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continued:

Added sugar: Don't get sabotaged by sweeteners

How to reduce added sugar in your diet

If you want to reduce the added sugar in your diet, follow these tips:

  • Cut out sugary, nondiet sodas.
  • Limit candy, gum and other sweets that are high in added sugar.
  • Choose breakfast cereals carefully. Although healthy breakfast cereals can contain added sugar to make them more appealing to children, skip the non-nutritious, sugary and frosted cereals.
  • Have fresh fruit for dessert instead of cakes, cookies, pies and other sweets.
  • If you choose canned fruit, make sure it's packed in water or juice, not syrup.
  • Have your children drink more milk or water and less fruit juice and fruit drinks — and yourself, too. Even though 100 percent fruit juice has a high concentration of natural sugar, drinking too much juice can add unwanted calories.
  • Eat fewer added-sugar processed foods, such as sweetened grains like honey-nut waffles and some microwaveable meals.
  • Go easy on the condiments — sugar is added to salad dressings and ketchup.
  • Opt for reduced-sugar varieties of syrups, jams, jellies and preserves.
  • Be aware that dairy-based desserts and processed milk products, such as ice cream and sweetened yogurt, can contain lots of added sugar.
  • Avoid sugar-sweetened tea and blended coffee drinks with flavored syrup, sugar and sweet toppings.
  • Snack on vegetables, fruit, low-fat cheese, whole-grain crackers, and low-fat, low-calorie yogurt instead of candy, pastries and cookies.

Recognizing added sugar

If you're not sure which foods and beverages contain added sugar, don't despair. First, know that among the biggest culprits behind excessive amounts of added sugar are soft drinks and sugary fruit drinks. Ways to spot added sugar:

  • Check the list of ingredients. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. So if you see sugar listed among the first few ingredients, the product might be high in added sugar. Know that sugar goes by many different names, though — it may not be easy to spot added sugar even in the ingredient list. And natural sugars generally aren't included in the ingredient list.
  • Read the label. The Nutrition Facts label is required to list an item's total amount of sugar per serving. However, it doesn't distinguish between added sugar and naturally occurring sugar. Some, but not all, packages also state whether an item is sugar-free or contains no added sugar. But be aware that some sugar-free products may contain sugar substitutes, and some of these substitutes can cause stomach or digestive upset.

Different names for added sugar

Sugar goes by many different names, depending on its source and how it was made. This can make it confusing to identify added sugar, even when you read ingredient lists and food labels. One easy way: Check for ingredients ending in "ose" — that's the chemical name for many types of sugar, such as fructose. There's no nutritional advantage for honey, brown sugar, fruit juice concentrate, or other type of sugar over white sugar.

Here's a look at common types of sugar and added sugar:

  • Brown sugar. Granulated white sugar with added molasses for flavor and color, commonly used in baking.
  • Cane juice and cane syrup. Sugar from processed sugar cane. Further processing produces brown or white solid cane sugar.
  • Confectioners' sugar. Granulated white sugar that has been ground into a fine powder, sometimes with a small amount of cornstarch. Commonly used in icings and whipped toppings.
  • Corn sweeteners and corn syrup. Corn sugars and corn syrups made from corn and processed cornstarch.
  • Dextrose. Another name for glucose.
  • Fructose. Sugar that occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables and honey.
  • Fruit juice concentrate. A form of sugar made when water is removed from whole juice to make it more concentrated.
  • Glucose. A simple sugar that provides your body's main source of energy. Also called blood sugar because it circulates in your blood.
  • Granulated white sugar. This is table sugar, or pure crystallized sucrose, made by processing raw sugar from sugar cane or sugar beets. It's commonly used in baking or to sweeten tea or coffee.
  • High fructose corn syrup. The most common sweetener in processed foods and beverages, this is a combination of fructose and glucose made by processing corn syrup.
  • Honey. A mix of glucose, fructose and sucrose created from nectar made by bees.
  • Invert sugar. Used as a food additive to preserve freshness and prevent shrinkage, this is a mix of fructose and glucose made by processing sucrose.
  • Lactose. Sugar that occurs naturally in milk.
  • Maltose. Starch and malt broken down into simple sugars and used commonly in beer, bread and baby food.
  • Malt syrup. A grain syrup made from evaporated corn mash and sprouted barley.
  • Molasses. The thick, dark syrup that's left after sugar beets or sugar cane is processed for table sugar.
  • Sucrose. The chemical name for granulated white sugar (table sugar).
  • Syrup. Sugar comes in many forms of syrup, a thick, sweet liquid that can be made from the processing of sugar or from sugar cane, grains such as corn or rice, maple sap, and other sources.
  • White sugar. Same as granulated white sugar (table sugar).

The final analysis

By limiting the amount of added sugar in your diet, you can cut calories without compromising on nutrition. In fact, cutting back on foods with added sugar and solid fats may make it easier to get the nutrients you need without exceeding your calorie goal. So the next time you're tempted to reach for a sugary drink, grab a glass of water instead.

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References
  1. Whitney E, et al. Understanding Nutrition. 12th ed. Belmont Calif.: Thomson Higher Education; 2011.
  2. Encyclopedia of Foods: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition. San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press; 2002.
  3. Duyff RL. American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. 3rd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons Inc; 2006.
  4. Johnson RK, et al. Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2009;120:1011.
  5. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htm. Accessed Feb. 21, 2011.
  6. Nelson JK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 25, 2011.
MY00845 April 5, 2011

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