Limiting Sugar Intake? Discover Hidden Sugars in Your Favorite Foods

Whether you're watching your carb intake or trying to eat more nutrient-dense foods, be on the lookout for hidden sugar. Sugar is added to lots of processed foods - and not just the usual suspects like soft drinks, candy and desserts. You'll find extra teaspoons of sugar in most yogurts, breakfast cereals, snack bars and energy bars, jellies and jams, canned fruit, fruit snacks, sports drinks, flavored coffee, flavored milk, sweet tea, and fruit drinks.

Where's the hidden sugar?

Read food labels to discover which of your favorite foods contain the empty calories of added sugar. The ingredient label reveals added sugar with several terms including:

sugar, fructose, sucrose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, cane sugar, cane juice, beet sugar, cane molasses, sugar beet syrup, sugar beet molasses, barley malt syrup, brown rice syrup, agave syrup, and palm sugar

Next, look at the amount of total sugars in a serving. Then decide if the food is worth the extra sugar. Some foods, like fruit and milk, have naturally occurring sugars and lots of other healthy nutrients. You don't have to skimp on these foods. Other foods, like pre-sweetened yogurt and instant oatmeal have extra sugar added. Although these are fair choices because of the healthy nutrients found in these foods, there are better options. Try plain yogurt and plain oatmeal and add just a touch of honey or sweet fruit. Finally, be most careful of foods with added sugar but not much else - sweetened beverages, sweet desserts, and sugary candy. Reserve these for special occasions!

How much sugar is too much?

One recommendation comes from the World Health Organization, which says that 10% of your daily calories is the limit for sugars in processed foods. Roughly translated -

if you eat 1600 calories per day, 40 grams of added sugar is your limit, or about 10 teaspoons
if you eat 1800 calories per day, 45 grams of added sugar is your limit, or about 11 teaspoons
if you eat 2000 calories per day, 50 grams of added sugar is your limit, or about 12-13 teaspoons
if you eat 2500 calories per day, 62 grams of added sugar is your limit, or about 15-16 teaspoons

These numbers include your personal sugar-shaker to sweeten coffee, cereal, and desserts. It all adds up quickly! If you enjoy sweetened cereal and one 6 oz cup of sweetened yogurt, suddenly there is no room for that afternoon Chai tea latte.

Reference: World Health Organization Technical Report on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Disease. http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/AC911E/AC911E00.HTM