need help meeting the sugar target

HurriCate
HurriCate Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been keeping my food diary since the New Year and am meeting the calorie, fat, protein, carb, and sodium targets quite easily. But I often find that I've exceeded the suggested sugar limit even before my evening meal. My diet includes three SMALL servings of fruit daily, as well as 1.5 c of milk, neither of which I feel is excessive nutritionally. But it seems to me that my diet must be unbalanced somehow, if I am always going over the suggested sugar limit? Is anyone else noticing this? Does anyone have any suggestions for balancing foods in order to stay within the sugar limit? Thanks!

Replies

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    Ignore it - unless you need to track it for medical reasons.

    It's notoriously low, and is based on the recommendations for ADDED sugars only. (But since nutrition labels don't break that out, as you've found, you'll exceed it almost daily)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    It's 15% of total calories, based on an assumption about how much is added vs. not (as the various recommended limitations tend to be for added sugar only). If you have low calories and/or eat lots of fruit and veg it won't fit how you eat in many cases.

    I agree with either tracking fiber instead (a better way to ensure that your carbs are mostly more nutrient dense ones) or simply looking at where your sugar is coming from and making sure it's not disproportionately from lower nutrient items or surprising in any way (which is what I do).
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
    I eliminated sugar as one of the macros I track because most of my sugars come from fruits and vegetables. It was stressing me. I asked the same question you are and got the same response. Sugars from natural sources are fine unless you have a medical reason to watch it. Go into your settings and get rid of it. Problem solved!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    As most of my sugars come from fruits and veggies, I swapped out the Sugar nutrient for Fiber.
  • HurriCate
    HurriCate Posts: 9 Member
    Wow, thanks everyone! This is so helpful, because I don't add any sugar and I try to avoid sweets most of the time so it was annoying me a bit. I'll just ignore it from now on. Thank you all!
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    As most of my sugars come from fruits and veggies, I swapped out the Sugar nutrient for Fiber.

    This is a nice suggestion, because sugar gram recommendations are for added sugars, not naturally occurring.

    I do try to stay close to what MFP says because I personally would like to keep sugary items to a low. I'm not a big fruit eater and I notice the source of my sugars tends to be veggies, ketchup/salsa (condiments that save my sanity while cutting back), and Kefir which is made with no ADDED sugars just those from fruit it was made with. So I pay attention but just for my own knowledge.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    brb_2013 wrote: »
    Kefir which is made with no ADDED sugars just those from fruit it was made with..

    http://www.nancysyogurt.com/index.php/products/kefir/102-strawberry-kefir-nutritional-info - third ingredient "organic agave nectar" is an added sugar.

  • HurriCate
    HurriCate Posts: 9 Member
    HazelTrisEverdeen wrote: »
    ...Congratulations on meeting your other targets too!

    Thank you. :smile:

  • truelight_photo_craig
    truelight_photo_craig Posts: 347 Member
    Like others have said, I swapped sugars for fiber in my macros, and try to hit at least 30 grams a day.

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