Is Sugar Bad for You? Here’s What Dietitians Have to Say

You start your morning with a bowl of oatmeal made with almond milk, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a sprinkle of granola on top. It seems like a wholesome, nourishing breakfast, but add it up, and you might be getting more than the recommended 25 grams of added sugar before 9 AM without even realizing it. As a dietitian who specializes in added sugar and its impact on health, I see this all the time in my practice. The truth is, sugar isn’t automatically bad (1). Naturally occurring sugars in foods like fruit and dairy come bundled with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other health-protectiv