Current dietary guidelines provide daily intake recommendations for grains and dietary fiber, but not for sugars. Dietary guidelines recommend limiting the amount of added sugars in your diet. Fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains should account for most of your daily carbohydrate intake. Most of these foods contain some naturally occurring sugars.
Daily Sugar Intake
One gram of sugar has about four calories. The American Heart Association recommends strictly limiting your added sugar intake. Women should consume no more than 100 calories, or about 25 grams, or 6 tsp., of added sugar per day. Men should consume no more than 150 calories, or about 37.5 grams, or 9 teaspoons, of added sugar per day.
Identifying Added Sugars
Most of the added sugars Americans consume come from packaged and processed foods, according to MyPyramid.gov. These foods include soft drinks, fruit drinks, candy, cookies, cakes, pies, ice cream and grain products. Check ingredient lists on packaged foods to identify added sugars. Common added sugars include fruit juice concentrate, high-fructose corn syrup, molasses, honey, raw sugar, syrup, sucrose, maltose, lactose, glucose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup and dextrose.
Naturally Occurring Sugars
Naturally sweet fruits and vegetables provide nutrient-rich alternatives to foods with added sugars. A medium sweet potato, for example, contains 7 g of sugar, as well as 440 mg of potassium, 4 g of dietary fiber, 2 g of protein, 120 percent of your recommended daily vitamin A intake, 30 percent of your recommended daily vitamin C intake and 4 percent each of your recommended daily iron and calcium intake. A serving of two medium kiwifruits contains 13 g of sugar, as well as 450 mg of potassium, 4 g of dietary fiber and 240 percent of your recommended daily vitamin C intake.
Daily Grain and Fiber Intake
Women ages 19 to 50 and men ages 51 and over should consume 6 oz. equivalents of grains per day. Men ages 19 to 30 should consume 8 oz. equivalents of grain per day, and men ages 31 to 50 should consume 7 oz. equivalents of grains per day, according to MyPyramid.gov. One slice of bread, one cup of cereal and ½ a cup of cooked rice, pasta or cereal each count as 1 oz. equivalent of grains. Whole grains, such as oatmeal, brown rice, bulgur and quinoa, should account for at least half of your daily grain intake. You should get about 14 g of dietary fiber for every 1,000 calories in your diet.
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