"You're sweet enough already!"

Public Health England have published their report on how well industry is doing in reaching their target to cut the sugar in certain food products by 20%, with 5% of that cut happening in the first year. According to the report, whilst progress has been made towards the target, it has not been reached, with many foods still exceeding the limits of sugar and calories in products that are consumed in one go.

This sugar reduction target is certainly a good thing, but how far is it going to help stem the epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes? My personal opinion is that the government should actually spend some time educating people that so-called treats, like cakes, biscuits, sugary cereals and chocolate should be consumed occasionally rather than several times a day. When I did a talk recently at a primary school, I showed the children just how many teaspoons of sugar were in some of their favourite foods and they were amazed that they were all exceeding the daily limit for their age group! These foods have become part of children’s every day routine, rather than something they enjoy at parties or weekends.

It might be time to educate people about consuming foods that are healthier overall, rather than removing the sugar and replacing it with more additives.

Here are 5 minimally processed, low-sugar foods you can enjoy instead of your mid-afternoon biccies:

1. A bowl of natural yogurt with some blueberries

2. Frozen chunks of banana – it tastes like ice-cream! Frozen grapes are also a favourite in my house.

3. Some oat cakes spread with peanut butter

4. Chopped-up veggies dipped in humus

5. An avocado, halved and spooned out