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The Realisation That Shocked Me

I thought I was eating a normal bowl of cereal for breakfast. Turns out, I was eating more than double the recommended serving size – and then hungry again within 2 hours. When I switched to eggs, leafy greens and avocado? Satisfied until lunch.  Here’s what my cereal experiment revealed about serving sizes, and why it matters more than you think…  

Years ago, I used to eat ‘Just Right’ cereal for breakfast, filling my bowl totally unaware of how my serving compared with the serving size on the product box. Packaged products contain a ‘serving size’ in the Nutrition Information section along with the breakdown of fats, carbs, sugars, fibre etc.

Sooooo, I recently bought a packet of ‘Just Right’ to do the experiment. (April 2025)

‘Just Right’ serving size = 2/3 metric cup (40g). My serving was closer to 90g; more than double!

Why is Serving Size Important?

My cereal experiment illustrates how we might unknowingly consume more than what’s recommended. Consuming more than we think we are will affect our weight management, energy and wellness goals – especially where added sugars are concerned.

Added Sugars – The Sweet Deception

Added sugars are sugars that don't occur naturally in foods but are added during processing or preparation – and they're hiding in far more products than you might expect.

The WHO Guidelines: A Reality Check

The World Health Organisation recommends that ‘free’ sugars (added sugars) should make up less than 10% of your total daily energy intake, with an ideal target of less than 5%. For an average adult consuming 2000 calories per day, this translates to:

• Maximum recommended: 50 grams (about 12 teaspoons)
• Ideal target for additional health benefits: 25 grams (about 6 teaspoons)

The Serving Size Trap

Back to my cereal example. ‘Just Right’ contains 9.2 grams of sugar per 40g serving. The packaging claims ‘Over ½ of the sugar … comes from the fruit’ - yet the manufacturer still adds sugar to the ingredients. When you're actually eating 90g instead of the suggested 40g serving, you're consuming 20.7 grams of sugar – that's already taking a chunk out of your entire ideal daily limit before you've eaten anything else.

Consider how it adds up in a day: (using the packet serving size)

• ‘Just Right’ Breakfast cereal (40g): let’s say about 4g of added sugar as over ½ of the sugar is from dried fruit
• Yoplait Vanilla Yogurt (160g): 12g of added sugar
• Cup of tea with 2 tsps sugar: 8g of added sugar
• Choc Chip Muffin (105g): 26.5g

We’re already up to 50g! – and this doesn't include the added sugars in bread, sauces, drinks or processed meals. OR the times we’re having more than the recommended serving. So you can see how easy it is for us to unknowingly over consume added sugars.

And it’s not just packaged products. Some recipes have a crazy amount of sugar added – even “healthy” ones.

As a side note: the apricot ‘pieces’ in ‘Just Right’ are actually made from concentrated apricot puree, concentrated apple puree, invert sugar, glycerol, sugar, wheat fibre, gelling agent, acidity regulator (296), natural flavour and colours (turmeric and paprika). Wow!

Why Added Sugars Matter for Your Health

Research has linked excessive added sugar consumption to:

• Weight Gain and Obesity: Depending on the type of added sugar, they can provide calories without essential nutrients, making it easy to exceed your daily caloric needs while still feeling hungry.
• Type 2 Diabetes: Regular overconsumption of added sugars can lead to insulin resistance, a precursor to T2D.
• Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: NAFLD, the most common cause of chronic liver disease, is strongly associated with the metabolic conditions of insulin resistance, T2D, and obesity. (Huneault, 2023)
• Heart Disease: Studies show that people who consume 17-21% of their calories from added sugars have a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to those who consume 8% or less. (Yang, 2014)
• Energy Crashes: Blood sugar spikes and subsequent crashes can leave you feeling tired and craving more sugar.
• Ageing faster: Yikes!

The Sweet Irony: When Natural Isn't Enough

Here's what's particularly frustrating about products like ‘Just Right’: they already contain natural sweetness from fruit, yet manufacturers still add more refined sugar to the mix.

And to reduce our calorie intake whilst still satisfying our sweet cravings, we turn to low-calorie sweeteners - sugar substitutes that include artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols or ‘natural’ one’s like stevia and monk fruit.

These low-calorie sweeteners are much sweeter than regular sugar. Stevia is between 200 - 300 times sweeter than regular sugar. Monk fruit extract is between 250 and 400 times.

This creates a hit of sweetness that can overwhelm our taste buds and reset our expectations for how sweet food should be; leading to an increased craving for sugary foods and needing more sugar to get that “sweet” taste.

Over time, this constant exposure to heightened sweetness can dull our ability to appreciate the natural sugars found in whole foods. This can be particularly relevant for women over 50, whose taste preferences may have been shaped by decades of over consumption of added sugars or using low-calorie sweeteners to manage weight.

Resetting Your Sweet Expectations

The good news is that taste receptors are adaptable. When you remove or reduce added sugars and low-calorie sweeteners your sensitivity to natural sweetness returns. Even vegetables reveal a sweetness you may have forgotten existed.

This reset process typically takes 2-4 weeks of consistent reduction in added sugars. During this time, using whole food sweeteners like dates, unsweetened applesauce, or banana can help bridge the gap while still training your palate toward less processed options. Plus when you use a whole food source of sweetness, not only does it contain nutrients, most have fibre as well; helping to:

• Balance your blood sugar levels helping with energy, mood and weight management
• keep you “regular”
• feel fuller for longer

Making Informed Choices

Being aware of the sugar content of your portions empowers you to make different choices. You might choose to:

• Measure out the actual serving size and see if it satisfies you
• Look for products with no added refined sugars
• Use whole food sweeteners like dates, berries, bananas, pears or a drizzle of pure maple syrup or raw honey
• Factor the real sugar content into your daily planning
• Eat a wholefood breakfast containing protein, fibre and ‘healthful’ fat to feel satiated and fuller for longer! (And without all those additives that most cereals contain).
• Reduce the added sugars when baking, cooking or drinking

And if you want to use a sugar, then consider a Rapadura Sugar that contains its natural vitamins and minerals like the one from Changing Habits. It’s 100% unrefined organic sugar cane. Raw honey and pure maple syrup do not contain added sugars however; they are still high in sugars and need to be used in moderation.

Health Benefits of Limiting Added Sugars

When we swap out added sugars for more whole foods, we can experience:

• More energy and no more 3pm slumps
• Improved sleep which can help with food choices
• Balanced moods and hormones
• Improved immune function to fight off those illnesses
• Reduce risk of chronic diseases
• Skin benefits
• And more