Partner content: Jam and fruit spread sources with less sugar

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: Jam and fruit spread sources with less sugar

Question: I really like having jam with my toast or biscuit in the morning but many of them seem to have so much sugar. Is there any way I can cut down on the sugar and still enjoy having it with breakfast

Answer: Often fruit jams may have have higher amounts of sugar/sweeteners than you want, so here are a few suggestions:

• look for fruit spreads that have less or no added sugar (often they are sweetened with fruit juice concentrate so added sugar will still be listed on the label)

• look for jams that are low or “no added” sugar (they may be made with more pectin or use sugar substitutes like Splenda but depending on the brand may have some added sugar listed)

• consider using canned or frozen fruit and making your own spread to control the amount of added sugar ... these will only keep about 1 week in the fridge (you can find lots of different recipes online).

If you can’t bear to switch from your favorite jam, just pay attention to the portion size which is typically 1 TABLESPOON...maybe you don’t even use that much!