sneaky sugar: foods to look out for

Koia 101 | February 01, 2022

sneaky sugar: foods to look out for

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It’s often common knowledge that cookies, candies, and pastries contain added sugars – but what else? You might be surprised to find that sugar is hidden in food items we reach for everyday. Here’s some food for thought: the recommended daily intake for added sugars is between 24-36 grams. An average can of soda? Around 40 grams! Collectively, it all adds up.
Again, we want to emphasize that it’s not sugar that’s harmful – it’s too much sugar, too frequently over time that can have a negative impact on our overall health.
Below are some common food items that contain added sugars:

sneaky sources of sugar:

• Sauces
(i.e. pasta sauce, barbeque sauce)
• Condiments
• Dressings
• Yogurt
• Cereals + Granolas
• Protein + Energy Bars
• Beverages
(Juices, Sports Drinks)
• Baked Goods
(cakes, pastries, cookies)
• Candy, chocolates
• Frozen Foods
• Dried fruit
• Nut milks, nut butters
• Pre-packaged oatmeals
• Bread
• Protein Powders

in disguise: common sugar names

The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires all food producers to list ingredients on their food labels. Added sugars comes in many forms – in fact, there are at least 61 different names for sugar! Here’s a handy list of some common names of sugar in disguise:
• Agave Nectar or Agave Syrup
• Barley Malt
• Brown Sugar
• Cane Juice, Cane Syrup
• Coconut Sugar
• Corn Syrup
• Dehydrated Cane Juice
• Dextrose
• Evaporated Cane Juice
• Fructose Glucose
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Invert Sugar
• Lactose
• Maltdextrin
• Maltose
• Maple Syrup
• Molasses Palm Sugar
• Powdered Sugar
• Rice Syrup
• Syrup – any
• Sucrose
• Turbinado Sugar
• General Red Flag: anything that ends in “syrup”, “sugar”, “juice” or “ose”

artificial sugars

• aspartame
• sucralose
• saccharin
• acesulfame k or acesulfame potassium
• neotame
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