Our Relationship with Sweets
I say “our” because I want to talk about how I perceive North American society and its relationship to sugar. I have my own habits when it comes to sweet things, and I know everyone else is going to be a bit different. Some of us have an insatiable sweet tooth. Others aren’t really reaching for the cupcakes very often, but still indulge now and then. But I think most of us are starting to appreciate the ways that sugar sneaks into all aspects of our food, whether or not we’re seeking something sweet. Just ask anyone who has decided to give up sugar, and they’ll sound so exasperated as they explain that EVERYTHING has added sugar. Tomato sauce. Canned fruit. Soy milk. Mac & cheese. Bread. Ketchup. Salad dressing. Pre-packaged soup. Peanut butter. Your Starbucks matcha latte. It’s EVERYWHERE! And it has reached a point where we’re probably exceeding a healthy dose of sugar intake each day before even reaching for that dessert. You may say “nah, I don’t eat sweets” but after that morning slice of toast with peanut butter, your lunchtime sandwich with processed meat (yep, added sugar) and condiments (again, tons of added sugar) and your evening spaghetti with tomato sauce, you’ve consumed a lot of sugar. So I think we all need to start actively thinking about how much sugar is added into our diets, and begin to manage our meals accordingly.
Sugar is a big subject, and I’m not going to use this post to dive too far into why it isn’t healthy for you. Suffice to say, it is linked to many diseases and it is also frequently the culprit when people struggle to lose weight, to improve sleep, to maintain a strong immune system, or even manage mental health. In addition, anyone suffering from gut issues may struggle not just with added processed sugar but also from diets high in natural sugars, since bad bacteria in your gut will feed off of anything sweet. A holistic approach to sugar management is key, and it starts when you pay attention to the ingredients in your food.
Ingredients:
It cannot be overstated how important it is for people to read the ingredients on everything they buy. The simplest way to manage ingredients is to buy whole foods, where your ingredient is singular: Banana. Apple. Maple syrup. Honey. Beef. Chicken. Avocado. You see what I mean.
The trouble arises when we reach for things like breads, crackers, ice cream, granola bars, etc. This is where we need to be extra careful to read that ingredient list carefully. You should be seeking items that have very few ingredients, and you should understand what those ingredients are. If you’re reaching for something that has added sugar (think: granola bars) then you should then ask yourself: do I need this? Maybe you could make granola bars at home and control the ingredients. Maybe you can find a better option for a granola bar that is naturally sweetened and has only whole ingredients. Or, maybe you can reach for a different snack together, like apple slices with almond butter. The key is to read your ingredients and think hard about what you want to be putting into your body (or the bodies of the tiny humans you may be caring for).
Cooking at home:
This is so important. When time permits, cooking at home is always best. Even restaurants have a tendency to add sugar to their foods to make them more appealing, so opting for a restaurant over a packaged meal isn’t much better. The best way to ensure that you’re managing your sugar intake is to make your food at home. If you’re busy (like I am) then you can pick a day (I like Sundays) to do a bunch of meal prep for the week. You’ll probably still end up eating out sometimes, but the more you eat at home, the better. When it comes to sugar, you can either eliminate it as an additive altogether (like, fun fact, you can cook your tomato paste to eliminate acidity, thus getting rid of the need to add sugar to spaghetti sauce) or you can use natural substitutions. I don’t keep processed white sugar in my house. In my pantry, all you’ll find is honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar. When Marc and I started living together, I slowly made that switch and Marc hardly even noticed. He doesn’t add sugar to things anymore, and when he does, he’s happy to reach for one of my many delicious and healthier alternatives. But the ultimate benefit to cooking at home is that you’re controlling the amount of sugar. Even healthier sugars like honey and maple syrup are bad for you in large amounts, so exercise restraint.
Portions:
The next thing to consider is portions. I believe that North Americans, and frankly people all over the world, are eating portions of sweets that are way too large. When you bake a cake, you’re usually baking it for a small group of people (maybe 4) in anticipation of them each having a large slice. We’ve all been around the kitchen table while someone slices you a 3 inch squared piece of ice cream cake, or a 3 inch wide slice of cheesecake, and at first we’re elated! Oh boy, I get to devour this delicious piece of cake! But I’m guessing that after 3 or 4 bites, you’re probably done. You’ve just put a bunch of sugar on top of what was probably a heavily carb and protein filled meal, and now that sugar is going to sit on top of that big supper while it takes hours to digest. The result? We’ve all been there - your stomach expands, you feel bloated and tired, and you need to unbutton your pants.
So, let’s stop that cycle. I want us to all start making smaller desserts. Make a cake that is half the size of a standard cake, and slice portions that are half the size of a normal slice of cake. Trust me, most of your guests are going to thank you for not obligating them to eat something that their stomachs probably can’t even fit. If someone really wants more after a 3-4 bite portion of cake, then feel free to offer seconds, or offer a nice cup of tea.
Finally, anyone who loves baking has probably made that batch of 24 cookies or that big cheesecake with only yourself and your spouse to feed (or worse, only yourself). All of a sudden, you’ve eaten 8 cookies in one day because they’re sitting there and they need to be consumed, or else they’ll go bad. Was that really good for your health? Maybe had you cut your recipe in half, or more, and only made 6-8 cookies then you’d feel less of an obligation to become a cookie monster.
Thinking about the month/week/day, not just the meal:
We all have a tendency to look at something sweet and think “It’s so small! Just one or two chocolates won’t hurt” or “just one slice of pie is fine, if I stop at that.” Sure. We’ve all said it. But wait a minute - what about the piece of white bread with sugary peanut butter you had for breakfast? What about the sugar you put in your coffee? What about the sugar in your salad dressing? Will you have dessert after supper tonight? Sugar in your afternoon tea? What about that granola bar? Remember that birthday party you were at two days ago where you ate 3 pieces of cake?
We need to think of our sugar intake holistically. You don’t want to go crazy and start keeping a “sugar intake” diary to track everything you eat (or maybe you do if you have serious problems avoiding sugar) but you should think in big picture terms about what your overall diet consists of. You should be aiming for only a couple of teaspoons of sugar per day, and that sugar should be from a natural source like honey, maple syrup or fruits. In a week, we probably shouldn’t be baking more than one or two reasonably sized goods for the family to enjoy. If you’ve baked 5 batches of cookies in a week, then you and your family are probably over-doing it in terms of sugar intake.
Beware the terms “natural,” “healthy,” and “something-free”:
In fact, be wary of all terms that suggest to you that you’re about to eat something healthy. You may think “Oh, this granola bar is only sweetened with honey, that’s great!” but how much honey is in it? Honey is still a sugar, and will behave in your body quite similarly to any other sugar. Sure, it has some health benefits of its own, and it may not mess with your blood sugar as much as a white cane sugar might, but it is still sugar. So, you need to examine how much honey is in that granola bar. Other terms like “natural” are dangerous because they don’t really mean much. Arsenic is natural. You need to make sure you’re still reading ingredients and thinking about how those ingredients, in those amounts, are affecting your overall health. Finally, just because something is lactose free or dairy free, that does not make it healthy. Lots of gluten free breads have horrible additives, making them perhaps easier to eat if you’re celiac, but not better for your overall health.
Final thoughts:
We all love sugar. The food industry knows it, and that’s why they fill all of their products with it. It’s addictive, and it makes us feel great. But don’t get caught in that trap! Think about the hidden sources of sugar in your diet, control how much sugar you’re eating, and eat reasonable portions when it comes to sweets. That way, you don’t have to cut out sweets altogether! Balance is key.
Until next time,
-The Reformed Cookie Monster
