Added Sugar and its Many Hidden Names
Added sugar is not needed in our diet. We need carbohydrates, however carbohydrates are different from added sugars. It is important to note that on a nutrition facts panel “total sugars” and “added sugars” are not the same. Added sugars dictates how much sugar was added to the food. Total sugars dictates how much sugar is in the food, which could be added sugars + natural sugars.
The American Heart Association recommends we limit the amount of added sugar in our diet to the following:
Women: Less than 24 grams
Men: Less than 36 grams
To put this into perspective, 1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams. Continue reading to learn how much added sugar is in common food products.
How to Determine if a Food has Added Sugar
However, even if a label says 0 grams, you need to read the ingredients to determine if there is actually 0 grams of an ingredient. This is because if a product has <0.5 grams, it can say 0 grams on the food label. See the example below.
Alternative Names for Sugar
When looking for sugar on an ingredient list, unfortunately it won’t always be as easy as seeing “sugar” labeled. Below is a chart of other items that could mean "sugar" when it is found on a label.
Common Products with Added Sugar
We all know that sweets and treats contain added sugars. Besides these, there are many items with “hidden” added sugars. Some will likely surprise you! Check out the chart below for common foods that contain added sugar.
Now, let’s give you some examples:
Which of the above items surprised you the most with its added sugar content? Let us know in the comments!
*This blog post is meant to provide you with insight. If you want to consume some of these items, then that is your choice (I consume all of these items on occasion!) This is not meant to shame anyone. Many indivdiuals do not know what is actually in the food they are consuming, so this post is about educating everyone.
Conclusion
We do not need added sugar in our diets to function as humans, but boy do I know it’s tasty! Hopefully some main takeaways from this post include:
The only way to know if an item doesn’t have sugar in it is to read the ingredient label.
There are many foods that have “hidden” sugars in them. Marketing of items truly is madness!
Sugar has many different names. Too bad it can’t be as easy as seeing “sugar” on a label.
The next time you’re at the grocery store I encourage you to read a few labels prior to purchasing an item. You may be surprised at what you find!