Food Math 101....

I had a situation with my older guys recently.  I came across several large boxes of candy.   This makes the hair on my neck stand on end.  Anyway, I got to thinking how much I love to bake and the treats I provide for my family.  I love a good cookie or a piece of fresh fruit pie.  No artifical colors, corn syrup, or hydrogenated fats.    I then did a little research on how to calculate grams of sugar into an actual teaspoon/tablespoon measurement.  I also did some calculating on the boxes of candy, or shall we say, the contraband.....

Keep in mind that the recommended amount of sugar per day is about 40 grams.

Here is how it goes: 

Every 4 grams of sugar translates to 1 teaspoon of sugar.....

So this 4 oz. package of Skittles actually has three servings...about 32 little pieces, 150 calories per serving..

There are 29 grams of sugar per serving....translation:

29 divided by 4 = 7.25

7.25 teaspoons of sugar for each of those little piles of candy.....

7.25 divided by 3 (three teaspoons/tablespoon)

2.42 tablespoons of sugar per serving, nearly 2 1/2 tablespooons per serving....

Looks like this:

Now, does anyone ever really eat just one serving of a box this size, it's only 4 ounces for goodness sakes!

Want to see what the whole shabang looks like?

Here you go:

So.....

29 grams of sugar x 3 servings = 87 grams

87 divided by 4 = 21.75 teaspoons of sugar

21.75 divided by 3 (three teaspoons/tablespoon) = 7.25 tablespoons

There are 8 tablespoons of sugar in 1/2 cup...

Just shy of 1/2 cup of sugar, in ONE 4 oz. box.....

450 calories.....basically a meal....

Isn't this astonishing?  The actual sugar measured into tablespoons and cups is very eye opening.

At least when you make something homemade, it is made with real ingredients.  It has fat, flour, for me, usually a whole grain like whole wheat flour or oatmeal, eggs, and maybe some flavoring.

The human body knows what to do with it. 

Show this to your kids.

By the way, one average 2 1/2 " homemade chocolate chip cookie contains 9-11 grams of sugar per serving.

Is it any wonder that there is an obesity problem in our country?

Please share with everyone you love.

Angie