Author: Kayla Gatt, MPH online candidate – [email protected]
Everyone has always heard the term “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” or something of similar content. Many individuals, such as myself, wake up every day with a goal of eating something before I jet off to work in an effort to kick start my metabolism and keep me fueled throughout my morning meetings. However, those pop tarts that are so easy to grab and eat on the road or the fat free yogurt that has convinced me I’ve made a healthy breakfast choice, may not be healthy at all.
In a 2017 survey, conducted by Public Health England[6], researchers were able to identify that half of the recommended daily sugar intake was being ingested by kids before they even left for school. On average, children in England are consuming 11 grams of sugar in one breakfast sitting with the recommended daily sugar intake at around 20 grams for ages 7-10. The main sources of sugar intake during breakfast comes from cereal high in sugar content, muffins, and bagels topped with sugary spreads. The study aimed to push parents to ‘Be Food Smart’ when it came to picking out breakfast foods for their children.
Not only are sugary foods ingested at breakfast but who doesn’t like to add a glass of apple juice or orange juice alongside their eggs and toast? Many people support drinking fruit juice because it contains sugar in the form of fructose, also known as “healthy sugars.” However, the body is unable to recognize the difference between sugar from candy and sugar from fruits meaning it is all digested the same. Surprisingly, grape juice was identified as containing the most sugar of any fruit juice. A 12-ounce glass of grape juice is comprised of over 58 grams of sugar equaling a total of 240 calories per glass. Not only is grape juice high in sugar but so are both apple juice and orange juice whose sugar content ranges from 33-39 grams of sugar per 12-ounces [2]. These sugary fruit juices have been linked with increased childhood obesity, so next time you decide to grab some fruit juice for breakfast, try to limit portion sizes and pick juices that contain no added sugars.
Although some of you may say none of this is relevant to you because you eat granola bars or low-fat yogurts for breakfast. Granola bars can be a great source of protein and fiber but can contain up to 30 grams of sugar per bar[2]. Another study was conducted in 2016 that compared the sugar content of regular, low-fat and fat-free items. Researchers concluded that sugar content was higher in both low-fat (reduced calorie, light) and fat-free foods compared to the regular versions of tested items[4]. To think that we assumed we were making a healthier choice by picking the light or non-fat items when it was actually pumping more sugar into our bodies.
Many of us don’t consider the impact sugar can have on our body so, rarely, if ever do we check the sugar content on packaging. Nevertheless, sugar is constantly being pumped into our diets, especially through breakfast foods that are greatly affecting children across the world. Becoming consciously aware of you and your families sugar intake may seem like a daunting task but it’s a task that can eliminate the risk of obesity and obesity related diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes[3]. My advice to people who are trying to eat a healthier breakfast is to make your own granola, buy all-natural fruit juice and limit your portions, and look for whole grain breads with the first ingredient being whole grains[5].
I highly suggest anyone who is interested in learning more about the impact sugar has on your body to check out the book, Suicide by Sugar: A Startling Look at Our Nations #1 National Addiction written by Jacobs and Appleton1. There are also many sites that provide healthy alternatives to sugary foods, I especially like to use cook books and Pinterest to pick out recipes and recreate them using healthy substitutes for sugars and oils.
1] Appleton, N., & Jacobs, G. (2009). Suicide by sugar : A startling look at our #1 national addiction. Garden City Park, NY: Square One.
2] Dray, T. (2017). Juices with the highest sugar content. Retrieved from
https://livestrong.com/article/450038-juices-with-the-highest-sugar-content/
3] Healthy Weight. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/effects/index.html
4] Nguyen PK, Lin S, Heidenreich P. (2016). A systematic comparison of sugar content in low-fat vs regular versions of food. Nutrition & Diabetes, 6(1):e193-. doi:10.1038/nutd.2015.43.
5] Patel, A. (2015). List of the (and worst) store-bought bread. Retrieved from
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/07/18/best-healthy-bread_n_5597115.html
6] Public Health England. (2017). New Change4Life campaign encourages parents to 'Be Food Smart'. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-change4life-campaign-encourages-parents-to-be-food-smart
In a 2017 survey, conducted by Public Health England[6], researchers were able to identify that half of the recommended daily sugar intake was being ingested by kids before they even left for school. On average, children in England are consuming 11 grams of sugar in one breakfast sitting with the recommended daily sugar intake at around 20 grams for ages 7-10. The main sources of sugar intake during breakfast comes from cereal high in sugar content, muffins, and bagels topped with sugary spreads. The study aimed to push parents to ‘Be Food Smart’ when it came to picking out breakfast foods for their children.
Not only are sugary foods ingested at breakfast but who doesn’t like to add a glass of apple juice or orange juice alongside their eggs and toast? Many people support drinking fruit juice because it contains sugar in the form of fructose, also known as “healthy sugars.” However, the body is unable to recognize the difference between sugar from candy and sugar from fruits meaning it is all digested the same. Surprisingly, grape juice was identified as containing the most sugar of any fruit juice. A 12-ounce glass of grape juice is comprised of over 58 grams of sugar equaling a total of 240 calories per glass. Not only is grape juice high in sugar but so are both apple juice and orange juice whose sugar content ranges from 33-39 grams of sugar per 12-ounces [2]. These sugary fruit juices have been linked with increased childhood obesity, so next time you decide to grab some fruit juice for breakfast, try to limit portion sizes and pick juices that contain no added sugars.
Although some of you may say none of this is relevant to you because you eat granola bars or low-fat yogurts for breakfast. Granola bars can be a great source of protein and fiber but can contain up to 30 grams of sugar per bar[2]. Another study was conducted in 2016 that compared the sugar content of regular, low-fat and fat-free items. Researchers concluded that sugar content was higher in both low-fat (reduced calorie, light) and fat-free foods compared to the regular versions of tested items[4]. To think that we assumed we were making a healthier choice by picking the light or non-fat items when it was actually pumping more sugar into our bodies.
Many of us don’t consider the impact sugar can have on our body so, rarely, if ever do we check the sugar content on packaging. Nevertheless, sugar is constantly being pumped into our diets, especially through breakfast foods that are greatly affecting children across the world. Becoming consciously aware of you and your families sugar intake may seem like a daunting task but it’s a task that can eliminate the risk of obesity and obesity related diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes[3]. My advice to people who are trying to eat a healthier breakfast is to make your own granola, buy all-natural fruit juice and limit your portions, and look for whole grain breads with the first ingredient being whole grains[5].
I highly suggest anyone who is interested in learning more about the impact sugar has on your body to check out the book, Suicide by Sugar: A Startling Look at Our Nations #1 National Addiction written by Jacobs and Appleton1. There are also many sites that provide healthy alternatives to sugary foods, I especially like to use cook books and Pinterest to pick out recipes and recreate them using healthy substitutes for sugars and oils.
1] Appleton, N., & Jacobs, G. (2009). Suicide by sugar : A startling look at our #1 national addiction. Garden City Park, NY: Square One.
2] Dray, T. (2017). Juices with the highest sugar content. Retrieved from
https://livestrong.com/article/450038-juices-with-the-highest-sugar-content/
3] Healthy Weight. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/effects/index.html
4] Nguyen PK, Lin S, Heidenreich P. (2016). A systematic comparison of sugar content in low-fat vs regular versions of food. Nutrition & Diabetes, 6(1):e193-. doi:10.1038/nutd.2015.43.
5] Patel, A. (2015). List of the (and worst) store-bought bread. Retrieved from
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/07/18/best-healthy-bread_n_5597115.html
6] Public Health England. (2017). New Change4Life campaign encourages parents to 'Be Food Smart'. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-change4life-campaign-encourages-parents-to-be-food-smart