Sugar in food

We wouldn’t eat sugar straight from the sugar bowl. But we tend not to think about the sugar hiding in other things we eat and drink. The sugar in food is a source of energy but few other nutrients. If we eat more energy (measured in calories) than we need, our bodies store this as fat. This is bad for us because it increases our risk of serious health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. To prevent this, make some easy sugar swaps – choosing food and drinks that are lower in sugar or have no added sugar. There are lots of different words used to describe sugar - sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, hydrolysed starch, invert sugar, corn syrup, honey – they are all different kinds of sugars. Watch out for them on the label and always go for products with lower sugar. For more information on sugar visit the Government's Change 4 Life website