The Truth About Added Sugar
Many of us consume sugar than we need. Added sugar contribute zero nutrients and unnecessary calories that can lead to extra pounds.
2 sources of sugar
|
Naturally Occurring: Found in foods like fruit (fructose) or milk (lactose) |
Added: Any sugar or calorie-containing sweetner that is added to food during processing (white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, etc) |
how much added sugar
Women: 6 Teaspoons, 100 calories or 24 grams per day |
Men: 9 teaspoons, 140 calories or 36 grams per day |
sugar in disguise
Sugar may not be in the ingredient list but that doesn't mean your food is sugar free.
Synoyms for sugar:
brown rice syrup, corn sweetener, corn sugar, corn syrup, crystalline fructose, dextrose, galactose, glucose, lactose, levulose, evaporated cane juice, fruit juice concentrates, maltodextrin, saccharose, sucrose, syrup, and xylose
how to be sugar smart
-
Read it: Read product labels and watch out excessive amounts of added sugars
-
Swap it: Some of your favorite foods like cereal, oatmeal and juice boxes are common overly-sugary offenders. Find sugar free versions of your favorite and add flavor by added raw fruits, cinnamon or applesauce instead of sugar.
-
Take Control: Start from scratch! Cooking your own foods at home and help you control how much sugar goes into your foods. See recipe to make your own granola bars and apple sauce.
Look out for our sugar free icon at the shelf to indicate products with 0 grams of sugar per serving. 
Learn more about Nutritional Tags
