Hiding Sugar
Front labels sell. Back labels tell. Flip the package. Your body reads every ingredient—even if you don't.
Mama Santelli
When people think of sugar, they often think of the sweet taste in foods and drinks. However, not all sugars are the same. Some foods, such as fresh fruit and dairy products, naturally contain sugar. Others contain added sugars, which are sugars added during processing.
Manufacturers add sugar for several reasons. It can improve flavor, enhance texture, and help preserve foods by extending shelf life. Added sugars can even be found in foods that don't taste sweet, such as pasta sauce, salad dressings, and bread.
How to Spot Added Sugars
The easiest way to find added sugars is by reading the Nutrition Facts label. The label lists Total Sugars, which includes both naturally occurring and added sugars, as well as Added Sugars, which tells you how much sugar was added during processing. Reading both the Nutrition Facts label and the ingredient list can help you identify foods that are high in added sugars and make more informed choices.
For example, if a food contains 10 grams of total sugar and 5 grams of added sugar, then 5 grams are naturally occurring.
It's also helpful to check the ingredient list. Ingredients are listed in order from the largest amount to the smallest. If sugar—or ingredients such as cane sugar, corn syrup, or brown sugar—appears near the top of the list, the product likely contains a significant amount of added sugar.
Health Risks of Excess Sugar
Consuming too much added sugar can do more than contribute to weight gain—it may also increase your risk of heart disease. Research suggests that a high intake of added sugars is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 25 grams (about 6 teaspoons) per day for women and 36 grams (about 9 teaspoons) per day for men.
Because added sugars can be found in many unexpected foods, learning where they hide and reading nutrition labels can help you stay within these recommended limits and make healthier choices.
How Added Sugars Can Be Hidden
When you look at an ingredient list, you may not see the word "sugar" very often—even if the product contains a significant amount of added sugar. Food manufacturers often use different types of sweeteners, making it less obvious how much sugar has been added.
Some common ways added sugars appear on ingredient labels include:
Using multiple types of sweeteners. Instead of listing one large amount of sugar, manufacturers may use several different sweeteners—such as tapioca syrup, maltodextrin, or fructose. Because ingredients are listed by weight, splitting sugars into several ingredients can move each one lower on the ingredient list.
Using different names for sugar. Added sugars may appear under names such as dextrose, fructose, sucrose, malt syrup, brown rice syrup, or fruit juice concentrate. While these ingredients have different names, they all contribute added sugar to the product.
Put Sugar into Perspective
A simple way to visualize the amount of added sugar is to convert grams into teaspoons. Since 4 grams of sugar equals about 1 teaspoon, divide the grams of added sugar by 4. For example, a snack bar with 14 grams of added sugar contains about 3½ teaspoons of added sugar.
Hidden Names for Added Sugar