup has 3 grams of sugar. Think outside of the box for milk substitutes and bring your own. Try full-fat coconut milk in the can. It’s minimally processed with no sugar but will add a little sweetness to your beverage. Read the label of any milk substitutes like almond milk. You don’t want to choose one with added sugar. Don’t add artificial sweeteners, no calories but full of chemical and studies show that they do increase our insulin response like sugar does. Stevia is an okay choice. It is natural, derived from the stevia plant. May not have an effect on your insulin response like sugar or artificial sweeteners but may still increase your cravings for sugar. Avoid “natural sugars” like honey or agave syrup. They are still sugar and have more grams of sugar than regular table sugar per serving. If you can’t go cold turkey, try to decrease the amount you use every day till your taste buds and body adapt. YOU CAN DO IT! Need help kicking the sugar habit? Connect for a free 30-minute consult to see how I can help.
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Hello! I'm Jori Zimmerman, a nutritionist and owner of Nutrition Savvy. I work with individuals that are looking to make dietary and lifestyle changes that will lead them to living a healthier and higher quality of life. Archives
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Jori Zimmerman, Nutritionist and Owner
Jori@nutritionsavvy.biz 303-585-1025 Tucson, AZ 85715 Disclaimer |