National Real Sugar Day

National Real Sugar Day

Celebrate Real Sugar on October 14!

Real Sugar comes from plants!

As the gold standard for sweetness, real sugar is worth celebrating! The real sugar we stock in our pantry and use in many of our favorite recipes is grown by sugar beet and sugar cane farmers across the United States. National Real Sugar Day is a day to celebrate the people who harvest sugar crops, learn about sugar’s role in our food and in a balanced diet, and make and enjoy food made with real sugar.

In a March 2021 survey, U.S. consumers listed sugar most frequently when asked to name any ingredients that come to mind that make food or beverages enjoyable to eat or drink. Real sugar has been a part of our diets for thousands of years, and in addition to sweetness, there is so much to share about the many functions sugar has in food.

Sugar is a versatile and irreplaceable functional ingredient in food. Without sugar, ice cream wouldn’t be so creamy, crackers wouldn’t be as crispy, and breads wouldn’t be so light and airy. Sugar is also used to balance acidity, add bulk, or prevent spoilage. Additionally, sugar is used in the production of medication, to make bioplastics for planes, and can extend the life of your fresh cut flowers. With all these valuable functions, sugar can’t simply be replaced by another single ingredient.

How to celebrate National Real Sugar Day

Live from the Sugar Fields on Facebook Live on October 14!

Sugar beet and sugar cane growers are going live from the field during harvest season to celebrate National Real Sugar Day. Join us on Facebook starting at 9 am EDT on October 14 to hear from growers coast to coast and get a behind the scenes look at how Real Sugar gets from farm to table.

National Real Sugar Day Lesson Plan

Celebrate National Real Sugar Day in the classroom with a custom lesson plan for grades 9-12 that teaches the origins of real sugar, where real sugar is grown, and how it functions in our diets and cooking. Includes a recipe to make to celebrate National Real Sugar Day on October 14!

Download lesson plan

Use #NationalRealSugarDay and tag @moretosugar when sharing on social media. Follow us on social media to get updates on ways you can celebrate with us.

The Sugar Association is comprised of 14 member companies that proudly grow, extract, and deliver the real sugar the American public uses every day. Today in the United States, the sugar industry is comprised of 11,000 beet and cane farmers who produce about 9 million tons of sugar each year. The industry creates more than 151,000 jobs in more than 24 states, adding $23.3 billion to the U.S. economy. Real sugar grows from coast to coast and border to border of the United States!

National Real Sugar Day
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Real Sugar

Real sugar comes from sugar beet and sugar cane plants grown on farms.

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Sugar & the Diet

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Think beyond sweetness.

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