Limit added sugars in food, drink for a truly sweet smile

EDMONTON – April is Oral Health Month. This year the focus is on limiting added sugar in foods and drinks, which has important benefits for a sweet smile and overall health. Choosing too many foods and drinks with added sugar can increase the risk for tooth decay.

Added sugars are found in processed foods and drinks, and can also be used to preserve foods such as jams and jellies. They can be added for taste, texture and colouring. Sugary drinks, such as sodas, are a big source of added sugars. Other foods high in added sugar are sweetened baked goods and desserts, chocolate, and condiments such as ketchup and jam. Here are some tips to limit added sugar for healthy teeth and overall health:

At the grocery store:

• Read the ingredient list. Words ending in “ose,” such as sucrose and fructose, or words such as syrups, honey, molasses, fruit juice and puree concentrate, are sugars. When they appear at the beginning of the list, the food is higher in sugar. Choose these foods less often.

When cooking & baking:

• Choose recipes with little or no amounts of added sugar. 
• Try cutting down on the sugar, syrup, molasses and honey in your recipes. For example, instead of one cup (250 mL), use half or three quarters of a cup (125 or 175 mL). 
• Flavour foods with spices, herbs, lemon or vinegars, such as balsamic and cider, instead of bottle sauces.
• Ready-made sauces — such as sweet and sour, honey garlic and ketchup — contain sugar. Use them less often and in smaller amounts.

At home & when eating away from home:

• Drink water to quench your thirst.
• Limit the amount of sugar you add to foods and drinks during preparation or at the table.
• Limit the number of sugary drinks you have, such as soda, fruit-flavoured drinks, flavoured milks, sport drinks and specialty coffees.
• When choosing a snack, pick vegetables or fruit.

Learn more at ahs.ca/oralhealth.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait-times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.