Free Sugars

Watch out - they sneak up on you!

At the start of this month I baked with the Youth at MPYC In Erin. Preparing for the Rotary Bake Sale at our first Rotary Summerfest on 24th July. Cookies, squares, muffins, meringues … all sweet treats for a special occasion; to get together, as a community post covid, to have FUN and raise money for EWCS and other Rotary community projects.

Sweet treats, once in a while, are of course OK.

However, as a general rule, we should avoid eating too many FREE SUGARS. Sugars that are added to food and drinks which are calorie dense and low in nutritional value. They are not the sugars found naturally in fruit and vegetables.

For children, a diet high in free sugars and low in essential vitamins and minerals is particularly concerning, as this could impact their growth and development.

In addition, consuming too many foods high in free sugars increases the risk of tooth decay and might play a role in the development of type-2 diabetes and obesity.

According to the UK’s NHS, ‘adults and children over 11 years should consume no more than 30g of free sugars a day. ‘ That equates to about 7 cubes of sugar. THINK before you consume! A can of monster contains about 55g sugar (almost 14 cubes), a can of coke 35g (8 cubes). LOOK at food Labels to see sugar content per serving! CUT BACK on those cookies, cakes, ice cream and soft drinks. MODERATE your daily consumption of free sugars for a healthier diet.