Sugar tricks by big food

If you only glance at a nutritional label, you might just miss the hidden sugars. Did you know that “manufacturers add sugar to 74% of packaged foods sold in supermarkets” (1). This means the average American is consuming way more sugar than recommended by the American Heart Association, who suggest eating no more than 9 teaspoons (38 grams) of added sugar per day for men, and 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day for women (3).

Even the most health-conscious consumer might fall victim to deceptive labels and packaging. Often, added sugars hide in foods advertised as “healthy," like granola bars and yogurt. In response to this, the FDA proposed a new rule that would update the definition of “healthy.” This rule bans manufactures from labelling products as “healthy” if they don't “adhere to limits for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars” (2). While this will help lessen the impact of hidden added sugars, expanding consumer knowledge is the best way to perpetuate a heathy diet! One of the best ways to do that is educating yourself on what ingredients may be sugar in disguise.

Check out the complete list below!

  • Agave nectar

  • Barbados sugar

  • Barley malt

  • Barley malt syrup

  • Beet sugar

  • Brown sugar

  • Buttered syrup

  • Cane juice

  • Cane juice crystals

  • Cane sugar

  • Caramel

  • Carob syrup

  • Castor sugar

  • Coconut palm sugar

  • Coconut sugar

  • Confectioner's sugar

  • Corn sweetener

  • Corn syrup

  • Corn syrup solids

  • Date sugar

  • Dehydrated cane juice

  • Demerara sugar

  • Dextrin

  • Dextrose

  • Evaporated cane juice

  • Free-flowing brown sugars

  • Fructose

  • Fruit juice

  • Fruit juice concentrate

  • Glucose

  • Glucose solids

  • Golden sugar

  • Golden syrup

  • Grape sugar

  • HFCS (High-Fructose Corn Syrup)

  • Honey

  • Icing sugar

  • Invert sugar

  • Malt syrup

  • Maltodextrin

  • Maltol

  • Maltose

  • Mannose

  • Maple syrup

  • Molasses

  • Muscovado

  • Palm sugar

  • Panocha

  • Powdered sugar

  • Raw sugar

  • Refiner's syrup

  • Rice syrup

  • Saccharose

  • Sorghum Syrup

  • Sucrose

  • Sugar (granulated)

  • Sweet Sorghum

  • Syrup

  • Treacle

  • Turbinado sugar

  • Yellow sugar

Thanks to Guy Gone Keto for this list! Check them out for their amazing, sugar-free condiments and sweet (but no sugar) treats!

FTWStephanie LincolnComment