Sneaky Places Sugar Hides

Sugar seems to be hiding everywhere these days and if you don't have your peepers out ready to find it, you'll most likely consume WAY more than intended.  Sugars are a form of carbohydrates and occur naturally in many foods that we eat.  The thing is, we add so much extra sugar (in its many forms) to our food that it's putting this nation at some serious health risks.  Think about this: before you even add any extra sugar or fruit to a 1/2 cup of plain oats with a 1/2 cup of skim milk there are already 7 grams of sugar.  Once you add your choice fruit, the naturally occurring sugar content can jump up to 20 grams (or more!).  So put that brown sugar and honey down and enjoy the sweetness of natural occurring sugars in foods without adding extra (and increasing your risk for diabetes, obesity, etc.)! 

Be a conscious shopper - check the sugar content in these common foods that producers like to secretly sweeten:

• Bread - Aim for breads with less than 3 g of sugar.
• Pizza Doughs
• Yogurt - add your own fruit (opt for plain)
• Juice - make your own/eat fresh fruit/add fresh fruit slices to water.
• Canned or Packaged Fruit - go for fresh fruit or unsweetened kinds.
• Crackers
• Cereal and Granola Bars
• Flavored Oatmeals - start with plain and add nuts, fruits, & spices.
• Breakfast Cereal
• Spaghetti Sauce 
• Barbeque Sauce
• Flavored Milks
• Low Calorie Snack Options - They can still contain mega amounts of sugar.
• Pop/Soda - Just don't drink it.
• 'Fresh Fruit' Smoothies - make your own versus store bought.
• Blended Flavored Coffee Drinks

Producers are not required to distinguish the amount of added sugar from the naturally occurring sugar in foods.  This can make things a bit difficult when analyzing the sugar content on nutrition labels.   You have to check out the ingredients list and keep an eye out for these words (aka added sugars):

• brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, honey, invert sugar, malt sugar, molasses, raw sugar, sugar, syrup, glucose, dextrin, maltose, fructose, etc.

Ol' Red - Blake Shelton


Sources: American Heart Association, WebMD, Sports & Exercise Nutrition Second Edition (P. 6-7)