Today's Health Tips
9 Sneaky Sources of Sugar
9. Asian Sauces:
10 calories, 0 g fat, 1 g sugars
Asian sauces—or at least American versions of Asian
sauces—are notorious sources of hidden sugars.
The viscous liquids that
give us sesame chicken, sweet and sour pork, and beef teriyaki aren't
all that dissimilar from pancake syrup. Check the nutrition label for
ingredients like corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup, and watch out
for anything that ends in "-ose" (dextrose, maltose). These are all
forms of sugar. Then be prepared to do some math—most bottled sauces
list nutrition information for impractically small serving sizes. Who
uses only 1 tablespoon of sauce?
Eat This!
La Choy Stir-Fry Teriyaki Sauce & Marinade (1 Tbsp)
8. Fruit Spreads:
Jams, jellies, and preserves seem like healthy breakfast
alternatives to butter and cream cheese—and they are if they contain
only fruit. But many fruity toppings house a shocking amount of added
sugar. Smucker's, for instance, packs three different sweeteners into
its classic Strawberry jam. Why three? Because if the company used only
one, it would have to list "sugar" as the first item on the ingredient
statement. By spreading the impact over three sweeteners, it can push
fruit to the top of the ingredient list and hide the sweeteners below.
It's a common trick used by food processors to make their products look
healthier than they are. Just remember that fruit is its own natural
sweetener. Opt for an unadulterated version like Polaner's All Fruit
spreads, which—true to name—contain nothing more than fruit and fruit
juice.
Eat This!
Polaner All Fruit with Fiber, Strawberry (1 Tbsp)
7. Salad Dressing:
You’ve likely heard that fat-heavy dressings like ranch and
blue cheese can convert a salad from fresh to fattening, but you may
not be aware of the other salad saboteur lurking in your pantry. When
the so-called "light" dressings take out fat, they often add sugar in
its place. Take Ken's Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette, pictured here. It
contains as much sugar in each serving as some ice creams do in each
scoop. And what's worse, it's laced with food starch. Although
technically not sugar, it reacts in your body in almost exactly the
same way. That means that in addition to the 12 grams of sugar on the
label, you're also taking in a heavy dose of blood-sugar-spiking
starch. Let's call this dressing what it really is: salad frosting.
Eat This!
Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan (2 Tbsp)
6. Spaghetti Sauce:
There's no need to add sugar to tomato sauce because
tomatoes are naturally sweet. So why do processors insist? Because
instead of using fresh olive oil and vegetables, they're often making
their sauces from cheaper vegetable oils, dehydrated veggies, and other
subpar ingredients. Sugar is a quick fix: It makes everything taste like
candy! To that point, Francesco Rinaldi lists sugar as the second
ingredient in this sauce, which brings the total impact to nearly 3
teaspoons of sugar in each serving. Your best bet? Go with a
no-sugar-added option like Ragu's Tomato Basil. It contains just
tomatoes, onions, and spices. And be sure to also look out for the sugar
count of barbecue sauces—another tomato-based sauce notorious for
sneaky sweeteners.
Eat This!
Ragu Light No Sugar Added Tomato Basil (1/2 cup)
5. Oatmeal:
Oats have been linked to heart health, weight loss, and
cancer prevention, so it's natural to assume that oatmeal is always a
nutritious breakfast choice. But many food producers spoil the
whole-grain goodness by flavoring their oats with artificial ingredients
and loads of sugar. Quaker's Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal Express, for
example, takes its name very seriously—it contains as much sugar as two
Pillsbury cinnamon rolls! A touch of sugar is one thing, but unless you
want to eat dessert for breakfast, go with a lower-sugar option. Or
better yet, make your oatmeal from scratch so you can control the sugar
load. (Tip: Berries are the perfect way to sweeten naturally.)
Eat This!
Quaker Lower Sugar Instant Oatmeal Maple & Brown Sugar
4. “Wheat” Bread:
Studies have shown that whole grains improve your heart
health, keep you full, and help you lose weight, but not all bread
products labeled "wheat" are true whole grains. Restaurants and
supermarket aisles are rife with whole-wheat imposters containing
enriched flours and sugars intended to improve the taste of wheat
products. So even though you don't typically file bread under the
"sweets" category, your daily sandwich could be loaded with refined
carbs and sugars. The best example of the whole-wheat bait-and-switch is
the "Honey Wheat" bread Arby's uses on its Market Fresh sandwiches.
First, it's not whole wheat (enriched flour is the first ingredient).
And second, there are 15 grams (!) of sugar in every two slices. That's
more sugar than you'll find in a Hostess Ho Ho!
Eat This!
Arby’s Cravin’ Chicken Sandwich (Roast)
370 calories, 12 g fat (2 g saturated), 9 g sugars
3. Yogurt:
Yogurt is low in calories and high in protein, which is why
a recent Harvard study found that regularly consuming the stuff helps
you lose weight. The problem? Many producers pump their "fruit
flavored" yogurts with sugar. Case in point: The cups in Yoplait’s
Original 99% Fat Free line pack as much sugar as a bag of peanut
M&M’s. Unless yogurt is your weekly diet splurge, go with a less
dessert-y option like Dannon Light & Fit, or opt for plain yogurt
and add your own healthy toppings like fresh fruit and nuts.
Eat This!
Dannon Light & Fit Peach (6 oz, 1 container)
2. Frozen Dinners:
The idea of a frozen meal packed in a nuke-able box
probably doesn't get your taste buds giddy with anticipation. Food
manufacturers are aware of this fact, so they go heavy on the sugar
and/or salt. Some of the worst offenders? Low-cal or otherwise "light"
entrées. When food companies remove fat or carbs from their items, they
usually replace those calories with excessive doses of sugar or sodium.
Take Lean Cuisine's Roasted Turkey Breast entrée, for example. Chances
are you don't think of turkey as dessert, but with 7 teaspoons of sugar,
that's exactly what you're getting if you pop one of these babies in
the microwave. Again, it's all in the nutrition label. Don't just focus
on fat and calories; make sure to look out for sneaky sugars and sodium
as well.
Eat This!
Smart Ones Bistro Selections Slow Roasted Turkey Breast (1 entrée)
200 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), Sugars <1 b="" g="">
1.Bottled Tea:
In recent years, tea has received a lot of good press for
its impressive antioxidant properties, and beverage companies have taken
advantage by flooding the market with options. But the taste of plain
herbal tea doesn't draw in the crowds, so many drink purveyors pump
their teas with high-fructose corn syrup and other cheap sweeteners to
boost flavor. Before you buy a bottle, flip it over and read the
nutrition label. If you're looking at Arizona's Green Tea, you'll notice
that it has more sugar than a Snicker's bar.
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