{"id":28439,"date":"2022-01-16T05:12:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-16T05:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=28439"},"modified":"2022-01-19T03:25:40","modified_gmt":"2022-01-19T03:25:40","slug":"how-much-candy-do-americans-eat-in-a-whole-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/how-much-candy-do-americans-eat-in-a-whole-year\/","title":{"rendered":"How much candy do Americans eat in a whole year?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rahel Mathews<\/a>, Mississippi State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Curious Kids<\/a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you\u2019d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How much candy do Americans eat in a whole year? \u2013 Yvanna C., age 9, Nevada<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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From sweet treats to holiday indulgences, candy plays a big role in American culture, with consumption surging around Valentine\u2019s Day, Halloween, Easter<\/a> and Christmas<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sugar, whether it\u2019s derived from sugar cane, sugar beets or corn, is a primary ingredient<\/a> in all candies, partly because it can be masterfully crafted to all sorts of different sizes, shapes and textures. Whether you are nibbling on rock candy, chewing on taffy, munching on jellybeans or licking a lollipop, you\u2019re basically eating spoonfuls of sugar<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The average American consumes an estimated 8 pounds of candy<\/a> (3.7 kilograms) annually, with children eating even more. On a typical day, 1 in 4 eat at least some candy and almost all of us do it once a year. As a dietitian<\/a>, I advise moderation, even on special occasions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s because growing kids, and adults too, need food to have enough energy, maintain strong bones and muscles and help their bodies fight infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and nuts contain natural sugars<\/a> for energy that are better for you. Those foods also provide nutrients, like iron and vitamin C, that your body needs for good health and survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the sugars in candy do provide plenty of calories for energy, your body doesn\u2019t benefit from those \u201cempty calories<\/a>.\u201d In fact, your body does not need them at all. Sugars that do not provide health benefits are called added sugars<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens when you eat too much candy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another reason it\u2019s best to eat only small amounts of candy is that if you eat so much of it on an empty stomach that you feel full, your body will get too little of the important stuff it needs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eating too much candy, drinking too many sugary beverages<\/a> and consuming other sources of added sugar can leave you feeling tired and generally unwell<\/a> in the short term. If you ingest too much sugar all the time, your risk for lifelong health conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease<\/a>, will rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Candy can also harm your teeth, increasing the chances you\u2019ll get cavities<\/a>. They cause a lot of pain \u2013 especially when the roots and nerves<\/a> of your teeth are damaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making every bite count<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rather than downing an entire bag of gummy worms, eat a couple pieces and save some for later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also best to fill up on healthier choices. One sweet choice could be a low-sugar yogurt, which has calcium \u2013 which is good for your teeth and bones \u2013 or an apple, which is packed with vitamin C and fiber<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a chocolate fix, consider dipping strawberries in melted chocolate<\/a> \u2013 it\u2019s fun, creative and a healthier option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
Making your own chocolate-covered strawberries is easier than you might think and a good way to curb candy consumption. fstop123\/E+ via Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just a bit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like other experts, I recommend that adults and children alike aim for moderation by consuming no more than 10% of their total calories from added sugars<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For young children<\/a> that can mean limiting added sugars to no more than about 100 calories. That\u2019s about equal to 25 grams at most<\/a>, the amount in 6 teaspoons of sugar or 24 Skittles<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For teens or adults requiring 2,000 calories daily<\/a>, sugar should amount to no more than 50 grams \u2013 about 200 of those calories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Americans consume sugar in many other ways. Many of us drink sodas and other sugary drinks. We eat other sweet things, such as cake, ice cream, cookies, pie and brownies. Processed foods<\/a> ranging from bread to spaghetti sauce often include significant amounts of added sugars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, having a little candy once in a while is fine. Just make sure you follow a balanced diet, drink plenty of water and brush your teeth regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you\u2019d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com<\/a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And since curiosity has no age limit \u2013 adults, let us know what you\u2019re wondering, too. We won\u2019t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This article is part of a series examining sugar\u2019s effects on human health and culture. You can read the articles on theconversation.com.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rahel Mathews<\/a>, Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Mississippi State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rahel Mathews, Mississippi State University Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you\u2019d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. How much candy do Americans eat in a whole year? \u2013 Yvanna C., age 9, Nevada From sweet treats to holiday indulgences, candy plays a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":28440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[42],"tags":[7148,1035,6689,6786,9769,5984,1499,388,742,4476,11103,11163,1935,11164],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28439"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28439"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28446,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28439\/revisions\/28446"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}