It sneaks into your day without you noticing. A quick snack here, a drink there – and suddenly, your sugar intake is through the roof.
From breakfast cereals to "healthy" granola bars, hidden sugars are everywhere. And while they might seem harmless, they can silently sabotage your health.
The NHS has now issued a clear guideline to help you understand how much added sugar your body should actually handle each day – and it's probably a lot less than you think.
How to decode your supermarket labels
The secret is on the label – and it’s all about colours. Many food items now come with a traffic light system showing levels of sugar, fat and salt.
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If the sugar section is red, it’s high. Yellow is moderate. Green means low.
According to the NHS, added sugars – including table sugar, syrups and honey – should make up no more than 5 % of your daily energy intake.
That’s just 30 grams of sugar a day for anyone over 11 years old.
The problem? Many of us exceed that limit before lunch.
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Small changes that lead to big results
You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. Small, smart swaps can make a massive difference.
Try fresh or tinned fruit in juice instead of syrup. Swap out chocolate bars for plain popcorn, rice cakes or lower-sugar yoghurts.
Even if you’re not ready to ditch your sweet favourites, reducing portion sizes can help. Little by little, you retrain your taste buds – and reduce your health risks.
This article is based on information from Express.co.uk.
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