News of the dangers of sugar is more prevalent these days, as its link to poor health continues to be exposed. With that in mind, many Americans have become more cognizant of their sugar intake, leading some to restrict their consumption or switch to sugar alternatives. We surveyed our Moms Meet members, as well as a sampling of all  U.S. parents, to find out how sugar, or the lack thereof, fits into their family’s diet.
Beginning with the basics, our moms were significantly more knowledgeable about how much sugar is recommended for a healthy diet. Over 40% correctly stated the recommended daily allowance to be 25 grams, while only 33% of the general parent population knew the correct amount. Both groups could use a refresher when it comes to converting grams to teaspoons, though. A quarter of our moms knew that four grams of sugar were in a teaspoon, but even fewer people in the national poll answered correctly.
Limiting sugar is definitely a priority for most, but Moms Meet moms tend to be more committed to restricting their consumption on a regular basis than the average consumer. Interestingly, all parents polled were more limiting when it came to their child’s intake than their own. Still, 22% more Moms Meet members habitually curb their child’s intake than other parents surveyed.
These results ring true with what we already know about our health-conscious community. They are more in tune with the latest health knowledge than the average consumer and more dedicated to incorporating these standards into their family’s routine. But to find out just how they achieve their goal of a less sugary diet, we delved further into their habits and beliefs.

Most Moms Meet moms, looking to reduce their sugar intake for themselves and their kids, steer clear of candy, dessert foods, and juices. They are also more likely to prepare food at home, stick to water as their beverage of choice, and refrain from buying foods with a high sugar content. Across the board, these methods were more prevalent amongst our moms than the general population.
According to our results, most Moms Meet moms check food labels for the sugar content before deciding to purchase. Many also believe that the type of sugar is as important as the quantity. Likewise, our moms are generally savvy about alternative sweeteners and how they differ from sugar and artificial sweeteners. Participants from both pools were dissatisfied with the amount of nutritious, low-sugar snack options available to purchase for themselves and their children, thus presenting an opportunity for brands.
When it comes to purchasing sweeteners, Moms Meet members tend to care more about practicality and taste than labels like unrefined, Fair Trade Certified, and raw. Instead, they consider the safety of the sweetener, whether it has an unpleasant aftertaste, or if it tastes like sugar, and can be used in baking when making a purchase. In addition, our moms focus on whether the sweetener is available where they shop, in the form they prefer, dissolves easily and at the right price.
So if you’re wondering what type of the sweet stuff actually ends up in our mom’s shopping carts, you may be surprised to learn that honey topped the list with 78% of moms buying it. Over half of all members surveyed also purchase brown sugar, cane sugar, maple syrup, and confectioners sugar. The natural sweetener Stevia gets purchased more than five times the frequency of aspartame, who’s negative health rap precedes it. Fewer than 10% of Moms Meet moms purchase aspartame, xylitol, sucralose, saccharin, and erythritol.

With the holiday season upon us, sugar tends to show up at every turn. From the cookie swaps to seasonal cocktails, it’s hard to escape the sugar rush this time of year. According to our survey, nearly half of our moms are more worried about their sugar intake over the holidays. Most of them address these concerns by limiting their intake and being more intentional and selective about their daily consumption of high-sugar foods and beverages. Roughly four in 10 increase their activity level to compensate for eating more calories. And just about three in ten moms do lean on low- or no-calorie sugar alternatives when it comes to baking. You can also expect to see one-fifth of our moms back at the gym on January 2 trying to reverse the effects of their holiday merrymaking.
What’s clear from our survey is that Moms Meet moms are interested in being exposed to more foods and beverages containing natural sugars, sugar alternatives, and a low-sugar content. Brands in this market need not look further in acquiring a loyal customer base than our community of health-mind moms eager to bring healthier products into their homes.