What is Sugar?

Sugars are simple carbohydrates that are primarily used by our bodies for energy. This energy is broken down and released quickly which can lead to spikes and drops in our energy levels.

Sugary foods and drinks are often energy dense and if we consume too much too often, it can lead to weight gain and potentially obesity. This in turn can increase our risk of developing associated conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Sugar is also a leading cause of tooth decay.

Sugars come is many different forms, they can be naturally occurring like the sugars found in milk (lactose) and fruits. They can also be added to different foods for sweetness, for example sugars found in confectionary, desserts and fizzy drinks. These added sugars as well as sugars found in honey, syrups and fruit sugars that have been processed (such as in juices, purees and smoothies) all count as ‘free sugar’. We should aim to limit free sugars in our diets. Free sugars currently make up over double the recommended maximum portion of the diet for young people aged 11-18.

Because of the effects of sugar on our health, the government has taken steps to try to reduce our sugar intake.

What are the recommendations?

The government recommends that sugar makes up no more than 5% of our daily energy intake.

This equates to no more than:

• 19g a day (5 sugar cubes) for 4–6-year-olds

• 24g a day (6 sugar cubes) for 7-10-year-olds

• 30g a day (7 sugar cubes) for those 11+ (Including adults)

The government also advises through the Eatwell guide:

• To limit fruit juice and smoothies to a combined total of 150ml a day due to their acidity and the free sugars they contain.

• To limit the quantity and how often we consume foods high in sugar such as chocolate, cakes, biscuits and sugary soft drinks as they are not essential to our diet.

How can I cut down on sugar?

One of ways to we can be more sugar aware is by looking at food labels to help us to make informed choices.

This is often listed as total sugar on the nutrition label and appears per 100g and per portion of the product. It may also be colour coded on the traffic light label on the front of packaging.

A product is classed as:

• High (red) if there is over 22.5g of sugar per 100g.

• Medium (amber) if between 5g-22.5g of sugar per 100g.

• Low (green) if less than 5g of sugar per 100g.

  
  

It may also be useful to look at the ingredients list. There are lots of different names for added sugars, they may appear as honey, syrup, treacle or nectar. They may also appear as the name of the sugar usually ending in ‘-ose’ (such as glucose, fructose or maltose). If this ingredient is listed towards the top of the list of ingredients you know that the product is high in sugar.

Other ways to reduce your sugar intake include swapping sugary soft drinks for water and swapping sweet treats for options such as fresh fruit or savoury snacks. A step towards this trying to reduce your portion sizes of these foods or swapping out half of your sweet snack for fruit.

How do we reduce sugar in our menus?

At HCL, we provide a nutritious and balanced menu that meets the Government’s School Food Standards. In line with these standards, we do not include confectionary (such as chocolate) in our menus or fizzy drinks in our primary schools where only water is available with our school lunches.

We voluntarily choose to follow Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)

guidance for sugar intake of primary school aged children. This means on average our standard desserts do not contain more than 7g of free sugars per day on an average 3 weekly menu cycle which is in line with guidance. Our desserts are constantly under review with lower sugar recipes being devised and trialed, whilst working with our suppliers to find alternative solutions.

Furthermore, HCL’s primary school menus have the Sugarwise Gold catering mark accredited to them. The Sugarwise catering mark on school menus means that the menu provides options that are low in “free sugars”. It gives assurance to parents and teachers that recipes on which the logo appears have been independently assessed and are low in free sugars. By being certified, HCL is demonstrating its continuing commitment of reducing sugar intake in the children we feed. As part of this accreditation, we ensure that one day out of the week only fruit is served as the dessert.