Sugar
The exact amount of sugar in a muffin depends largely on what type of muffin you're eating, as well as how large the muffin is. A medium-sized blueberry muffin contains about 37 grams of sugar, which is equal to about 9.25 teaspoons. That's more than the 6 teaspoons of sugar women should restrict themselves to each day and the 9 teaspoons men should limit themselves to. A medium-sized corn muffin is a healthier choice with 8.5 grams of sugar, or a medium-sized oat bran muffin with 9.3 grams.
Sugar and Health
Though sugar gives your body energy, it shouldn't be a large part of your healthy eating plan because too much can harm your health. Because sugar also doesn't supply key nutrients, the calories you consume are considered empty calories, and those can cause you to gain weight. Consuming sugar raises your triglyceride level, which can elevate your risk of heart disease. Triglycerides are a type of fat that can stick to your arteries, which is what contributes to an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. A diet high in sugar can lead to cavities, as well.
High-Sugar Additions
Certain ingredients raise the sugar content of your muffin even more. For example, 1/8-cup of milk chocolate chips adds about 11 grams of sugar. The same amount of raisins adds about 12 grams of sugar. Frozen fruit contains fiber, potassium and vitamin C, but many brands contain several grams of added sugar, as well.
Tips
One way to reduce how much sugar you consume is to opt for a mini muffin rather than a full-size one. A mini blueberry muffin contains 5.5 grams of sugar, and a mini corn muffin has 1.3 grams. A mini oat bran muffin has about 1.4 grams of sugar. Making your own muffins is another way to cut the sugar content because it allows you to control how much sugar you add. Use unsweetened frozen or dried fruit to reduce the sugar content even more. If you must have a chocolate-chip muffin, use dark chocolate chips because they're usually lower in sugar than milk- or white-chocolate chips.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Muffins, Blueberry, Commercially Prepared (Includes Mini-Muffins)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Muffins, Plain, Prepared From Recipe, Made With Low Fat (2%) Milk
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Muffins, Corn, Commercially Prepared
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Muffins, Oat Bran
- MayoClinic.com: Added Sugar: Don't Get Sabotaged by Sweeteners
- American Heart Association: Sugars and Carbohydrates
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Candies, Milk Chocolate
No comments:
Post a Comment