Let’s Talk Sugar

Look past the headlines and get the facts on sugar


Sugar is a hot topic at the moment – breakfast cereal is often drawn into the conversation and not always in a fair or factual way. What we do know from the latest nutrition surveys in Canada is that breakfast cereal contributes very little to our overall daily sugar intake – less than 5% to be exact. Cereal delivers many important nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, and many cereals provide fibre. As well, cereal is a carrier for other nutritious foods like fruit, milk and yogurt.

What Exactly Is Sugar?

Sugars are part of the carbohydrate family and come from a variety of different sources. There are naturally-occurring sugars such as lactose in milk or fructose in fruit, and there are added sugars like white and brown sugar, honey and syrups. All sugars are broken down in the body into glucose for energy.

How Much Should I Be Having?

Health Canada recommends that Canadians consume no more than 100 g of sugar per day.

Why Add Sugar?

Besides the obvious answer, taste and sweetness, sugar plays a number of other functions in food. Sugar adds crunch and texture, acts as a preserve to help foods stay fresh, and promotes browning in baking.

Kellogg's* Has Tasty Cereals to Help Manage Your Sugar Intake

Are you managing your family's sugar intake? Kellogg’s has five tasty “sugar wise” options you can choose from. Rice Krispies* Brown Rice, Rice Krispies*, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes*, Crispix* and Special K* Original cereals have simply 1 to 4 g of sugar per serving.