In today's world, where fad diets come and go, and food trends constantly shift, finding a sustainable and balanced approach to eating sweets can feel like navigating a mine field.

With so much conflicting information bombarding us from all sides, it's easy to lose sight of the simplicity of a diet full of real, whole, unprocessed foods, grown with intention that nourish and sustain us.

Yes, sugar does have a place in the diet and there are ideal limits (and types!) of how much sugar you should eat. But the ultimate question is: how much sugar should I eat in a day?

In this article, we will explore the following:

Sugar cravings result from a lack of nutrients
How much Sugar should you eat?
- How much Sugar from fruit should you eat?
- What about desserts?
- What about processed foods?

Sugar cravings from lack of nutrients

When you begin to give your body exactly what it needs, your cravings will naturally start to decrease. Every process in the body requires vitamins, minerals, protein, fats, and carbohydrates. When your body is lacking due to an unhealthy and unbalanced diet, your body will start to crave nutrients. Symptoms such as fatigue and poor digestion will start to surface.

In order to find balance, you need to start giving your body what it needs to thrive:

Well sourced animal proteins
Fish and seafood
Healthy fats (including animal fats)
Fermented foods
Fruits and vegetables
Properly prepared grains, beans, and legumes (in moderation and when tolerated)

If you want to decrease those cravings, aim for 4oz (6oz for men) of animal protein at EVERY meal.

How much sugar should you eat?

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends that no more than 10% of calories should come from added sugars a day without any distinction between the source and quality of the added sugar (high fructose corn syrup IS NOT the same as honey).

This is a shocking amount considering that diet and consumption of added sugars clearly impacts health negatively. It is no secret. Yet, as a nation, we are sicker than ever. One thing that is clear to improve almost every health condition and certainly make a huge impact on disease prevention is removing processed carbohydrates and added sugars from the diet.

Side note: Big corporations don’t want you to do that though - because that would affect sales. These big food corporations have huge sway in public health recommendations.

The real answer is going to look different for everyone. But below I give you some general recommendations that work well for most people to maintain a healthy weight while providing proper nourishment for the body. My recommendations stem from the Weston A Price foundation - a nonprofit organization dedicated to "restoring nutrient-dense foods to the American diet through education, research and activism”.

How much Sugar from fruit should you eat?

As a general rule, 1-2 servings of fruit per day is a good amount.

This is a natural and nourishing way for you to get some sweetness in your life while also providing nourishment for your body. Fruit generally does not raise blood sugar like other sugars do - the fiber in fruit keeps the natural sugars from being absorbed too quickly, preventing a sharp rise in blood sugar (like you get from processed foods).

To further prevent blood sugar spikes, pair your fruit with a protein (like yogurt, a hard boiled egg, or some cheese).

What about desserts?

A couple nourishing desserts a week is completely reasonable. By making something at home, you are able to create a satisfying dessert that also nourishes the body. These desserts can be made with unrefined flours, fruits, natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar, and healthy fats.

There is no need to run to the store when you want something sweet - just keep everything you need on hand to make a nourishing, guilt free dessert. This might be a chocolate mousse, banana bread, or some homemade ice cream. Desserts like these are not hard on the body, provide some nourishment, and are healthy in strict moderation.

What about the processed foods?

You might be wondering where everything else fits in: the McDonald’s, ice cream, pizza, and chocolate. The kind of stuff that you don’t have to labour over in the kitchen - the ready to eat, convenient, and/ or purely pleasure seeking foods. (Remember, these weren’t an option for people more than 100 years ago!)

The answer is: it depends.

I recommend completely staying away from this stuff if you are on a path of healing and/or suffering from a chronic condition, if these foods trigger strong cravings and cause you to excessively overeat, or you have an allergy or food sensitivity to any of these foods.

For everyone else, these foods wont cause any harm on occasion - which looks a little different for everyone. That might look like an occasional burger or slice of pizza once or twice a month. It might be sampling several different desserts at a potluck on occasion or sharing a pizza with a friend.

final thoughts

If these foods cause you to overeat or put you in that binge mentality, it is completely ok to restrict yourself or create rules around them - like only eating them with other people (so you don’t binge excessively when no one is watching) or vowing to never bring them in your house.

On another note, don’t put these foods on a pedestal by “treating yourself” (to a belly ache) after you’ve been good all week. You’re not a dog.

How Much Sugar Should You Eat In A Day?