By Jill Corleone Updated December 06, 2018
Sweet, sticky, melt in your mouth yumminess. That’s what pops into your head when you think about marshmallows. But while you may use the fluffy treat on your sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving, marshmallows are a candy with sugar as the primary ingredient. It’s OK to enjoy sweets like marshmallows on occasion, but for good health and weight control, you should limit foods high in sugar like marshmallows.
Sugar in Marshmallows
One regular marshmallow has 4 grams of sugar, which is equal to about 1 teaspoon of table sugar. Four marshmallows is considered a serving, which means one serving has 16 grams of sugar or 4 teaspoons of sugar. If you’re a label reader, be sure to read the ingredient list of your favorite brand of marshmallows to get an idea of how much sugar is in the sweet, fluffy treat. The first three ingredients in a name-brand bag of marshmallows includes corn syrup, sugar and dextrose, which are all different names for sugar.
How Much Sugar Can I Have
According to the American Heart Association, women should limit their daily consumption of sugar to 100 calories and men to 150 calories. That’s equal to 25 and 36 grams, respectively, or 6 to 9 teaspoons of sugar. So, if marshmallows are what your sweet tooth craves, you should eat no more than six to nine in a day. That’s, of course, as long as you don’t include any other foods or drinks with added sugar.
But Marshmallows Fat-Free
It’s true, one regular marshmallow has 25 calories and 0 grams of fat. But as a food made almost entirely of sugar, marshmallows provide no nutritional value, only calories. Consuming too many calories devoid of good nutrition leads to weight gain and poor health. High intakes of sweets may also increase your triglyceride level, which puts you at risk of heart disease, and cause cavities.
Fitting in Marshmallows
When it comes to good health and your diet, it’s important to find balance. If marshmallows satisfy your need for sweets and your able to limit yourself to a small serving, you can make them a regular part of your healthy eating plan. To keep yourself in check, don’t eat from the bag, but a bowl or plate with the exact portion to prevent overeating.
If you’re having a difficult time controlling your sugar intake, you may need to lay off the marshmallows and other sweets. Tame your need for something sweet with a piece of fruit or stop your craving when they hit with a glass of water.
