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Sugar

Interactive game to test your knowledge on sugar

Sugar provides sweetness in foods. It occurs naturally (in fruit) or may be added during manufacture (in cakes and biscuits) or just before consumption (eg. adding sugar to tea). Sugar, being a source of energy, contributes to the amount of energy (or calories) in the diet regardless of whether it is supplied as table sugar or as the sugar present in fruit or milk. All types of sugar provide approximately the same amount of energy (1680kJ per 100g).

However sugars are divided into groups depending upon what foods they come from. "Intrinsic" sugars are eaten with their associated cell walls, eg in fruit and vegetables . "Extrinsic" sugars are "free" or not contained within cells, eg milk and foods and drinks manufactured with added sugar (eg. cakes and biscuits). We should try to eat less "extrinsic" sugars and more "intrinsic" sugars. The exception to this rule is milk which, although it contains "extrinsic" sugars, should be included in our diets as an important source of calcium.

The main public health issue associated with total sugar consumption is potential adverse effects on dental health, particularly amongst those who do not regularly use fluoridated toothpaste. This section explores amounts of "hidden sugar" in foods.

Packed Lunches

Interactive game to build a packed lunch

Many people, particularly schoolgoers, depend on packed lunches to provide approximately one-third of their daily food intake. For this reason it is essential that this meal is nutritionally balanced. The best way to ensure this is to include one food from each of the four food groups

Here are a few tips for planning your packed lunch:

  • Remember that a packed lunch does not always have to include sandwiches.
  • Keep sweet and sugary foods to a minimum. A well balanced lunch should help to eliminate the need for sweet snacks between meals. Eg fresh fruit, unsweetened tinned fruit, dried fruits, yogurt.
  • Keep salty foods to a minimum, eg try fruit or unsalted nuts instead of crisps.

This section of food4life will help you explore how to "build" a packed lunch either for a hillwalk or for an outing to the beach.