Table sugar, honey, and syrups are examples of added sugars that shouldn’t account for more than 5% of the daily energy you get from food and drink. For people over the age of 11, that equates to 30g per day.

Sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, fruit juice, molasses, hydrolyzed starch, invert sugar, corn syrup, honey, and a variety of other sugars can all be indicated as added sugars on ingredient labels.

It is simple to choose foods that are lower in sugar, salt, and fat thanks to the color-coding system used in some packaging. Put fewer "reds" and more "greens" and "ambers" in your shopping cart.

Sugar levels in many morning cereals are high. Consider switching to plain wheat biscuit cereal, plain shredded wholegrain cereal, plain muesli, plain porridge, wholemeal toast, or plain natural yogurt topped with chopped fruit as low-sugar cereals or ones without added sugar.

An affordable source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber is porridge oats. Use water or semi-skimmed, 1%, or skimmed milk to make porridge. Try substituting a few chopped dried apricots or a sliced or mashed banana for the sugar you typically add to your oatmeal for a progressive change.

You might alternate between eating sugary and plain cereals for a more progressive approach, or you could combine the two in one bowl. Try using less sugar if you usually add it to your cereal. A simple method to get some of your five a day is to eat a smaller portion and add some chopped fruit, like a pear or banana.

Try wholemeal or granary bread, which has more fiber than white bread, if toast is your go-to breakfast item and see if you can get away with using a bit less of your typical spreads, such as jam, marmalade, honey, or chocolate. Alternatives include sugar-free and lower-sugar choices.

Watch out for foods that are often high in sugar while dining out or ordering takeout, including sweet and sour, sweet chili, and some curry sauces, as well as salads with dressings like salad cream, which can also be high in sugar.

Surprisingly, a lot of foods that we do not typically think of as sweet do contain sugar. Some prepared soups, stir-in sauces, and prepared meals may have more sugar than you might expect.

Snacks with no added sugar, such fresh or canned fruit that is in juice rather than syrup, unsalted mixed nuts, plain popcorn, rice cakes, crackers covered with lower-fat cheese, and lower-sugar yogurts, are healthier options.

You might be able to find something to do to divert your attention from food on some days of the week if you’re an "all or nothing" type of person.

When shopping, keep an eye out for versions of your favorite treats that are lower in sugar (and fat). Purchase more manageable packets, or just choose the regular-sized bag rather than the family-sized one.

Here are some healthier substitutes for popular snacks:

Cereal bars: Despite their impression of being healthy, many cereal bars can contain significant amounts of sugar and fat. Watch out for bars with less salt, sugar, and fat.

Chocolate: Replace it with a lower-calorie hot chocolate drink. Additionally, chocolate with coffee and chocolate with malt are both available.

Cookies: These can be replaced with unsalted rice cakes, oatcakes, or oat cookies, which are also high in fiber.

Cake: A plain currant bun, fruit scone, or malt loaf can be great substitutes for cakes. Use them sparingly or pick lower-fat and lower-sugar types if you do add toppings or spreads.

Because it sticks to your teeth, dried fruit, such raisins, dates, and apricots, is high in sugar and potentially harmful to your dental health.

Dried fruit should only be consumed as part of a meal, such as a dessert, in order to prevent tooth decay.

Nearly a quarter of added sugar in our diets comes from sugary drinks, such as fizzy drinks, sweetened juices, milkshakes, and cordials. To reduce added sugar, switch to water, sugar-free or no-added-sugar drinks, or lower-fat milks. 

Gradually reduce sugar intake in tea or coffee, or use herbal teas with lemon or ginger. Fruit juice can be high in sugar, damaging teeth. A combined total of drinks from fruit, vegetable, and smoothies should not exceed 150ml a day.

Fruit juices and smoothies can count towards your 5 A Day, but they can only count as a maximum of 1 portion. Flavoring water with lemon or lime can help.

Determine your sugar intake and limit your dessert choices. Consider fruit, lower-fat rice pudding, and plain lower-fat yogurt as less sugary options. However, lower fat doesn’t necessarily mean low sugar, as some lower-fat yogurts can be sweetened with refined sugar, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, and fructose syrup. Compare the labels on both desserts and choose the one with the lower sugar content.

Next Chapter: Ikenna Ike- The problem of false advertising.