High sugar intake has been linked to everything from dental cavities to obesity to Type 2 diabetes to heart disease to other health conditions — many of which last into adulthood. Minimizing added sugar is a priority for many parents, but it’s not as simple as trading cookies and soda for fruit and water. Avoiding obvious sources is one thing, but added sugar can be found in many foods where you may not expect it.

The Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee defines added sugars as “sugars that are either added during the processing of foods, or are packaged as such, and include sugars, syrups, naturally occurring sugars that are isolated from a whole food and concentrated so that sugar is the primary component (e.g., fruit juice concentrates), and other caloric sweeteners.” Simply put, added sugars sweeten a food — and although they add calories, they offer virtually no nutrition.

On a nutrition label, sugar may appear under many names — more than 50, actually. Some of the most common ones include cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, raw sugar and crystal solids. And, don’t forget brown sugar, honey, maple syrup and brown rice syrup.

The Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommends Americans limit added sugars to no more than 10 percent of their daily calorie needs. That’s about 12 teaspoons (48 grams of sugar) on a 2,000-calorie diet. But for kids — especially little kids, who may only need 1,200 to 1,400 calories per day — it’s even less. The American Heart Association recommends three to four teaspoons for young kids, and five to eight teaspoons for pre-teens and teens. (There are about four grams of sugar in one teaspoon, so a food with 16 grams of sugar has four teaspoons.)

But, rather than obsessing over grams and teaspoons, focus on reducing added sugar intake by limiting products that contain it.

Common Sources of Added Sugar

Some sources of added sugar are easy to spot, such as:

• Sugary beverages (soda, fruit punch, sweet coffee and energy drinks)
• Sugary cereal
• Candy and chocolates
• Flavored yogurt
• Baked goods such as cakes, pastries and cookies

However, added sugar can hide in some surprising places, including:

• Whole-grain cereals and granola
• Instant oatmeal
• Frozen foods
• Granola bars, protein bars and cereal bars
• Pasta sauce
• Dried fruit, canned fruit, applesauce and fruit juices
• Baby food
• Barbecue sauce, ketchup, salad dressing and other condiments

Tips for Avoiding Added Sugars

The first step in reducing your family’s added sugar intake takes place in the grocery store. Scan labels for added sweeteners and, instead, fill your shopping cart with healthier options. Fruit, fruit comes in several varieties, fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit in it’s own juice.

When it comes to beverages, drink water with a splash of fresh fruit juice if you are looking to jazz up your water. Many other beverages have ingredients kids don’t need, like caffeine, added sugar and artificial dyes or sweeteners.

You can also reduce added sugar intake at home by cooking from scratch. By making your own granola, pasta sauce and condiments and serving homemade baked treats, you are in control of the ingredients used.

One common source of added sugar is flavored yogurt. You can start reducing added sugar intake from yogurt by mixing half a serving of flavored yogurt with half a serving of plain, unsweetened yogurt or by adding fresh or frozen berries. As your family’s taste buds adjust, gradually use less and less of the sweetened varieties.

Make a healthy relationship with food instead of a completely sugar-free diet, save the sweet stuff for special occasions.

Kids eat right.org