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The hidden sugar
By workoutmommy | October 25, 2007
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Even though I am still holding strong with my ‘no candy’ promise for Halloween, I’m still eating too much sugar and it’s coming from some of my favorite ‘healthier’ foods!! (such as wheat bread, protein bars, and non-fat yogurt!)
Sugar is lurking around every corner in my pantry and it uses some pretty sneaky ways to get there. Look for these ingredients on the food labels in your house. They are all just fancy ways of saying “sugar”!
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Glucose
Honey
Sucrose
Fructose
Lactose
Molasses
Confused by just how much sugar is in your food? Join the club! The government uses grams on food labels so the key is to determine how many teaspoons of sugar each serving contains. Here is the math: Divide the number of sugar grams by 4 ( because each teaspoon of sugar is equal to 4 g) to convert it to teaspoons. For example, if sugars are listed as 12 g, you’re getting 3 teaspoons of sugar per serving.
So that means a regular can of soda contains TEN teaspoons of sugar!!! Go right now and put 10 teaspoons of sugar in a bowl and look at it. Can you imagine eating this in one sitting?
Of course not! But this is exactly what you are eating when you guzzle down that regular soda.
Fortunately, regular soda is no longer in my house but I do need to start examining food labels even closer than before. (because if I’m going to be eating sugar, I’d much rather have it in a KitKat than in a piece of bread!)
What do you have in your pantry that has hidden sugar?
Topics: nutrition |
October 25th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Lisa,
I really like your blog on sugar. I’ve been trying to limit my sugar and read more labels. I was wondering if there’s a difference between the different sugars you list. I was told, honey is a good source of sugar because it’s natural. If I have to have sugar, is there a lesser of evils?
NYC Mommy
October 25th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I think the most surprising sugar is lactose. People eventually look at their milk label and see that for every gram of protein, they’re getting a gram of sugar, and freak. The surprising thing, besides the fact that you just don’t expect sugar in milk, is that lactose is one of the few low glycemic sugars. It has an index around 30, so it hits the blood as slowly as oatmeal or barley, providing sustaining carbs instead of being rocketed into your body as fat by insulin. So if you see sugar on your milk label, don’t freak out.
October 25th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
I’m sorry, lactose actually has a GI of around 50, but when added to the mitigating protein in skim milk equals out to about 30, a good number.
October 25th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
I’m with you–I’d rather have an all out treat every now and then rather than waste empty calories on white bread, etc.
Great post!
October 25th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Great point Jeff! Yes, please don’t avoid milk because of the lactose.
NYC Mommy: the sugar we want to avoid is the high fructose corn syrup. It is chemically processed and research indicates that our bodies metabolize it differently than regular sugar. Unfortunately way too many of our foods have high fructose corn syrup in it,especially those we give to our kids!
October 25th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
OK, I am constantly reading labels. I finally convinced my Husband that his Raisin Bran was not good for him (20g of sugar). I have almost cut the High Fructose Corn Syrup out…That is not easy to do, they sneak that sh*t into everything. My problem, my one vice is regular Coke. I drink one a day, and I look forward to it! Is it really the end of the world to drink one can of Coke a day? Give it to me straight.
October 26th, 2007 at 12:32 am
Nap Warden– everything in moderation is my motto. If that one regular coke keeps you sane and it’s the only vice you have—I say enjoy every last drop!