The average American consumes approximately 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day, which exceeds the American Heart Association's recommended daily ration of 6 teaspoons for women, 9 teaspoons for men, and 3 to 6 teaspoons for children (depending on their age).

Added sugars should not be confused with the natural sugars found in whole foods such as fruits (fructose), vegetables and milk (lactose). These foods provide nutrients vital to the growth of the body and should never be eliminated from the diet, unless directed by a doctor.

Added sugars are found in soft drinks, crackers, cakes, and other processed foods.

Many foods or drinks have added sugar and syrup added to them when they are processed or prepared.

These added sugars go by many different names, such as brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, glucose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, and sucrose.

Added sugars, especially when eaten in excess, can cause serious health problems such as increased obesity, heart disease or diabetes.

High levels of added sugar consumption have also been linked to behavioral problems in children and acne in teens.

Processed meats contain large amounts of added sugar that exceed the daily ration per person (German)

But when you consider that one 12-ounce can of soda can contain 11 teaspoons of added sugar, and that nearly all (74% of) processed foods, from ketchup to cured meats to crackers, contain added sugars, it might seem It's impossible to curb your family's sugar cravings, but lowering your family's sugar intake may be worth the effort.

Here are ideas for how to help your family reduce added sugar intake, according to the American Pediatric Association's HealthyChildren website:

  • Read the nutrition facts labels on food packages carefully

Many foods now list added sugar separately, and you can also find added sugar by reading the ingredients.

  • Aim for less than 25 grams per day per person

25 grams equals about 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day for children two years of age and older.

And you should avoid serving foods and drinks with added sugar to children under the age of two.

  • Use water and milk as official family drinks

Avoid soft drinks, sports drinks, sweetened tea, sweetened coffee, and fruit drinks.

Milk contains natural sugar (lactose) and provides calcium, protein, vitamin D and other nutrients that children need.

And whether it is skimmed or full-fat (100 milliliters), a cup of milk - of all types - contains 5 grams of sugar.

Fruit juice has more sugar per serving than whole fruit (Deutsche Welle)

  • Cut back on fruit juice

Fruit juice has more sugar per serving than whole fruit.

While the American Pediatric Association recommends no more than 4 ounces (112 milliliters) of fruit juice per day for children ages 1 to 3;

4 to 6 (112 to 168 milliliters) ounces for children 4 to 6 years old, and 8 ounces (224 milliliters) for children ages 7 to 14.

Do not give fruit juice to children under one year of age.

It is preferable to eat fresh foods, while reducing processed and prepackaged foods and drinks that often have added sugar during the preparation and manufacturing process.

For example, there are hidden sources of added sugar in processed foods like ketchup, dried cranberries, salad dressing, and baked beans.