The Nutrition Facts labels on almost all packaged foods will tell you how many grams of sugar are in a serving of that food, as well as how many grams of total carbohydrate. Your registered dietitian can help you read the new food label. He or she will also do a nutrition assessment to tell you how much carbohydrate you should eat per day. The new recommendations are good news. But there are still reasons to limit the amount of sugar you eat.
Sugary foods are often foods without much nutrition.
They have calories, but they lack the vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are important to your health. Foods made with a lot of sugar are often also high in fat. Look at the exchange values for foods such as ice cream, cake, and chocolate. One-half cup of ice cream equals 1 starch and 2 fat exchanges. Eating too many high-fat foods puts you at risk for heart and blood vessel disease.