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Data from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS v.2) show that on average, Canadian adults get half their energy (50.1%) from carbohydrates and children get 55.4% of their energy from carbohydrates. Both values are well within the AMDR of 45%–65% of total energy. More adults than children and teens have carbohydrate intakes that fall below the AMDR. On average, 31.8% of men aged 19 and older, and 21.5% of women aged 19 and older had less than 45% of their total energy from carbohydrates.
Simple sugars account for approximately 25% of carbohydrate calories. Some sugar comes from healthful food sources, such as fruit and milk. However, much of our simple sugar intake comes from added sugars. Added sugars include white sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and corn sweeteners (dextrose, glucose syrup, and high fructose corn syrup) added to foods during processing or preparation.
One common source of added sugars is regular soft drinks; Canadians drink an average of 100 litres per person per year. Consider that one 355 mL (12 fl. oz.) can of regular cola contains 38.5 grams of sugar, or almost 50 mL (10 tsp.). If you drink the average amount, you are consuming about 11,320 grams of sugar — almost 15 litres (60 cups) — each year! Other common sources of added sugars include cookies, cakes, pies, fruit drinks, fruit punches, and candy).
Foods and beverages with added sugars have lower levels of vitamins and minerals than most foods that naturally contain simple sugars. With these nutrient limitations in mind, it is recommended that our diets contain 25% or less of our total energy from added sugars.
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