Sugar Counter: How to shop without sugar - Tapa blanda

Everyone's talking about sugar - and how we can eat less of it. Low sugar diets have been everywhere in January 2014, but this time it's about more than 'new year, new you' fad diets - the danger of this ubiquitous food have been confirmed by extensive scientific research which links high sugar consumption to a whole range of serious health problems including diabetes and heart disease.

The good news is that we can easily protect ourselves and our families from this threat by simply moving our dietary focus away from sugar and towards the kind of foods our bodies really need to function well - whole grains and high-fibre foods.

With the Sugar Counter, you can now check what's really in the food you put in your trolley as you walk around the shop or do your online order for the week, and there is a simple traffic light system to mark high/low sugar content. With over 1000 everyday foods covered, both branded and unbranded, and daily food planners to give an idea of a healthy level of sugar consumption, you can control your sugar intake, rather than the other way around.

Angela Dowden has worked in the food industry for eight years as a nutritionist since graduating with a degree in Food Science from Nottingham University.

For the last 15 years she has also worked as a journalist, writing for everybody from the World Cancer Research Fund to Closer magazine, covering everything from energy density and the fat content of minced beef to the latest celebrity diet.

In 2012 she was awarded Nutrition and Health Writer/Broadcaster of the Year. Her nutrition philosophy is fad-free and pragmatic; she loves food and doesn't do lectures on lentils (although she thinks they're lovely!).