Hitting The Sweet Spot: Where Guidance Meets Real Life
How many times have you heard it said, “easier said than done”? I feel like this is a constant mantra – particularly when it comes to the delicate dance of healthy eating. There’s a familiar tension between knowing what to do, wanting to do it, and actually doing it. Where it gets complicated is that eating isn’t just about nourishment; it’s also about comfort, enjoyment, culture, and celebration. That complexity is real, and it colors the decisions people make.
As The Pendulum Swings
Even with the best intentions, many consumers slip into a rigid, all-or-nothing approach to healthy eating. This pendulum swing is understandable. For decades, foods and nutrients have been framed as heroes or villains – stories that still shape how many consumers interpret food and nutrition messages today.
Sugar may be the clearest example of this tension. According to most recent IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans’ Perceptions of Added Sugars & Sweeteners and the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey: A Focus On Sugars & Sweeteners, more than eight in ten Americans think it’s acceptable to enjoy foods and beverages with added sugars on special occasions, while nearly six in ten believe it’s ok every day. At the same time, 63% say they’re concerned about the amount of sugar they consume. This is indicative of the internal conflict consumers experience as they negotiate between permission and pressure, enjoyment and unease. Sugar is the nutrient where the knowledge-action gap is most vividly on display.
’Tis The Season
Food sits at the heart of our most meaningful moments, especially this time of year. After twelve months of making choices, balancing responsibilities, stretching budgets, and tuning in and out of various types of health advice (e.g., physical, emotional, financial, etc.) it’s natural to look forward to a little indulgence. And honestly there’s a time and place for that. Enjoyment and health don’t have to be at odds; they can coexist when people feel empowered rather than judged.
In fact, if health professionals and nutrition communicators want to help consumers build healthy eating patterns that persist through triumphs and disappointments, special occasions and monotony, stress and boredom, we need to help them build the skill of balancing consumption across the many choices, eating occasions, and seasons of life that will come their way.
Core Considerations
What Do Consumers Need to Know?
When we asked consumers about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ limit for added sugars, only 16% answered correctly – and one-third said they simply didn’t know. That’s ok. In fact, in a way, it’s helpful. Most absolute numbers – calories, grams, percentages – mean very little to the average person and that sole emphasis can make healthy eating feel harder than it needs to be.
Instead, we can, first, focus on habits consumers already use and help them apply those habits more intentionally. For instance:
- Many consumers already check the ingredient list and Nutrition Facts label for added sugars. We can help them use these tools to choose between similar products.
- The top eating occasions for sweet foods are after dinner and as a snack. We can help individuals moderate by choosing one occasion rather than both or selecting smaller portions for both, for example.
- Top choices for satisfying a sweet tooth include chocolate, ice cream, and fruit. We can help them swap fruit on some occasions.
- Most Americans enjoy medium or large portions of a sweet treat less often; a small bite-sized portion is the most common daily choice. Our call to action: reinforce that this is already a smart strategy and worth repeating.
What Tone Should We Strike?
Life is hard enough. Guilt, fear, and restriction have never produced sustainable eating patterns. And while eight in ten consumers say they have at least some control over their added sugar intake, data analysis by the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee shows that average intakes still exceed recommendations. This is a clear disconnect.
Our role isn’t to add more rules. Rather, it’s to empower consumers to build on the good habits they already have.
Context & Confidence Is Key
Healthy eating isn’t defined by a single choice, holiday, or desire – it’s shaped over time. When consumers feel they must choose between perfection and failure, they inevitably swing between the two. What helps break that cycle is consistency: practical strategies that fit real life. Small swaps, thoughtful portions, and mindful frequency matter far more than rigid rules or idealized expectations. Foods with sugar can fit within a balanced eating pattern, and helping consumers understand that opens the door to behaviors that last.
Consumers don’t need fear-based messages; they need confidence that they can make balanced choices most of the time. They need context, not condemnation – and reassurance that enjoying foods with sugar doesn’t undo an entire day or week. When we help people build realistic habits that are worth repeating, healthy eating stops being “easier said than done.”