Ingredients
Are you trying to cut down on your sugar intake? Are you cutting out refined sugar such as chocolate, cookies and sweet treats? This is great for your overall health, but there is a good chance you are still consuming more sugar than you realise. Try to find ways to add in natural sweeteners, to reduce your intake.
The average American eats 22 teaspoons of added sugar per day, according to the American Heart Association. It’s likely you’re not adding that much sugar to food yourself, so could you really be eating that much?
Yes, you are more than likely consuming a lot more sugar than you realise.
Sugar hides in plain sight, you can be reading the back of an ingredient label and completely overlook all of the hidden sugar and not even notice
At Good Good, we believe you should be able to consume delicious food without any hidden nasties. That is why we offer the sweetest sugar alternatives-what you see is what you get.
What Are Foods That Contain Sugar Without You Realising
One of the biggest problems with sugar is knowing where it is hidden. Sugar is sneaky and conceals itself so well that you consume it without even realising.
If you walk into the grocery store and look at some products, you will notice that sugar is most likely listed on every item. However, there are many foods you would assume to have naturally low sugar content as they aren’t sweet treats or even sweet to eat at all.
Here is a list of some common foods and products that contain large amounts of hidden sugar:
- Yoghurt
- Granola Bars
- Pasta Sauces
- Salad Dressings
- Ketchup
- Bread
- Instant oatmeal
- Breakfast cereals
- Energy drinks
- Tea based beverages
- Packaged fruits
- Dried fruit
- Nut butter
Is There Nutritional Value In Sugar?
Sugars have zero nutritive value which is the reason they provide empty calories. While the term "Sugars" is used in the Nutrition Facts table and List of Ingredients, it doesn't mean the same.
However, you can teach yourself to be more aware of the signs on the ingredient labels. To find out how much sugar is in your food, look at the nutrition information panel on the label, which is typically located on the back or the side of the product packaging.
How To Find Hidden Sugars
Did you know that sugar can be disguised under over 70 different names?
Understanding the various names that sugar may be referred to as enables us all to make wiser decisions. To know more about these different names, you can examine the ingredients list on the back of the product packaging for added sugars.
Some major indicators that an ingredient contains added sugar are:
- It contains ‘’sugar’’ in the name, for example: brown sugar, raw sugar, cane sugar, and coconut sugar (this is obvious)
- It contains ‘’syrup’’ in the name, examples: corn syrup, rice syrup
- It contains an ‘’ose’’ at the end, examples: sucrose, dextrose, maltose
- Fruit nectars, juice concentrates, honey, agave nectar, and molasses are a few other examples of added sugar.
The key is to look closely and interpret what is being said. Remember that "added sugar" is simply something that is added on top of any sugars that might already be naturally present in the food.
What Are The Different Types Of Sugars?
There are many different types of sugar, but to keep things simple, the two key places to look on the nutritional panel when reading labels are:
- The carbohydrate content, and
- The sugar content.
The CDC recommends that Americans consume no more than 10% of their daily calories from added sugars. A 2,000-calorie diet, for example, should limit added sugar consumption to no more than 200 calories or about 12 teaspoons per day.
How To Cut Down On Sugar
Sweeten up your life without any added sugar and add trusted staples into your diet that will help to keep sugar cravings at bay. Also, you will know 100% of the food and ingredients you are consuming.
This will help you to keep track of your daily sugar intake as you can trust what is on the back of the label.
So, cut right back on refined sugar and add in natural sweeteners that will be just as satisfying. You do not have to entirely give up added sugars, but you can keep a tab on what you are consuming by reading the labels.
Like any well-balanced lifestyle, you should eat well but also keep active and exercise regularly. Exercise will also give you some of the feel-good hormones that you also get from eating sugar.
- SHARE:
-
-
-
