Healthy eating means taking an 80-20 approach to nourishment of both body and soul-choosing fresh and quality foods 80 percent of the time while still allowing room for pleasurable indulgence. While there's certainly room to indulge in sugar and sweet foods, moderation is the key. The problem with too much sugar lies in the emptiness of the calories and the missed opportunities for nutritious food. Many foods high in sugar are also high in saturated and trans fats and calories. Even fat-free foods can still be high in sugar.

It is estimated that the average Canadian eats the equivalent of 20 to 30 teaspoons of sugar each day, that's 3 cups of sugar a week. It is recommended to work at limiting sugar to 6 to 10 percent of total calories. This is equivalent to 6 teaspoons a day if you eat 1,600 calories and 10 teaspoons a day if you eat 2,000 calories. Sugar can be hidden in many foods and takes several different forms. When reading a food label, sugar is listed as any of the following terms: sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, syrup, molasses, honey, high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, brown sugar and fruit juice concentrate. Use the table below to discover the amounts found in common foods.

To minimize your sugar intake, limit sweet foods such as candy, cakes, doughnuts, and granola bars to a few times a week. Instead, try fresh, canned or dried fruit when craving something sweet. Choose plain yogurt and fruit, cinnamon or no-added-sugar jam. Drink tea and coffee with little or no sugar or switch to a fruit or herbal tea. Consider water as your beverage of choice and keep soda pop, fruit drinks and juice to a minimum.